Variable Pitch Balloon Fibers for Puncture Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical dilation balloons require improved trackability, puncture resistance, and compliance characteristics to navigate tortuous body paths and occlusions while maintaining high operating pressures, but existing materials like PET are susceptible to puncture and scratching.
Innovation Solution
A fiber-reinforced medical balloon with a variable fiber pitch and pleated construction, where the fiber pitch varies along the balloon's length to enhance flexibility and strength, and a polymer matrix embeds reinforcing fibers for increased puncture resistance and compliance control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If high strength materials like PET are used to achieve high burst pressures, then the balloon can withstand high operating pressures, but the balloon becomes susceptible to puncture and scratching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining PET base layer with embedded reinforcing fibers (such as aramid, polyethylene, or polypropylene fibers) to create a multi-component structure. The PET provides the base strength and pressure containment, while the embedded fibers specifically address puncture and scratch resistance. This composite approach allows the balloon to simultaneously achieve high burst pressure capability and improved resistance to mechanical damage from calcified occlusions.
2Ease of operation
If the balloon wall is made thinner to improve trackability, then the balloon can navigate tortuous paths better, but the balloon loses strength and puncture resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with embedded reinforcing fibers within the thin wall structure to maintain strength while enabling thinner walls for improved trackability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by strategically positioning reinforcing fibers within the balloon wall structure and varying wall thickness in different regions. The embedded fibers are distributed to provide localized reinforcement where needed, allowing the overall wall to be thinner for trackability while maintaining sufficient strength and puncture resistance at critical locations.
3Ease of operation
If the balloon is made more flexible to improve trackability, then the balloon can traverse sharp turns, but the balloon compliance becomes too high for effective high-pressure dilation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different flexibility and compliance within the balloon structure. The embedded reinforcing fibers and varied wall construction allow the proximal and distal portions to have different compliance characteristics, enabling the balloon to navigate tortuous paths while maintaining sufficient rigidity for effective high-pressure dilation at the treatment site.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure with embedded fibers in different orientations and densities allows different regions of the balloon to exhibit different compliance characteristics, balancing trackability with dilation effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical balloon includes a generally cylindrical barrel wall having proximal and distal ends disposed between tapered cone walls and neck walls with a fiber layer comprised of circumferentially wrapped ribbon-shaped fiber embedded in a continuous matrix of polymer material defining the tapered cone walls and barrel wall, wherein the distance between the fiber wraps defines a fiber pitch or density that varies over the working length of the barrel wall in non-linear increments, for example in step-wise increments over the length of the barrel wall.