Catheter
First Claim
1. A double lumen catheter for gaining vascular access to the circulatory system of a living being, comprising,an elongated integral plastic thin walled tubular body requiring support against buckling and kinking and having a proximal end part, a distal end part and an intermediate part,the intermediate part having an outer wall and a septum wall providing juxtaposed arterial and venous lumens,the proximal end part being a continuation of the intermediate part and diverging into, integrally connected branches each containing the continuation of a lumen for connection to access tubing leading to a hemodialysis apparatus,the distal end part comprising a continuation of the outer wall tapering to a slender tip merging gradually and smoothly from said body and having an internal guidewire passage leading from the venous lumen and closure means terminating the arterial lumen, short of the tip, including a part of the outer wall tapering inwards to merge with the septum wall,the outside surface of the outer wall being smooth and continuous to offer minimum frictional resistance to insertion into the body of a patient,the inside walls of both lumens being smooth and continuous and the transition of the lumens between the said respective parts being smooth and uninterrupted to facilitate the insertion and removal of obturators into and from the respective lumens to extend from their proximal ends to their distal ends, andthe outer wall being provided with at least one blood access orifice in the distal end part of the arterial lumen and at least one blood access orifice in the distal end part of the venous lumen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A double lumen catheter made up of an elongated integral flexible plastic thin-walled tubular body extending from a proximal end part, through an intermediate part, to a distal end part, terminating in a tip. The intermediate part has an outer wall and an internal septum wall containing juxtaposed arterial and venous lumens. The terminal end of each lumen in the proximal part is adapted for connection to an access tube to hemodialysis apparatus. At the junction of the intermediate part and the distal part, the arterial lumen is terminated and the venous lumen continued at least part way to the tip of the distal part. The outside surface of the outer walls are continuous and smooth to offer minimum resistance to insertion into the body of a patient. The walls are also relatively thin to provide for lumens of relatively large cross-section compared to the total cross-section of the catheter body. Removable obturators are inserted in the lumens to prevent the catheter from buckling. The inner surface of the outer walls and the surfaces of the septum wall are continuous and smooth and any change of direction in the lumen wall is in a gradual curve to accommodate negotiation by a flexible obturator. Alternatively, the catheter may be made from tubing sufficiently resistant in itself to buckling for the catheter to be inserted without the use of obturators. One such form of tubing is made of alternating hard and soft plastic rings welded together. Another form employs wire reinforcing within the walls. Welding and molding methods for making the catheters are disclosed.
384 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A double lumen catheter for gaining vascular access to the circulatory system of a living being, comprising,
an elongated integral plastic thin walled tubular body requiring support against buckling and kinking and having a proximal end part, a distal end part and an intermediate part, the intermediate part having an outer wall and a septum wall providing juxtaposed arterial and venous lumens, the proximal end part being a continuation of the intermediate part and diverging into, integrally connected branches each containing the continuation of a lumen for connection to access tubing leading to a hemodialysis apparatus, the distal end part comprising a continuation of the outer wall tapering to a slender tip merging gradually and smoothly from said body and having an internal guidewire passage leading from the venous lumen and closure means terminating the arterial lumen, short of the tip, including a part of the outer wall tapering inwards to merge with the septum wall, the outside surface of the outer wall being smooth and continuous to offer minimum frictional resistance to insertion into the body of a patient, the inside walls of both lumens being smooth and continuous and the transition of the lumens between the said respective parts being smooth and uninterrupted to facilitate the insertion and removal of obturators into and from the respective lumens to extend from their proximal ends to their distal ends, and the outer wall being provided with at least one blood access orifice in the distal end part of the arterial lumen and at least one blood access orifice in the distal end part of the venous lumen.
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13. A double lumen catheter for gaining vascular access to the circulatory system of a living being, comprising,
an elongated integral plastic thin walled tubular body requiring support against buckling and kinking and having a proximal end part, a distal end part and an intermediate part, the intermediate part having an outer wall and a septum wall providing juxtaposed arterial and venous lumens, the proximal end part being a continuation of the intermediate part and the end of each lumen therein being adapted for connection to access tubing leading to a hemodialysis apparatus, the distal end part comprising a continuation of the outer wall tapering to a slender tip merging gradually and smoothly from said body and having an internal guidewire passage leading from the venous lumen and closure means terminating the arterial lumen, short of the tip, including a part of the outer wall tapering inwards to merge with the septum wall, the outside surface of the outer wall being smooth and continuous to offer minimum frictional resistance to insertion into the body of a patient, the inside walls of both lumens being smooth and continuous and the transition of the lumens between the said respective parts being smooth and uninterrupted to facilitate the insertion and removal of obturators into and from the respective lumens to extend from their proximal ends to their distal ends, the outer wall being provided with at least one blood access orifice in the distal end part of the arterial lumen and at least one blood access orifice in the distal end part of the venous lumen, and an obturator extending within each lumen throughout its length to prevent the tubular body from kinking when the catheter is inserted in the body of a living being and removable after insertion whereby the catheter remains in the body unkinked, the obturator in the venous lumen having a central passage for a guidewire extending lengthwise through it.
Specification