Slit valve catheters

• US 20040176743A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ujhelyi, Michael R., Laske, Timothy G., Morris, Mary M., Heruth, Kenneth T., Casas-Bejar, Jesus W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,413,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/537
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0075 Valve means

Abstract

An external surface of a catheter body includes a pressure responsive slit formed in an indentation wherein a wall thickness of the catheter body within the indentation is less than a wall thickness of a major portion of the catheter body. Material exits a lumen of the catheter body, via the pressure responsive slit, when a pressure inside the lumen exceeds an external pressure.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising a catheter, the catheter comprising:

a catheter body including an interior surface defining a lumen and an exterior surface;

an indentation formed in a portion of the exterior surface; and

a pressure responsive slit formed in the indentation;

wherein a wall thickness of a portion of the catheter body within the indentation is less than a wall thickness of a major portion of the catheter body and wherein material exits the lumen, via the pressure responsive slit, when a pressure inside the lumen exceeds an external pressure.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of a portion of the catheter body surrounding the indentation is greater than the wall thickness of the major portion of the catheter body.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the catheter body proximate the slit is chemically treated.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein a compliance of the catheter body proximate the slit is greater than a compliance of a major portion of the catheter body.

5. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the indentation comprises a plurality of indentations and the slit comprises a plurality of slits.

6. The medical device of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of indentations and each of the plurality of slits is longitudinally displaced relative to one another along a length of the catheter body.

7. The medical device of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of indentations and each of the plurality of slits is circumferentially displaced relative to one another along a length of the catheter body.

8. The medical device of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of slits opens at a different pressure differential.

9. The medical device of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of slits has a different length in order to open at the different pressure differential.

10. The medical device of claim 9, further comprising a distal end and wherein each of the plurality of slits is longitudinally displaced relative to one another along a length of the catheter body and the slits having a longer length are located toward a distal end of the catheter body.

11. The medical device of claim 1, wherein a second material enters the lumen, via the pressure responsive slit, when the external pressure exceeds the pressure inside the lumen.

12. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising a coating on the catheter body eluting a therapeutic agent.

13. The medical device of claim 12, wherein the therapeutic agent is at least one or combination of drugs, proteins, or genes having an anti-inflammation, anti-thrombus, anti-proliferation, and pro-healing effect at the catheter-tissue interface.

14. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the catheter body is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of silicone, polyurethane, polyimide, polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, and a fluoropolymer.

15. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the lumen defines a noncircular cross-section in an area proximate the pressure responsive slit when the external pressure equals or exceeds the pressure inside the lumen.

16. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the lumen defines a substantially circular cross-section in an area proximate the pressure responsive slit when the pressure inside the lumen exceeds the external pressure.

17. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the catheter body is formed from silicone, the slit includes two opposing surfaces, and further comprising a material spread on at least one of the two opposing surfaces to prevent blocking of the two opposing surfaces of the slit.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the material to prevent blocking comprises one of graphite and talc.

19. The medical device of claim 5, wherein the catheter body further comprises a first and second branch and a first slit of the plurality of slits is formed in the first branch and a second slit of the plurality of slits is formed in the second branch.

20. The medical device of claim 5, wherein the lumen comprises a plurality of lumens and a first slit of the plurality of slits corresponds with a first lumen of the plurality of lumens and a second slit of the plurality of slits corresponds with a second lumen of the plurality of lumens.