Patent ID: 7942661

Claim:
A balloon folding system for folding the balloons of a bifurcated balloon catheter, the system comprising: a catheter housing, the catheter housing constructed and arranged to removably receive at least a portion of a balloon catheter including a primary balloon and a side branch balloon, the catheter housing being defined by: at least three pleat forming members, the pleat forming members being distributed radially about a circumference of the catheter housing, each pleat forming member being movable between a radially open position and a radially closed position along a single axis, each pleat forming member having a pleat forming surface, the pleat forming surface constructed and arranged to engage an external surface of the primary balloon as each pleat forming member moves from the open to the closed position; and at least three compression members, the compression members being distributed radially about the circumference of the catheter housing and each compression member being positioned between two of the pleat forming members, each compression member being movable between a radially open position and a radially closed position along a single axis, each compression member having a compression surface, at least one compression surface constructed and arranged to engage an external surface of the side branch balloon, at least two compression surfaces constructed and arranged to engage an external surface of the primary balloon only after the pleat forming members begin moving from their radially open position to their radially closed position; the balloon folding system further comprising a side branch balloon reducing assembly comprising a die defining a side branch balloon reduction chamber, a pin and an actuation mechanism engaged to the pin, said reduction chamber having a substantially cylindrical shape and an open top, said pin having a substantially cylindrical shape.