Balloon with variable pitch reinforcing fibers

1. A fiber-reinforced medical balloon that may be inflated and deflated, the balloon having a generally cylindrical barrel wall having proximal and distal ends disposed between tapered cone walls and proximal and distal cylindrical neck walls extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, the balloon comprising:

a fiber layer embedded in a continuous matrix of polymer material defining a barrel wall, cone walls and neck walls wherein the barrel wall has a working length between the tapered cone walls;

wherein the fiber of the fiber layer extends circumferential around the longitudinal axis of the balloon substantially over the entire length of the balloon including the neck walls, the cone walls and the barrel wall; and

wherein the fiber pitch in a first portion of the barrel wall is less than the fiber pitch in a second portion of the barrel wall.

2. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the fiber pitch decreases from the proximal end of the barrel wall to the distal end of the barrel wall.

3. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the fiber pitch decreases from the proximal end of the barrel will to the distal end of the barrel wall in step-wise increments.

4. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the fiber pitch in first and second longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall is greater than the fiber pitch in a third portion of barrel wall separating the spaced apart portions.

5. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the fiber pitch in first and second longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall is less than the fiber pitch in a third portion of the barrel wall separating the first and second portions.

6. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the fiber pitch in first, second and third longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall is greater than the fiber pitch in longitudinally spaced apart fourth and fifth portions of the barrel wall separating the first, second and third longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall.

7. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the balloon is semi-compliant.

8. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the balloon is non-compliant.

9. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 1 wherein the fibers are substantially ribbon-shaped.

10. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 9 wherein the fibers have a width-to-thickness ratio in the range from about 25:1 to about 45:1.

11. The fiber-reinforced medical balloon of claim 9 wherein the fibers have a width-to-thickness ratio in the range from about 30:1 to about 40:1.

12. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the fiber is inelastic.

13. A medical balloon that may be inflated and deflated, the balloon having a generally cylindrical barrel wall having proximal and distal ends disposed between tapered cone walls, the balloon comprising:

a fiber layer comprised of ribbon-shaped fiber embedded in a continuous matrix of polymer material defining a barrel wall and cone walls wherein the barrel wall has as working length between the tapered cone walls;

wherein the fiber of the fiber layer extends around the longitudinal axis of the balloon in as series of circumferential fiber wraps over the length of the barrel wall wherein the distance between the fiber wraps defines a fiber pitch; and

wherein the distance between adjacent fiber wraps varies over the working length of the barrel wall in non-linear increments.

14. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein the distance between adjacent fiber wraps varies in step-wise increments over the length of the barrel wall.

15. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein the fibers have a width-to-thickness ratio in the range from about 25:1 to about 45:1.

16. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein the fibers have a width-to-thickness ratio in the range from about 30:1 to about 40:1.

17. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein the fiber pitch in first and second longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel will is greater than the fiber pitch in a third portion of the barrel wall separating the spaced apart portions.

18. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein the fiber pitch in first and second longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall is less than the fiber pitch in a third portion of the barrel wall separating the first and second portions.

19. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein the fiber pitch in first, second and third longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall is greater than the fiber pitch in longitudinally spaced apart fourth and fifth portions of the barrel wall separating the first, second and third longitudinally spaced apart portions of the barrel wall.

20. The medical balloon of claim 13 wherein further comprising distal cylindrical neck walls extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis of the balloon, and wherein the fiber layer extends continuously between the ends of the neck walls around the cone sections and barrel wall.

21. A fiber-reinforced medical balloon that may be inflated and deflated, the balloon having a generally cylindrical barrel wall having proximal and distal ends disposed between tapered cone walls and proximal and distal cylindrical neck walls extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, the balloon comprising:

a base balloon formed from a polymer material defining a barrel wall, cone walls and neck walls wherein the barrel wall has a working length between the tapered cone walls;

a fiber layer extending around the longitudinal axis of the balloon in a series of circumferential fiber wraps over the length of the barrel wall wherein the distance between the fiber wraps defines a fiber pitch;

an outer layer formed over the fiber layer, the outer layer comprising a polymer material in direct contact with the base balloon; and

wherein the fiber pitch in a first portion of the barrel wall is less than the fiber pitch in a second portion of the barrel wall.