Catheter provided with an additional canalization

• US 4,737,147 A
• Filed: 07/14/1986
• Issued: 04/12/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NUS SRL Turin VIA San Quintino 28
• Original Assignee: NUS SRL
• Inventors: Gardi, Giovanni, Ferrando, Ugo, Pagliano, Giustino
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US06/885,324
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 604/43, 604/95, 604/96-103, 604/265, 128/DIG. 21, 1/7
• US Class Current: 604/96.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0017 specially adapted for long-term hygiene care, e.g. urethral or indwelling catheters to prevent infections

Abstract

An elastomeric medical catheter includes an end portion from which liquid is removed to the catheter interior and grooves on the outer periphery of a portion proximal to the distal end portion. These grooves permit the expulsion of liquid which might otherwise be trapped in the interstice between the catheter wall and the walls of the passage defining the entrance of the orifice into which the catheter is inserted. By permitting the naturally occurring pressure difference between the orifice and the ambient to expel liquid which is in the interstice, liquid stasis is avoided and potentially dangerous bacteria are flushed from the interstice.

Claims

1. A medical catheter made of elastomeric material and adapted to extend within a vesica of a human body, said catheter comprising:

slidably inserted adapted to reside within the vesica and having means for removing fluid from said vesica through the interior of said catheter;

an outer peripheral surface, adapted slidably inserted be slid within a passage leading into said vesica;

an inflatable balloon attached to said end region and being mounted such that it is adapted to inflate so that said balloon, when inflated condition, is non-coaxial with said catheter;

a proximal end region proximal to said distal end region, wherein said outer peripheral surface defines a plurality of grooves longitudinally extending for a majority of the length of said passage when said end region is residing within said vesica, said plurality of longitudinally extending grooves defining means for coaxial passage of liquid and bacteria from an area of higher pressure due to said vesica to an area of lower pressure due to ambient pressure whereby said passage results from the pressure differential between said vesica and ambient pressure, said plurality of longitudinally extending grooves not being in communication with any other passages provided in said catheter, said outer peripheral surface being imperforate between the balloon and the ends of said longitudinally extending grooves closest to said balloon.

2. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said outer peripheral surface is coated with a lubricant.

3. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said grooves form two essentially identically shaped, intersecting, sinusoidal patterns.

4. The catheter of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material is silicone.

5. A medical catheter of a soft, elastomeric material, adapted to extend through a passageway and into a vesica of a human body, said catheter comprising:

an elongated hollow catheter body portion having an outer peripheral surface adapted to be slidably inserted within the passageway leading into the vesica;

a distal end region adapted to reside within the vesica, said distal end region having means for removing fluid from said vesica through the interior of said catheter;

means to retain said distal end region within the vesica without blocking the passageway, said means including an inflatable balloon attached to said distal end region and being mounted such that it is adapted to inflate so that said balloon, when inflated condition, is non-coaxial with said catheter so as not to block the passageway; and

a proximal end region, proximal to said distal end region, of said catheter body where said outer peripheral surface defines a plurality of grooves longitudinally extending for a majority of the length of said passage when said distal end region is residing within said vesica, said plurality of longitudinally extending grooves defining means for coaxial passage of liquid and bacteria from a zone of higher to a zone of lower pressure whereby said coaxial passage results from the pressure differential between a higher pressure in said vesica and ambient pressure, said plurality of longitudinally extending grooves not being in communication with any other passages provided in said catheter and said outer peripheral surface being imperforate between said balloon and the ends of said longitudinally extending grooves closest to said balloons.

6. A method of draining physiological liquid from a vesica of a human being at a pressure higher than the outer ambient, said method comprising the steps of:

inserting a catheter having a distal end region, said distal end region including means for removing fluid from said vesica through the interior of said catheter, an inflatable balloon, in uninflated condition, attached to said distal end region, the balloon being mounted such that, when inflated, it is non-coaxial with said catheter, and a proximal end region proximal to said distal end region, at where said outer peripheral surface defines a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves which are not in communication with any other passages provided in the catheter, into said vesica through an orifice of a body passage leading into said vesica so that said uninflated balloon is fully contained within the vesica, the longitudinally extending grooves longitudinally extend in the direction of the balloon, from near the orifice, for a majority of the length of the body passage, said outer peripheral surface being imperforate between said balloon and the junction of said body passage with said vesica and a proximal end of the catheter extends outside the orifice; and

inflating said balloon whereby said means for removing fluid drains fluid from said vesica.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said vesica is the urinary bladder and said passage is the urethral canal extending from said bladder.