Balloon Catheter Random Copolyamide Compliance Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing angioplasty balloons face challenges in achieving the right balance of compliance, distension, and wall strength to effectively treat blood vessels while maintaining control over inflated diameter, as they often require high internal pressures and have limitations in vessel size and ease of passage due to material properties.
Innovation Solution
Random copolymers of alkyl amide monomer units with different carbon chain lengths, formed into a tubular body and stretched to specific dimensions, provide a polymer material for catheter balloons that offer improved compliance, expandability, and wall strength, allowing for controlled diameter variation and high burst pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If highly orientable polymers such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or nylons are used to create strong balloons, then wall strength is improved (20,000-50,000 psi), but compliance deteriorates (non-compliant to semi-compliant range with distensions of 16-40%)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining highly orientable polymers (for strength) with less highly orientable polymers (for compliance) in a multi-layer balloon structure. The inner layer provides strength while the outer layer provides compliance, resolving the contradiction between wall strength and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If less highly orientable polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, olefin copolymers and ionomer resins are used to increase compliance, then compliance is improved, but wall strength deteriorates (6,000-15,000 psi)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction with multiple layers where the inner layer uses less highly orientable polymers to provide compliance while the outer layer uses highly orientable polymers to provide wall strength, thus achieving both improved compliance and maintained strength.
3Ease of operation
If balloon wall thickness is reduced to improve ease of passage through the vascular system, then ease of operation is improved, but wall strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material layers optimized for different functions: the inner layer provides compliance for vessel adaptation while the outer layer provides strength-to-weight ratio for ease of passage, achieving both reduced effective thickness and maintained wall strength.
4Reliability
If high internal pressures are used to open blood vessels, then the ability to treat occlusions is improved, but the risk of balloon bursting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction with an inner layer providing compliance for controlled expansion and an outer layer providing high strength for burst resistance, enabling high pressure delivery while maintaining safety margins against bursting.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The random copolyamide polymer material enables balloons with controlled distension and enhanced wall strength, allowing for effective treatment of blood vessels with precise diameter control and high pressure resistance, addressing the limitations of existing balloon materials.
Implementation Method 1
The balloon must have some elasticity so that the inflated diameter can be controlled, so as to allow the surgeon to vary the balloon's diameter as required to treat individual lesions
Implementation Method 2
High strength is necessary because the balloon must not burst under the high internal pressures necessary to open a blood vessel
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter having a balloon comprised of a polymer material comprising first monomer units of an alkyl amide having 2 to 6 carbon atoms and second monomer units of an alkyl amide having 7 to 12 carbon atoms. The first and second monomer units are copolymerized with each other in a random fashion to form a random copolyamide polymer.