Inseparable port/catheter tube assembly and methods

• US 4,772,270 A
• Filed: 06/18/1987
• Issued: 09/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catheter Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catheter Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Wiita, Thomas A., Schatten, Karl L., Moorehead, Harvey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Application Number:
  US07/064,277
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93, 604/175, 604/183, 604/283, 604/DIG. 905, 604/891, 285/239, 285/242, 128/1 R
• US Class Current: 604/175
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1027 Quick-acting type connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1072 with a septum present in the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0208 Subcutaneous access sites for injecting or removing fluids transcutaneous access sites A61M39/0247; implantable infusion devices A61M5/14276
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/12 for joining a flexible tube to a rigid attachment

Abstract

A port/catheter tube assembly which insures a stable essentially inseparable connection between the hollow male outlet stem of the port and the proximal end of the catheter tube, thereby insuring a continual supply of medication to the desired patient site while preventing inadvertent harm caused by unintended leakage of such medication into improper tissue sites due to separation of the catheter tube from the port or due to kinking.

Claims

1. A barbless implantable port/catheter tube assembly comprising:

a port comprising an internal medication chamber and an hollow male medication outlet stem, the stem comprising exposed synthetic resinous material comprising an elongated gripping exterior surface highly resistant to frictional displacement of other synthetic materials along said surface and having a predetermined maximum outside transverse dimension;

a catheter tube of synthetic resinous material comprising a proximal end telescopically and compressively contiguously superimposed upon substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem and a distal end to be placed at a desired body location of a patient for selective discharge of said medication, the proximal end comprising outside and inside stressed transverse dimensions, respectively, the inside and outside stressed transverse dimensions of the proximal end of the catheter tube along substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem being materially greater than the unstressed inside and outside transverse dimension of said proximal end with the stressed inside transverse dimension of the assembled proximal end of the catheter tube being substantialIy the same as the outside transverse dimension of the male stem;

a relative short sleeve of synthetic resinous material telescopically and compressively contiguously superimposed upon the proximal end of the catheter tube, the sleeve comprising outside and inside stressed transverse dimensions, the inside and outside sleeve transverse dimensions in the stressed state being materially greater than the unstressed inside and outside transverse dimensions of the sleeve, with the stressed inside transverse dimension of the assembled sleeve being substantially the same as the proximal end of the catheter tube;

the stem, the enlarged proximal end of the catheter tube and the enlarged sleeve, when assembled, forming a secure ultra strong coupling, stable against inadvertent separation under normal conditions of use, the proximal end of the catheter tube imposing a substantial compressive memory stress upon the stem, the sleeve imposing a substantial compressive memory stress upon the proximal end of the catheter tube and through the enlarged proximal end of the catheter tube upon substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem and the gripping surface substantially restraining the proximal end of the catheter tube against axial displacement relative to the stem;

whereby the proximal end of the catheter tube is reliably secured to the stem against both axial and blow off separation.

2. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises soft highly flexible synthetic resinous material.

3. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises silicone rubber.

4. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 1 wherein the catheter tube comprises a soft highly flexible synthetic resinous material.

5. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 1 wherein the catheter tube comprises silicone rubber.

6. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 1 wherein the exposed stem surface comprises part of an annular rigid collar of said synthetic resinous material, the stem further comprising a hollow metal tube co-axially disposed within the collar.

7. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 6 wherein the hollow metal tube terminates in an integral barb exposed beyond the distal end of said rigid collar, the maximum transverse dimension of barb being greater then the inside transverse dimension of the rigid collar whereby the barb restrains the collar co-axially around the hollow metal tube.

17. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 1 wherein only part of the sleeve is superimposed radially over substantially the entirety of the stem.

18. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 6 wherein the rigid collar comprises a chemically shrunk synthetic resinous material.

