Silicone Medical Balloon UV Curing Process

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for manufacturing silicone medical balloons are slow and prone to material imperfections due to prolonged heating, which can lead to balloon failure and patient safety risks.

Innovation Solution

A method involving extruding a cylindrical tube of silicone material, partially curing it with a first ultraviolet light source, inflating it within a mold, and fully curing it with a second ultraviolet light source, reducing the curing time and minimizing material defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional prolonged heating is used to cure silicone balloon material, then the material achieves full curing, but the curing time becomes excessively long (20-60 minutes) and material imperfections occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecuring completenessVSAvoidcuring time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional thermal curing system with a photopolymerization system using ultraviolet light sources. Instead of using heat (thermal energy) to cure the silicone material, the invention uses UV light (electromagnetic energy) to initiate and accelerate the curing reaction, dramatically reducing curing time from 20-60 minutes to a few minutes while maintaining complete curing and avoiding thermal damage to the material

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental curing parameter from temperature-based (thermal) to light-based (photonic). By switching from thermal energy to UV light energy, the curing process achieves faster reaction rates without the harmful effects of prolonged heating, resolving the contradiction between curing completeness and curing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If traditional prolonged heating is used to cure silicone balloon material, then the material achieves full curing, but material imperfections and balloon failure risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecuring completenessVSAvoidmaterial imperfections

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the thermal curing system with a UV photopolymerization system. This substitution eliminates the harmful thermal effects that cause material imperfections such as discoloration, brittleness, and structural defects, while still achieving complete and uniform curing of the silicone material without compromising balloon reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of prolonged heating (which causes material degradation) into a beneficial low-temperature curing process using UV light. The harmful thermal effects are replaced by a gentler photonic process that achieves the same curing result without causing material imperfections or reducing balloon reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If traditional prolonged heating method is used, then silicone material can be cured, but production efficiency and manufacturing speed decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecuring effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the slow thermal curing process with rapid UV photopolymerization. This substitution enables high-speed manufacturing by reducing the curing cycle from 20-60 minutes to just a few minutes per balloon, dramatically increasing production throughput while maintaining effective and complete curing of the silicone material

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous UV irradiation during the inflation and curing process, allowing the balloon to be cured in its final shape without interruption. This continuous processing eliminates the need for separate heating and molding steps, improving both manufacturing speed and production efficiency while ensuring complete curing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

This approach significantly speeds up the manufacturing process, reduces production costs, and prevents material defects that could cause balloon rupture, enhancing patient safety by using a low-temperature curing method.

Implementation Method 1

The cylindrical tube is partially cured by exposing the cylindrical tube to a first ultraviolet light source. The balloon is fully cured by exposing the balloon to a second ultraviolet light source.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotopolymerisation: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS11504507B2Method of manufacturing a silicone medical balloon

Publication Date: 2022.11.22 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A method of forming a balloon for a medical device is provided including extruding a cylindrical tube of silicone material, partially curing the cylindrical tube, inflating the cylindrical tube, and fully curing the balloon. The cylindrical tube is partially cured by exposing the cylindrical tube to a first ultraviolet light source. The cylindrical tube is inflated within a mold to form the balloon. The balloon is fully cured by exposing the balloon to a second ultraviolet light source.