The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 23, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 26, 2002
Dennis M. Vigil, San Diego, CA (US);
SciMed Life Systems, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US);
Abstract
A device for folding a balloon of a balloon catheter during balloon deflation includes a band and a plurality of elongated fingers that are attached to the band. The band includes a midsection and a pair of overlaps with each overlap extending from the midsection to a respective end of the band. The band is folded into an annulus wherein the overlaps are juxtaposed and can be joined together by soldering, welding or adhesive bonding. The annulus is attached to the catheter tube of the balloon catheter with the fingers extending over the balloon in a substantially same axial direction. In operation, the fingers are moveable between an unstressed configuration, when the balloon is deflated, and a stressed configuration, when the balloon is inflated. In a stressed configuration, the fingers urge against the balloon and are biased toward the stressed configuration to return to an unstressed configuration.