Balloon catheter having metal balloon and method of making same

Abstract

A metal balloon catheter having a main tubular body, a metal balloon proximate a distal end of the main tubular body, a central annulus extending along an entire longitudinal aspect of the catheter for accommodating a guidewire therethrough and an inflation annulus adjacent the central annulus which extends along the longitudinal axis of the main tubular body and terminates in fluid flow communication with an inflation chamber of the metal balloon. The metal balloon catheter may be either unitary integral metal catheter in which the main tubular body and the balloon are fabricated of metal, or it may consist of a polymeric main tubular body and a metal balloon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A balloon catheter device, comprising, comprising a catheter and a balloon affixed thereto, the balloon further comprising an electrically conductive member. 
     
     
         2 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the abluminal wall surface or luminal wall surface is substrate wherein at least one electronic circuit is integrated onto the substrate and onto or into at least one of the abluminal wall surface or luminal wall surface of the tubular member. 
     
     
         3 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the abluminal wall surface or luminal wall surface further comprises a recess configured to accommodate the at least one electronic circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one electronic circuit further comprises an integrated circuit, solid-state circuit, LC circuit or RC circuit. 
     
     
         5 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one electrode in electrical communication with the at least one electronic circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 2 , wherein the balloon catheter device further comprises an elastomeric surface coating on the abluminal wall surface or luminal wall surface. 
     
     
         7 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 4 , wherein the balloon catheter device further comprises an electrically conductive elastomeric surface coating on the abluminal wall surface or luminal wall surface. 
     
     
         8 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 1  wherein the tubular member comprises a plurality of electrically conductive layers. 
     
     
         9 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 6  wherein the tubular member further comprises at least one electrically insulated layer. 
     
     
         10 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular member is a balloon. 
     
     
         11 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 10 , wherein the balloon further comprises conductive projections that project above the surface of the metal balloon. 
     
     
         12 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 11 , wherein the projections are configured as antennas. 
     
     
         13 . The balloon catheter device of  claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive tubular member is an antenna operably coupled to the at least one electronic circuit. 
     
     
         14 . A method of making a balloon catheter device, comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a substrate suitable for forming a balloon;   b. vacuum depositing an electrically conductive material onto the substrate;   c. masking portions of the deposited device forming material to define a pattern to be formed on the device forming material; and   d. forming a pattern on a surface of the device forming material.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein step b further comprises the step of depositing a shape memory metal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of depositing an electrically conductive layer coupling at least one electrical component layer of the plurality of electrical component layers to the device forming material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of depositing an electrically conductive layer coupling at least one electrical component layer of the plurality of electrical component layers to another electrical component layer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of depositing an electrically insulating layer insulating at least one electrical component layer of the plurality of electrical component layers from another electrical component layer.