Importance

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Abstract

Disclosed in an angioplasty catheter comprising a catheter shaft having a distal end and at least one, and preferably two, angioplasty balloons on the distal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the distal end of the catheter and the balloons are formed from a single monolithic piece of polymer material. The distal end of the catheter may also include additional balloons formed from the same piece of polymer material. Each of the balloons is separately inflatable and deflatable by virtue of a separate lumen running through the catheter shaft to the balloon. Also disclosed is a method for making angioplasty balloons as described above, comprising the steps of forming from a single piece of polymer material the length of catheter shaft material having at least a first lumen therein, wherein each lumen has an outer wall and, if there are more than one lumen, each lumen has a common wall where the outer walls of at least two lumens converge, sealing the distal end of the first lumen to form a first sealed lumen, applying pressure to the proximal end of the first sealed lumen and heating the outer wall thereof to expand the outer wall of the first sealed lumen inside of first die to form a first balloon therefrom having dimensions determined by the dimensions of the interior of the die. Additional balloons may be formed on the catheter in the same manner.

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First Claim