Semi-compliant medical balloon

Abstract

A semi-compliant fiber-reinforced medical balloon having a folded wall thickness of from about 0.0010 to about 0.0060 inches and a rated burst pressure of at least 15 atmospheres and exhibiting compliance in the radial direction of from 0.5% expansion per atmosphere to about 1.0% expansion per atmosphere when pressurized from a fully inflated diameter to the rated burst pressure of the balloon includes a base balloon formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%, a fiber layer is disposed over the base balloon with fibers having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20% and an outer layer formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20% disposed over the fiber layer.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A fiber-reinforced medical balloon that may be inflated and deflated, the balloon comprising:
 a first fiber layer comprising at least one substantially inelastic fiber extending in a first direction; and   a second fiber layer comprising at least one semi-elastic fiber extending in a second direction;   wherein the fiber-reinforced medical balloon is less elastic in the first direction than the second direction.   
     
     
         22 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  1 , wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. 
     
     
         23 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  1 , wherein the first fiber layer comprises a plurality of longitudinally running fibers. 
     
     
         24 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  3 , wherein the second fiber layer comprises at least one hoop fiber. 
     
     
         25 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  1 , wherein the second fiber layer comprises a plurality of longitudinally running fibers. 
     
     
         26 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  5 , wherein the first fiber layer comprises at least one hoop fiber. 
     
     
         27 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  1 , wherein the balloon is noncompliant in the first direction and is semi-compliant in the second direction. 
     
     
         28 . A fiber-reinforced medical balloon having a generally cylindrical barrel wall disposed between tapered cone walls and a longitudinal axis extending between the cone walls, the balloon comprising:
 a first fiber layer comprising a plurality of fibers extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis; and   a second fiber layer comprising at least one hoop wind fiber extending along the longitudinal axis;   wherein the fiber or fibers of one of the first and second fiber layers comprise inelastic material and the fiber or fibers of the other of the first and second fiber layers comprise semi-elastic material.   
     
     
         29 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  8 , further including a base balloon formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%. 
     
     
         30 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  8 , further including an outer layer formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%. 
     
     
         31 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  8 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the first fiber layer are substantially equally spaced apart around a circumference of the balloon. 
     
     
         32 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  8 , wherein the fibers of the first and second fiber layers are encapsulated in a continuous polymer matrix. 
     
     
         33 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  8 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the first fiber layer comprise inelastic material and the at least one hoop wind fiber of the second fiber layer comprises semi-elastic material. 
     
     
         34 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  13 , wherein the balloon is noncompliant in a longitudinal direction and is semi-compliant in a radial direction. 
     
     
         35 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  8 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the first fiber layer comprise semi-elastic material and the at least one hoop wind fiber of the second fiber layer comprises inelastic material. 
     
     
         36 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  15 , wherein the balloon is semi-compliant in a longitudinal direction and is noncompliant in a radial direction. 
     
     
         37 . A fiber-reinforced medical balloon having a generally cylindrical barrel wall disposed between tapered cone walls and a longitudinal axis extending between the cone walls, the balloon comprising:
 a base balloon formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%, the base balloon defining the cylindrical barrel wall and tapered cone walls;   a first fiber layer disposed over the base balloon, said first fiber layer comprising at least one first fiber running in a first direction and having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%;   a second fiber layer disposed over the base balloon, said second fiber layer comprising at least one inelastic fiber running in a second direction; and   an outer layer formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%.   
     
     
         38 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  17 , wherein the at least one first fiber comprises a plurality of first fibers substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the at least one inelastic fiber is a hoop wind fiber running along the longitudinal axis, such that the at least one inelastic fiber is substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first fibers. 
     
     
         39 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  17 , wherein the at least on first fiber is a hoop wind fiber funning along the longitudinal axis and the at least one inelastic fiber comprises a plurality of inelastic fibers substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, such that the plurality of inelastic fibers are substantially parallel to the first fiber. 
     
     
         40 . The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim  17 , wherein the balloon is semi-compliant in the first direction and noncompliant in the second direction.