US Patent Issued to Professional Plating on June 10 for "Microminiature patterned metal on medical grade balloons" (Minnesota Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 18 -- United States Patent no. 12,324,887, issued on June 10, was assigned to Professional Plating Inc. (Anoka, Minn.).

"Microminiature patterned metal on medical grade balloons" was invented by Craig A. Ingalls (Burnsville, Minn.), David R. Kaar (Minneapolis) and Ross William Peterson (Ramsey, Minn.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A thin walled balloon formed in polymer tubing has a patterned metal layer on its outer surface, created by physical vapor deposition (PVD). The pattern is defined by a stencil mask assembled around the balloon, with the balloon inflated therein. The PVD occurs without deforming or degrading the polymer material of the balloon, by actively pull...