A thin-wall PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) tube in the form of a tube of
porous expanded PTFE film wherein the porous PTFE film has a
microstructure containing a multiplicity of fibrils. The thin-wall tube
is used in a non-porous embodiment as the balloon portion of a balloon
catheter. The thin-wall tube is not elastomeric; however, because of the
thinness, strength and flexibility of the tube, it may be inserted into a
body conduit in a collapsed state and then deployed from a catheter and
inflated up to the maximum diameter of the thin-wall tube. The porous
PTFE film is provided with a continuous layer of adhesive to provide the
non-porous tube; the adhesive is preferably a thermoplastic and more
preferably a thermoplastic fluoropolymer such as fluorinated ethylene
propylene.