Catheters And Related Equipment

• US 20150165161A1
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Medical Care Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Uber, Arthur E. III, McDaniel, Barry Lynn, Griffiths, David M., Bonnette, Michael J., Thor, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,850,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0008 having visible markings on its surface, i.e. visible to the naked eye, for any purpose, e.g. insertion depth markers, rotational markers or identification of type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0175 having telescopic features, interengaging nestable members movable in relations to one another
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/003 characterized by features relating to least one lumen located at the distal part of the catheter, e.g. filters, plugs or valves catheter tips A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0075 Valve means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0113 Mechanical advancing means, e.g. catheter dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0122 with fluid drive by external fluid in an open fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0606 "Over-the-needle" catheter assemblies, e.g. I.V. catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1408 in parallel, e.g. manifolds, sequencing valves access sites A61M39/02; tube connectors A61M39/10

Abstract

A catheter including at least one distal opening positioned at or near the distal end and at least one proximal opening near the proximal end and proximal to the at least one distal opening is described. The catheter may be configured for delivering at least a first fluid through the at least one distal opening to a central circulation system of a patient and delivering at least a second fluid through the at least one proximal opening to a peripheral circulation system of the patient.

Claims

1. A catheter comprising:

a proximal end and a distal end;

at least one lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter;

at least one distal opening positioned at or near the distal end; and

at least one proximal opening near the proximal end and proximal to the at least one distal opening,

wherein the catheter is configured for delivering at least a first fluid through the at least one distal opening to a central portion of a circulation system of a patient and delivering at least a second fluid through the at least one proximal opening to a peripheral portion of the circulation system of the patient.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is the same as the second fluid.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is administered sequentially to the second fluid.

4. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter comprises a single lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end.

5. The catheter of claim 4, wherein the at least one proximal opening is configured to open under high pressure and flow rates required for power injections, but to not open during a blood sampling process or under moderate pressures when drugs are being infused through the at least one distal opening.

6. The catheter of claim 4, wherein at least one of the at least one proximal opening and the at least one distal opening comprise at least one proximal slit and at least one distal slit.

7. The catheter of claim 5, wherein the at least one proximal opening is configured to open further upon swelling of the catheter under the high pressure.

8. The catheter of claim 4, wherein the at least one distal opening biased to the closed position and configured so that fluid pressure with the catheter created when the distal opening is closed may stiffen the catheter to reduce or eliminate undulating, flapping or whipping of the catheter during deployment of the catheter.

9. The catheter of claim 4, wherein the catheter is composes of a single material and wherein the proximal end of the catheter has a wall thickness greater than a wall thickness of a distal end of the catheter;

or wherein the proximal end of the catheter is composed of a first material capable and the distal end of the catheter is composes of a second material,

such that the proximal end is capable of withstanding high pressures of up to about 350 psi and the distal end is capable of withstanding pressures of from about 10 psi to about 100 psi.

10. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is a first active agent, and the second fluid is selected from the group consisting of a second active agent, saline, a medical fluid, a contrast agent, and combinations of any thereof.

11. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising additional lateral openings positioned at one or more positions throughout the length of the catheter to release a medical fluid over a length of the catheter.

12. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter is a multi-lumen catheter comprising a first lumen and at least a second lumen, wherein the first lumen comprises the at least one distal opening and the second lumen comprises the at least one proximal opening.

13. The catheter of claim 12, wherein the second lumen is shorter than the first lumen.

14. The catheter of claim 13, wherein a portion of a circumferential wall around the first lumen are located within the second lumen.

15. The catheter of claim 14, wherein the circumferential wall around the first lumen is laterally movable within the second lumen.

16. The catheter of claim 14, wherein the second lumen is a lumen of a catheter introducer.

17. The catheter of claim 16, further comprising a Venturi feature within the catheter introducer.

18. The catheter of claim 12, wherein a circumferential wall of the second lumen is stiffer than a circumferential wall of the first lumen.

19. The catheter of claim 12, wherein fluid pressure within one or both of the first lumen and the second lumen force the at least one opening to open allowing fluid to exit one or both of the first lumen and the second lumen, and wherein a decrease of fluid pressure within the respective first lumen and second lumen cause the at least one opening to close.

20. The catheter of claim 12, wherein the first lumen is configured to withstand pressures up to about 100 psi and the second lumen is configured to withstand high pressures up to about 350 psi.

21. The catheter of claim 12, wherein the second fluid is saline or a medical fluid introduced to a blood vessel through the at least one proximal opening, wherein the second fluid causes at least one of enhanced fluid flow in the blood vessel or expansion of the blood vessel to help carry the distal end of the catheter through the blood vessel to a final deployment site.