| 摘要 |
An inflatable device (1) for inserting, in a deflated state, into a tubular duct such as, for example, a blood vessel (26) in a human or animal. The device has an inflated state in which it defines an elongate open-ended tube having an outer surface formed and arranged to fit closely to the interior surface of the tubular duct, whereby, in its inflated state, fluid or other matter carried by the duct passes through the tube. The tube has collapsible walls defining an inflatable pipe which is bent back on itself at a plurality of locations to form a multiplicity of parallel pipe segments 10-17 extending substantially parallel to an axis of the tube. The device can alternatively be designed for use in industrial pipelines (7), for example to facilitate repair of a damaged portion of the pipeline while allowing fluid to continue to flow through the pipeline. |
