Method of making an expandable medical device formed of a compacted porous polymeric material

Abstract

A method of making a catheter balloon or other expandable tubular medical device or component thereof formed of a compacted porous polymeric material, in which a tube of porous polymeric material is axially compacted, preferably without increasing the outer diameter of the tube, by positioning heat shrink material on the porous polymeric tube and heating the heat shrink material to decrease the length and diameter of the heat shrink material.

1 . A method of making a tubular medical device or component formed of a compacted porous polymeric material, comprising: 
 a) longitudinally stretching a polymeric tube to a lengthened configuration on a tubular layer of porous polymeric material, with a mandrel in a lumen of the porous polymeric layer;    b) axially compacting the porous polymeric layer without increasing the outer diameter of the porous polymeric layer, by transforming the polymeric tube on the porous polymeric layer from the lengthened configuration to a second configuration having a length shorter than the lengthened configuration; and    c) removing the polymeric tube from the compacted porous polymeric layer and removing the compacted porous polymeric layer from the mandrel, to form a compacted porous polymeric layer of an expandable tubular medical device or component having at least one layer.    
     
     
         2 - 7 . (canceled)  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transforming the polymeric tube from the lengthened configuration to the second configuration comprises shortening the lengthened configuration length of the polymeric tube by about 10 to about 70%.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the axially compacted porous polymeric layer has an axial compaction of about 10 to about 50%.  
     
     
         10 - 19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric tube has an original pre-longitudinally stretched length prior to being longitudinally stretched to the stretched configuration, and a) comprises longitudinally stretching the tube by about 1 to about 50% of the original pre-longitudinally stretched length of polymeric tube.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein b) comprises the polymeric tube returning to the original pre-longitudinally stretched length the polymeric tube  
     
     
         22 . A method of making a catheter balloon, comprising: 
 a) longitudinally stretching a polymeric tube to a lengthened configuration on a tubular layer of porous polymeric material, with a mandrel in a lumen of the porous polymeric layer;    b) axially compacting the porous polymeric layer without increasing the outer diameter of the porous polymeric layer, by transforming the polymeric tube on the porous polymeric layer from the lengthened configuration to a second configuration having a length shorter than the lengthened configuration;    c) removing the polymeric tube from the compacted porous polymeric layer and removing the compacted porous polymeric layer from the mandrel, to form a compacted porous polymeric layer; and    d) securing a liner to the compacted porous polymeric layer to form the catheter balloon.