Aortic occluder with tensioned balloons

Abstract

An aortic occluder catheter with expandable balloons for increasing cerebral blood blow has one or more balloons on a catheter shaft. To assist the balloon in bearing up against arterial blood flow while positioned retrograde in the aorta, the balloon is bonded to the catheter shaft in tension.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for making an aortic occlusion device comprising:
 disposing an expandable member on a catheter shaft formed with at least one lumen through which fluid can be provided to an interior of the expandable member; and   holding the expandable member on the catheter shaft with tensile stress on the expandable member such that the expandable member is always in tension.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the expandable member is a first expandable member and the method further comprises:
 mounting a second expandable member on the catheter shaft with tensile stress on the second expandable member such that the second expandable member is always in tension.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising forming a port formed in the catheter shaft for communicating with a pressure monitoring lumen in the catheter shaft for establishing fluid communication between the port and a pressure monitoring device engageable with the pressure monitoring lumen. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the expandable member includes a medical balloon. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising:
 bonding a first end of the expandable member to the catheter shaft;   stretching the expandable member by moving a second end of the expandable member relative to the catheter shaft; and   with the expandable member stretched, bonding the second end to the catheter shaft.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , comprising bonding the first end to the catheter shaft at least in part by:
 disposing heat shrink tubing around the first end; and   heating the first end with the catheter shaft inside it and the heat shrink tubing surrounding it.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , comprising heating the first end in a thermal bonding machine. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , comprising stretching the expandable member and bonding the second end to the catheter shaft at least in part by:
 disposing heat shrink tubing around the second end with a lubricant or solvent disposed between the second end and catheter shaft; and   stretching the expandable member into a longitudinally tensioned configuration.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , comprising:
 with the expandable member being held in the longitudinally tensioned configuration, drying the lubricant or solvent.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , comprising:
 heating the second end and heat shrink tubing with the expandable member being held in the longitudinally tensioned configuration.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising:
 after drying the lubricant or solvent; heating the second end and heat shrink tubing with the expandable member being held in the longitudinally tensioned configuration.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the expandable member is made of a material which shrinks when it is heated, and the method comprises holding the expandable member on the catheter shaft with tensile stress at least in part by:
 bonding the expandable member to the catheter shaft in a temperature lower than a threshold temperature; and   allowing the catheter shaft to return to the threshold temperature to thereby stretch the expandable member as it heats up.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the expandable member is made of a material which shrinks when it is cooled, and the method comprises holding the expandable member on the catheter shaft with tensile stress at least in part by:
 bonding the expandable member to the catheter shaft in a temperature higher than a threshold temperature; and   allowing the catheter shaft to return to the threshold temperature to thereby stretch the expandable member as it cools down.   
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 providing a balloon with radially small proximal and distal necks, each being integral with a respective proximal and distal conical segment, the conical segments tapering outwardly to join proximal and distal regions of a central radially enlarged portion;   flaring an end of a heat shrink tubing to establish a conical segment that is flared outwardly and that terminates in a tubular end segment;   sliding the balloon along a first end of a catheter;   sliding the tubular end segment of the heat shrink tubing over the proximal neck of the balloon with the conical segment of the heat shrink tubing being located distal to the tubular end segment;   disposing the proximal neck of the balloon, covered by the tubular end segment of the heat shrink tubing, into a clamp device; and   bonding the proximal neck of the balloon to the catheter in part aided by the heat shrink tubing as the proximal neck is disposed in the clamp device.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the heat shrink tubing a first heat shrink tubing and the method further comprises:
 sliding a second heat shrink tubing over the catheter;   urging the distal neck of the balloon, not yet bonded to the catheter, toward the proximal end to decrease the length of the balloon;   disposing a lubricant or solvent between the distal neck and catheter; and   pulling the balloon pulled back to an untensioned length.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , comprising:
 pulling the balloon to tension it, with the bonded proximal neck of the balloon holding firm; and   as the balloon is held stretched, bonding the distal neck to the catheter.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , comprising:
 as the balloon is held stretched, drying the lubricant or solvent under the distal neck;   sliding a flared end of the second heat shrink tubing over the distal neck such that the flared end of the second heat shrink tubing covers the distal conical segment of the balloon;   clamping the catheter;   with the catheter clamped, bonding the distal neck of the balloon to the catheter at least in part aided by the second heat shrink tubing.   
     
     
         38 . A method comprising:
 engaging a catheter shaft with an expandable member is made of a material which experiences temperature-driven shrinkage;   bonding the expandable member to the catheter shaft in a first temperature that is different than a threshold temperature; and   allowing the catheter shaft to return to the threshold temperature to thereby stretch the expandable member.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the expandable member shrinks when it is heated, and the first temperature is below the threshold temperature. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the expandable member is made of a material which shrinks when it is cooled, and first temperature is higher than the threshold temperature.