Medical device including unitary, continuous portion of varying durometer
US7722795B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 25, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 5, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/4998
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A medical device (110) including a catheter shaft (111) and a unitarily and continuously formed portion (108) having a varying durometer, and optionally including an expandable balloon (18, 118). One or both of the unitarily and continuously formed portion (108) and the balloon (18, 118) are made from an irradiation cross-linked or cross-linkable mixture of a polyamide elastomer and at least one additional cross-linking reactant. The polyamide elastomer can be a polyester amide, a polyether ester amide or a polyether amide, and is preferably a nylon block copolymer. The aromatic molecule can be 1,3,5 triethyl benzene; 1,2,4 triethyl benzene; and 1,3,5 triisopropyl benzene. The cross-linking reactant can be: (a) a difunctional material, (b) a trifunctional material, (c) a tetrafunctional material, or (d) an aromatic molecule containing at least two ring substituents, each of the ring substituents having labile hydrogens at a benzylic site therein. The cross-linking reactant can also be diallyl phthalate or meta-phenylene dimaleimide.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.