EASY-TO-FOLD BALLOON CATHETER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a balloon catheter which is excellent in re-wrapping characteristic even after the dilation of a balloon membrane, easily reduced in the outer diameter of a balloon membrane in a shrinking state, easily re-inserted or taken-out, and also easily produced and having a simple structure. SOLUTION: This easy-to-fold balloon catheter includes: the cylindrical balloon membrane 4 consisting of a foldable thin film; an inner member 6 having a far end to which the far end of the balloon membrane 4 is fixed, extending in an axial direction inside the balloon membrane 4, and projecting in the axial direction from the near end of the balloon membrane 4; and a catheter tube 8 which comprises a tube far end to which the near end of the balloon membrane 4 is fixed, which internally stores the inner member in the axial direction, and where a lumen 9 for adjusting fluid pressure inside the balloon membrane 4 is formed at a space from the inner member 6. The near end of the balloon membrane 4 is fixed to the tube far end of the catheter tube 8 after twisting in the axial direction by a prescribed deviation angle θ relatively to a circumferential direction with respect to the far end of the balloon membrane 4 in a state where internal pressure is not applied to the balloon membrane 4. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO