Composite Medical Balloon Single Longitudinal Seam Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical balloons with outer film layers require a large number of seams along the balloon working surface, which can be undesirable for certain applications, and the manufacturing process is costly and typically manual.
Innovation Solution
A composite medical balloon with a single piece of film forming the outer layer, featuring a single longitudinal seam, which can be applied as an everted tube to minimize seams and reduce manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a thin strip of film is circumferentially wrapped in a partially overlapping manner around a base balloon, then an outer layer is provided for the medical balloon, but a large number of seams are created along the balloon working surface and the manufacturing process is costly and manual
Solution Approach 1:
The film is divided into a first portion and a second portion that are separately applied to different sections of the base balloon. The first portion covers a first section while the second portion covers a second section, reducing the number of overlapping seams compared to wrapping a single continuous strip around the entire balloon.
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic overlapping wrap-around seam is extracted/removed from the design. Instead of wrapping film continuously around the balloon creating multiple seams, the invention applies film portions to specific sections, eliminating the need for circumferential overlapping seams along the working surface.
2Ease of manufacture
If a thin strip of film is circumferentially wrapped around the base balloon, then an outer layer is formed, but the manufacturing process is costly and typically requires an entirely manual process
Solution Approach 1:
The film application process is segmented into discrete portions that can be independently positioned and bonded. This segmentation enables automated or semi-automated application methods, reducing reliance on manual wrapping processes and lowering manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The film portions are prepared in advance as discrete components with bonding surfaces ready for attachment. This preliminary preparation allows for more efficient, potentially automated assembly processes compared to manual wrapping of continuous film strips during the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A composite medical balloon (10) includes a base balloon (100) and an outer layer (16) overlying the base balloon, the outer layer comprising a film having a single longitudinal seam (80), or a longitudinal seam facing the base balloon, such as a result of a tube including the seam being everted prior to application to the base balloon. Related methods are also disclosed.