Mri visible catheter balloon

Abstract

Medical devices or components thereof, and particularly intracorporeal devices for therapeutic or diagnostic uses, which are formed at least in part of a polymeric material and a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material, so that the medical device or component thereof is visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. In one embodiment, the medical device is a balloon catheter having an MRI visible balloon. In a presently preferred embodiment, there is an insufficient amount of the ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material within a wall of the balloon or coated onto a wall of the balloon to make the balloon radiopaque.

1 .- 26 . (canceled)  
     
     
         27 . A medical device or component thereof comprising a polymeric material and an amount of ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material dispersed in the polymeric material, the amount of ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material being not greater than about 30% by weight of the dispersion and being sufficient to make the medical device or component thereof visible under magnetic resonance imaging and insufficient to make the medical device or component thereof a radiopaque marker.  
     
     
         28 . The medical device of component of  claim 27  wherein the amount of ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material is about 5% to about 20%, by weight of the polymeric material/ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material dispersion.