Planetary gear assembly for sputtering multiple balloon catheter distal ends

Abstract

An apparatus includes an assembly and hollow templates. The assembly includes multiple rods or shafts mounted thereon. The assembly is configured to rotate about a first axis, and each of the rods or shafts is additionally configured to rotate about a respective second axis. The hollow templates are fitted on the respective rods or shafts and are each configured to contain a balloon-based distal end of a medical instrument, each template having a patterned opening through which one or more electrodes are deposited on the distal end.

1 . A method for producing medical instruments, the method comprising:
 inserting into multiple hollow templates respective balloon-based distal ends of the medical instruments;   fitting the hollow templates on multiple respective rotatable rods that are mounted on a rotatable assembly;   rotating the distal ends by simultaneously rotating the assembly about a first axis and each of the rods about a respective second axis; and   depositing, through patterned openings in the templates, electrodes on the rotated distal ends.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein inserting the balloon-based distal ends comprises inserting inflatable balloons made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein inserting the balloon-based distal ends comprises inflating the balloon-based distal ends with an inert gas. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein depositing the electrodes comprises sputtering atoms or ions through the patterned openings. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein sputtering the atoms or ions comprises impinging electrons or ions on a sputtering target. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , and comprising, before depositing the electrodes through the patterned openings, attaching external surfaces of the balloon-based distal ends to internal surfaces of the hollow templates, by creating vacuum around the balloon-based distal ends. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein inserting the distal ends comprises fitting intrusions of the hollow templates to protrusions of the balloon-based distal ends. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein inserting the distal ends comprises fitting protrusions of the hollow templates to intrusions of the balloon-based distal ends. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein rotating the distal ends comprises rotating the assembly about the first axis in a first direction at a first angular velocity, and rotating at least one of the rods about the respective second axis in a second direction at a second angular velocity. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the first direction differs from the second direction. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the first angular velocity differs from the second angular velocity. 
     
     
         12 . A method for producing a rotatable assembly, comprising:
 providing a rotatable assembly that is configured to rotate about a first axis;   mounting, on the rotatable assembly, multiple rotatable rods, which are configured to rotate about respective second axes;   connecting the assembly and the rods to a motor assembly; and   fitting multiple hollow templates, having patterned openings, on the multiple rotatable rods.