Catheter for drainage of the bladder

• US 20040193143A1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manfred Sauer
• Original Assignee: Manfred Sauer
• Inventors: Sauer, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,717,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1085 Bladder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0017 specially adapted for long-term hygiene care, e.g. urethral or indwelling catheters to prevent infections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip

Abstract

A catheter for draining urine from the bladder and which is composed of a flexible plastic tube (1) having an insertion aid (2) secured to the insertion end of the tube. Thus the insertion aid and tube may be inserted into the urethra and guided therethrough into the bladder. The tube (1) has at least one orifice (4) in the region adjacent the insertion aid (2). Also, the insertion aid (2) connects with essentially the same diameter to the tube (1) and ends with a rounded head portion (3), whose diameter may be slightly larger than the diameter of the tube (1). The insertion aid may be significantly more flexible as compared to the tube.

Claims

1. A catheter for draining urine from the bladder of a user, comprising

a flexible tube which defines an insertion end,

an insertion aid connected to the insertion end of the tube for guiding the tube through the urethra and into the bladder, said insertion aid having a rear portion adjacent the tube which has substantially the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the tube, and a rounded head portion of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the tube, and

wherein said tube includes at least one orifice adjacent the insertion aid.

2. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the tube and the insertion aid are both composed of a plastic material, and wherein the insertion aid exhibits more flexibility than does the tube.

3. The catheter of claim 2 wherein the flexibility of the insertion aid is about one half the flexibility of the tube.

4. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the head portion of the insertion aid is more flexible than is the rear portion thereof.

5. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the tube defines an insertion end portion which terminates in said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion becomes progressively or stepwise more flexible toward said insertion end.

6. The catheter of claim 5 wherein the insertion end portion of the tube has a length of about 5 to 10 cm from said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion is more flexible than the remaining portion of the tube.

7. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the tube and the insertion aid are both composed of a plastic material, and wherein the tube defines an insertion end portion which terminates in said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion of the tube and/or the insertion aid are chemically treated with a plasticizer to soften the material thereof.

8. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the tube and the insertion aid are both composed of a plastic material, and wherein the insertion aid is connected to the tube in a material engaging relationship by a mutual diffusion of plasticizers.

9. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the at least one orifice is formed by a punching operation and has outwardly rounded edges.

10. The catheter of claim 9 wherein the outwardly rounded edges are formed by an elevated temperature treatment.

11. The catheter of claim 1 wherein the tube defines an insertion end portion which terminates in said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion of the tube and/or the insertion aid are mechanically or chemically treated for assisting a wetting behavior toward lubricants.

12. A catheter for draining urine from the bladder of a user, comprising

a flexible plastic tube which defines an insertion end, said tube including an orifice adjacent said insertion end, and wherein the tube has an insertion end portion adjacent said insertion end which is more flexible than the remaining portion of the tube.

13. The catheter of claim 12 wherein the insertion end portion of the tube becomes progressively or stepwise more flexible toward said insertion end.

14. The catheter of claim 12 wherein the insertion end of the tube is open to define said orifice.

15. The catheter of claim 14 wherein the open end of the tube has outwardly rounded edges.

16. The catheter of claim 12 further comprising an insertion aid connected to the insertion end of the tube for guiding the tube through the urethra and into the bladder, said insertion aid having a rear portion adjacent the tube which has substantially the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the tube, and a rounded head portion.

17. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the diameter of the rounded head portion is slightly less than the diameter of the tube.

18. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the diameter of the rounded head portion is about the same as the diameter of the tube.

19. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the diameter of the rounded head portion is slightly greater than the diameter of the tube.

20. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the tube and the insertion aid are both formed of a plastic material, and wherein the insertion aid exhibits more flexibility than does the tube.

21. The catheter of claim 20 wherein the flexibility of the insertion aid is about one half the flexibility of the tube.

22. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the head portion of the insertion aid is more flexible than is the rear portion thereof.

23. The catheter of claim 12 wherein the tube defines an insertion end portion which terminates in said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion has a length of about 5 to 10 cm from said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion is more flexible than the remaining portion of the tube.

24. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the tube defines an insertion end portion which terminates in said insertion end, and wherein the insertion end portion of the tube and/or the insertion aid are formed of a plastic material and chemically treated to soften the material thereof.

25. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the tube and the insertion aid are both composed of a plastic material, and wherein the insertion aid is connected to the tube in a material engaging relationship by a mutual diffusion of plasticizers.