Balloon catheter

Abstract

Provided is a new balloon catheter enabling formation of, with high dimensional accuracy and excellent shape adaptability with respect to a balloon, an additional structure such as a blade and/or a reinforcement member on the balloon. The balloon catheter includes a shaft and an expandable/contractible balloon on the distal end side of the shaft, with an additional structure having a prescribed pattern being formed through electroforming or the like directly onto an inner circumferential surface and/or an outer circumferential surface of the balloon.

1 . A balloon catheter comprising:
 a shaft including a distal end side;   a balloon provided on the distal end side of the shaft and including an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface; and   an additional structure having a prescribed pattern that is provided on at least one of the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface of the balloon by being directly formed thereon.   
     
     
         2 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the balloon. 
     
     
         3 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is formed by at least one of thermal spraying and vacuum deposition. 
     
     
         4 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is formed by at least one of electroforming and etching. 
     
     
         5 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure has a tubular mesh shape that is continuous in a circumferential direction of the balloon. 
     
     
         6 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure has a linear shape that is continuous in a lengthwise direction of the balloon. 
     
     
         7 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is deformable due to expansion and contraction of the balloon. 
     
     
         8 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the additional structure is secured on the surface of the balloon.