MANUFACTURING METHOD OF BALLOON CATHETER AND BALLOON CATHETER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a balloon catheter having aligned molecular orientation of the balloon material itself, being hard to burst and splash. SOLUTION: At first, a tube 3a is formed by extruding from an exit of an extrusion mold, and extended to become smaller than the diameter of the exit of the mold. The molecular orientation of its material is herewith generated in the axial direction of the tube 3a. Next, an expanding part and a mold M having a balloon shape corresponding to a sleeve part are inserted into the tube 3a, and heat treatment (cooling after heating in atmosphere) is performed. Then, the tube 3a is formed in the shape of the mold M. In these procedures stated above, forming the balloon 3 causes the presence of a molecular orientation of its material in the axial direction of the balloon 3, and if the balloon 3 is burst by any possibility before reaching the expanding limit, it cracks in the axial direction to burst, and then there is no fear of splashing the pieces by burst. Therefore, there is no fear of remaining the pieces of the balloon 3 splashed in a body and the procedures can be performed safely. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT