Conformable balloonless catheter

• US 20020143292A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David E. Flinchbaugh
• Original Assignee: The Hook Research Foundation
• Inventors: Flinchbaugh, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,855,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/107
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/4405 Valves or valve arrangements specially adapted therefor A61F5/441 takes precedence; Fluid inlets or outlets A61F5/4407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0056 provided with an antibacterial agent, e.g. by coating, residing in the polymer matrix or releasing an agent out of a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0078 for fluid inflow from the body into the catheter lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0233 specifically adapted for attaching to a body wall by means which are on both sides of the wall, e.g. for attaching to an abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1085 Bladder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1089 Urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0075 Valve means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014

Abstract

Indwelling catheter having an upper distal end having a portion that can expand within a bladder type spaces without having to be inflated. An embodiment allows for at least one slit on an upper side of the catheter tube and a head member that when pulled down by a stylette moving inside the catheter causes a bulge wing portion(s) that holds the catheter safely and painlessly within the bladder. Magnetic and electret valves can be included inside the tube of the catheter that can cycle between open and closed positions when activated by normal bladder pressure when urination is desired. The novel catheter tube can naturally conform to an opening and closing urethra during natural bladder drainage. The catheter tube surface can include an anti-microbial layer that is either or both coated and impregnated thereon with either an antibacterial and/or hydrophyllic materials. Sampling ports can be located on both inside catheter tube valves and on an externally attached magnetic valve.

Claims

1. An indwelling catheter, comprising:

a catheter tube having an upper end and a bottom end with an expandable portion adjacent to the upper end;

longitudinal means for being inserted into the catheter tube having a top end which can attach to the upper end of the catheter tube, and a lower end adjacent to the bottom end of the catheter tube, wherein pulling on the lower end of the longitudinal means causes the expandable portion of the catheter tube to expand inside of a space.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the expandable portion includes:

wings which expand outward.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter tube further comprises:

at least one longitudinal slit adjacent the upper end of the catheter tube.

4. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising:

a head member in the upper end of the catheter tube having a downwardly projecting threaded portion; and

a threaded tip end on the longitudinal means for mateably screwing to the threaded portion of the head member.

5. The catheter of claim 4, further comprising:

a sleeve fixably held inside the catheter below the expandable portion; and

means for attaching the upper end of the catheter tube to the sleeve after the upper end is pulled to the sleeve.

6. The catheter of claim 5, further comprising:

a threaded wall on the sleeve for rotatably screwing about the downwardly projecting threaded portion of the head member.

7. The catheter of claim 6, wherein the head member includes:

means for supporting the head member in at least one rotatable position relative to the catheter tube.

20. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter tube further comprises:

an anti-microbial surface, the surface being selected from at least one of;

a surface coating and an impregnated material.

8. A method for holding a catheter tube within a space, comprising the steps of:

inserting an end of the catheter tube in a urethra portion of the bladder; and

expanding the catheter tube end within the space without inflating the end.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of expanding includes the step of:

expanding at least one wing portion inside the space.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

pulling down on a longitudinal member located inside of the catheter tube prior to the expanding step.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of bulging further includes the step of:

compressing the portion of the upper end of the tube into at least one expanded wing portion from at least one slit along the catheter tube.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

expanding an opening in a urethra passage during bladder drainage; and

closing the opening in the urethra passage after drainage as stopped without removing the catheter tube.

14. The cycling control of claim 13, wherein the valve includes:

a magnetic valve.

15. The cycling control of claim 14, wherein the magnetic valve includes:

a ring having a opening therethrough; and

a shaft having a head end and a foot end, the shaft for moving within the opening of the ring between a first position where the head end abuts against an upper portion of the ring closing an upper end of the opening and the foot end of the shaft abuts against a lower portion of the ring closing a lower end of the opening, and wherein one of the ring and the foot end contains a magnet.

16. The cycling control of claim 14, wherein the magnetic valve includes:

a downwardly narrowing funnel shape having a large top open end which narrows down to a magnetic valve end which opens and closes upon the pressure from the bladder.

17. The cycling control of claim 13, wherein the valve includes:

an electret valve.

18. The cycling control of claim 17, wherein the electret valve includes:

a downwardly narrowing funnel shape having a large top open end which narrows down to a electret valve end which opens and closes upon pressure from the bladder.

19. The cycling control of claim 13, further comprising:

an anti-microbial surface on the catheter, the surface being selected from at least one of;

a surface coating and an impregnated material.

13. A passive cycling control for catheters, comprising:

a valve inside a catheter tube, the valve having a closed position for obstructing flow through the catheter tube and an open position for allowing flow therethrough; and

non-inflatable holding means for supporting an upper end of the catheter within a bladder, wherein bladder pressure causes the valve to cycle between the closed position and the open position to replicate natural cycling conditions of drainage of the bladder.

21. A drainage cycler for use with catheters, comprising in combination:

a catheter tube;

a low pressure-activated valve attached to the catheter tube, wherein pressure applied to the pressure-activated valve allows for the valve to cycle between an open and a closed position by a patient'"'"'s detrusor muscle; and

a self-sealing sampling port adjacent to the valve for allowing samples of fluid to be safely removed while the catheter tube is filled with fluid.

22. The cycler of claim 21, wherein the valve includes:

a magnetic valve sized to be positioned inside a catheter tube.

23. The cycler of claim 21, wherein the valve includes:

an electret valve sized to be positioned inside the catheter.

24. The cycler of claim 21, wherein the valve includes:

a housing with connector for being attached to an exposed end the catheter tube.

25. The cycler of claim 21, wherein the catheter tube includes:

an anti-microbial surface.