US 11,813,422 B2
Methods of fabricating a heart valve delivery catheter
Pu Zhou, Dove Canyon, CA (US); Bin Tian, Irvine, CA (US); and Yidong M. Zhu, Irvine, CA (US)
Assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/723,686.
Application 15/815,599 is a division of application No. 14/938,761, filed on Nov. 11, 2015, abandoned.
Application 17/723,686 is a continuation of application No. 16/940,833, filed on Jul. 28, 2020, granted, now 11,305,098, issued on Apr. 19, 2022.
Application 16/940,833 is a continuation of application No. 15/815,599, filed on Nov. 16, 2017, granted, now 10,722,693, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/082,241, filed on Nov. 20, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2022/0241563 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 25/10 (2013.01); B23K 26/402 (2014.01); B23K 26/0622 (2014.01); B21D 39/00 (2006.01); B23K 26/362 (2014.01); B23K 26/361 (2014.01); B23K 26/06 (2014.01); B23K 103/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 25/1029 (2013.01) [B21D 39/00 (2013.01); B23K 26/0624 (2015.10); B23K 26/0626 (2013.01); B23K 26/361 (2015.10); B23K 26/362 (2013.01); B23K 26/402 (2013.01); A61M 2025/107 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1031 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1075 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1079 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1084 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1086 (2013.01); A61M 2025/1088 (2013.01); B23K 2103/42 (2018.08); B23K 2103/50 (2018.08)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating a heart valve delivery catheter, comprising:
obtaining a polymer tube defined by a wall along a longitudinal axis having an inner surface and an outer surface, the polymer comprising a network of polymer chains with a homogenous network morphology;
blow molding the polymer tube into a hollow balloon shape having a central body region, a pair of leg regions on opposite ends of the balloon shape that are radially smaller than the central body region and define axial openings therethrough, and a pair of cone regions extending between the central body region and the leg regions;
applying low heat laser pulses to an outer surface of the cone regions to ablate material and form a laser-formed modification in the outer surface of the cone regions, the low heat laser pulses being configured so as to leave the polymer network morphology surrounding the laser-formed modification substantially unchanged, wherein the laser-formed modification extends parallel to the longitudinal axis in the cone regions;
wherein the blow molded and laser-modified polymer tube forms a balloon, bonding the leg regions of the balloon to a catheter; and
crimping a heart valve around the central body region of the balloon.