Patent ID: 7494612

Claim:
A tool for imparting a plurality of folds to a balloon, the tool comprising: a housing, the housing defining a passage therethrough, the passage having a longitudinal axis, the passage having a first opening at a first end of the passage and a second opening at the second end of the passage, the passage having an inner surface, the inner surface defining a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, each of the peaks having a peak height measured from the longitudinal axis, and each of the valleys having a valley height measured from the longitudinal axis, the peak height for a given peak being greater at the first end of the passage than at the second end of the passage and the valley height for a given valley is greater at the first end of the passage than at the second end of the passage, and a difference between the height of said given valley and the height of said given peak is greater at the second end of the passage than at the first end of the passage.