Graphene-Reinforced Angioplasty Balloon Wall for High Pressure Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical balloons face limitations in accessing narrow body areas due to their thickness and strength, and often burst under elevated pressures required for procedures like coronary angioplasty.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating graphene into the balloon wall, either as a single layer or in combination with polymers, to enhance strength and reduce thickness, allowing for higher pressure tolerance and improved access to previously inaccessible areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional materials (nylon 12 or PET) are used for the balloon wall, then the balloon can be manufactured with standard materials, but the balloon has limited access to narrow body areas due to thickness and may burst under elevated pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining graphene with conventional polymer materials (nylon 12 or PET) to create a hybrid balloon wall structure. The graphene-polymer composite provides both the strength enhancement from graphene and the flexibility/processability of the polymer, resolving the contradiction between needing high strength and maintaining acceptable thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by incorporating graphene at specific concentrations (e.g., 0.1-10 wt%) into the balloon wall composition. This parameter change transforms the mechanical properties of the balloon wall, enabling it to withstand higher pressures while maintaining a thin profile that can access narrow body areas.
2Length of moving object
If the balloon wall is made thinner to access narrow areas, then access to difficult-to-reach areas is improved, but the balloon becomes more susceptible to bursting under elevated pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The graphene-polymer composite material allows the balloon wall to be made thinner while maintaining or improving pressure tolerance. The graphene network provides structural reinforcement that prevents bursting even at reduced thickness, thereby improving reliability while enabling access to narrow areas.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the material composition parameter to include graphene, the balloon wall achieves enhanced mechanical strength that allows it to withstand elevated pressures despite having a thinner profile. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between thinness for access and thickness for pressure resistance.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but the balloon cannot withstand the elevated pressures required for angioplasty procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials where graphene is dispersed in the polymer matrix, creating a material that maintains the ease of manufacturing conventional polymers while adding superior pressure tolerance. The composite structure allows the balloon to withstand angioplasty pressures without compromising manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by incorporating graphene at optimized concentrations that enhance pressure tolerance while maintaining manufacturability. This parameter adjustment allows the balloon to withstand high inflation pressures required for angioplasty procedures while remaining compatible with existing manufacturing processes.
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 graphene-enhanced balloons provide a high strength-to-thickness ratio, enabling access to difficult-to-reach areas and withstanding higher pressures, thus improving the efficacy of medical procedures like angioplasty while maintaining a low profile.
Implementation Method 1
the outer layer comprises graphene
Implementation Method 2
The graphene-enhanced balloons provide a high strength-to-thickness ratio
Data Source
AI summary
Inflatable medical balloons are disclosed herein. The inflatable medical balloons include balloon walls that are reinforced with graphene. The balloon walls can include any number of layers and one or more of the layers may include graphene. Catheters including the medical balloons are also disclosed in addition to methods for manufacturing the inflatable medical balloons.