All About Balloon Catheter Design

Balloon catheters are utilized in a variety of minimally invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, like dilation of blood vessels, opening obstructions as well as delivering stents and others.

There are many aspects to be considered when making a balloon catheter which includes the use, the kind of balloon, the type of catheter, and specifications for performance.

balloon catheter

Image Source: Google

There are three primary kinds of balloons:

Non-compliant (high-pressure) balloons are generally constructed of nylon or polyester. They are used in situations in which the balloon is required to expand to a certain diameter and then exert pressure to clear a blockage or dilate vasculature.

Semicompliant (mid-pressure) balloons are usually composed of Pebax or more durable polyurethanes. They’re utilized in applications where you require mid-high pressures but require greater compliance than non-compliant balloons and more flexibility for delivery.

The compliant (elastomeric) balloons are usually composed of silicone or polyurethane. The balloons are inflated by volume instead of pressure. They can stretch up to 800 percent, they are typically employed in situations that require the balloon to be completely shaped to the anatomy.

Catheter types

The majority of balloon catheters will require support to attain the strength of the column required to insert and move the catheter to its desired position.

The Rapid Exchange (RX) balloon catheters come with the guidewire in an inch (about 25cm) and can be used to save time when compared to advancing a guidewire along with the entire distance of the balloon.