Merit Medical Ireland Limited

Jonathan Akehurst

David Slattery

John Joseph Kelly

David Fleming

John Paul Culloty

Tomás Christopher Brosnan

David Kelly

An angioplasty balloon () comprises an elongate tube () having a relaxed delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration. The elongate tube () comprises a proximal neck portion (), a distal neck portion (), a main body region, a tapered proximal portion () extending between the main body region and the proximal neck portion (); and a tapered distal portion () extending between the main body region () and the distal neck portion (), the elongate tube has only three fins () which are integrally formed with the tube and which are spaced equidistant from one another about the exterior of the tube. The fins () project radially outwardly from the exterior surface of the tube and the fins () extending longitudinally only along part of the main body region (), resulting in the end-sections of the balloon main body being fin-free.

Finned angioplasty balloon

A delivery system includes a catheter, and a drug coated angioplasty balloon mounted on the catheter. The balloon has a wrapped or folded delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration. A protective sleeve surrounds the drug coated balloon in the delivery configuration to minimise wash-off of drug from the balloon during delivery. The protective sleeve is retractable, so that once the drug coated balloon is at or near the treatment site, the sleeve can be retracted to allow the drug coated balloon to operate effectively. The protective sleeve can have a spacer mounted to or integral with the protective sleeve. The spacer in one case can comprise of interior ribs or ridges on the sleeve which minimise the surface area of the sleeve in direct contact with the drug coating on the balloon.

Delivery system for a drug coated angioplasty balloon

Growing community of inventors

Armagh, United Kingdom

Jonathan Akehurst