8. A barbless implantable port/catheter tube assembly comprising:

a port comprising an internal chamber for receipt periodically of liquid medication and an hollow male medication outlet stem, the stem comprising an exposed synthetic resinous material comprising an elongated gripping exterior surface highly resistant to frictional displacement of other synthetic materials along said surface and having a predetermined maximum outside transverse dimension;

a catheter tube of synthetic resinous material comprising a proximal end telescopically, compressively and contiguously superimposed upon substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem and a distal end to be placed at a desired body location of a patient for selective discharge of said medication, the proximal end comprising outside and inside enlargedly stressed transverse dimensions, the inside and outside stressed transverse dimensions of the proximal end of the catheter tube along substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem being materially greater than the unstressed inside and outside transverse dimensions of the proximal end of the catheter tube;

a relative short sleeve of synthetic resinous material telescopically, compressively and contiguously superimposed upon the proximal end of the catheter tube, the flexible sleeve comprising outside and inside enlargedly stressed transverse dimensions, the inside and outside flexible sleeve transverse dimensions in the stressed state being materially greater than the unstressed inside and outside transverse dimensions of the sleeve;

the stem, proximal end of the catheter tube and the sleee, telescopically assembled, forming an ultra strong secure coupling, stable against inadvertent separation under normal conditions of use, the coupling comprising the gripping exterior surface of the stem the compressive memory stress of the proximal end of the catheter tube imposed upon the stem and the compressive memory stress of the sleeve imposed upon the proximal end of the catheter tube and through the enlarged proximal end of the catheter tube upon substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem;

whereby the proximal end of the catheter tube is reliably secured to the stem against both axial and blow off separation.

9. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 8 wherein the flexible sleeve comprises soft highly flexible synthetic resinous material.

10. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 8 wherein the flexible sleeve comprises silicone rubber.

11. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 8 wherein the catheter tube comprises a soft highly flexible synthetic resinous material.

12. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 8 wherein the catheter tube comprises silicone rubber.

13. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 8 wherein the exposed stem surface comprises part of an annular rigid collar of said synthetic resinous material, the stem further comprising a hollow metal tube co-axially disposed within the collar.

14. An implantable port/catheter tube assembly according to claim 8 wherein the hollow metal tube terminates in an integral barb exposed beyond the distal end of said rigid collar, the maximum transverse dimension of barb being greater than the inside transverse dimension of the rigid collar whereby the barb restrains the collar co-axially around the hollow metal tube.

15. A method of barblessly securely coupling an implantable port at an exposed hollow outlet stem thereof to the proximal end of an implantable catheter tube comprising the steps of:

providing an implantable port having a male stem comprising an elongated non-slip gripping surface of synthetic resinous material;

force diametrally enlarging the proximal end of a catheter tube, telescopically superimposing said proximal end upon substantially the entire length of the exterior of the stem of the port and causing the proximal end of the catheter tube to radially compressively grip and longitudinally anti-displacingly engage substantially the entirety of the non-slip gripping surface at the exterior surface of the stem and further restraining the enlarged proximal end of the catheter tube;

placing a yieldable sleeve slidably and telescopically upon the catheter tube and force diametrally enlarging the yieldable sleeve, and superimposing the enlarged sleeve upon the exterior of the enlarged proximal end of the catheter tube and causing the enlarged sleeve to radially compressively grip the enlarged proximal end of the catheter tube and substantially the entirety of the elongated gripping surface of the stem therein.

16. A method of surgically implanting a barbless port and catheter tube in a medical patient comprising the steps of:

surgically placing a distal end of a catheter tube of synthetic resinous material at a desired internal first body site of a medical patient by which solution is delivered from the catheter tube to the first body site;

surgically placing the proximal end of the catheter tube and a port beneath the skin of a patient at a second body site located remote from the first body site after placing the port and the proximal end of the catheter tube in securing coupled and fluid communicating relationship by providing the port with an exposed hollow outlet stem comprising an elongated exposed gripping surface resistant to frictional displacement, placing a sleeve telescopically and slidably over the catheter tube away from the proximal end thereof, cutting the proximal end of the catheter tube to size the length thereof, diametrally enlarging said proximal end and placing the enlarged proximal end telescopically over substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem, thereafter releasing the proximal end so that a strong coupling is created comprising radially compressive contiguous engagement of said enlarged proximal end against substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem due to the memory forces of the material comprising the catheter tube and an antidisplacement interface between the proximal end of the catheter tube and substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem, slidably displacing and diametrally enlarging the sleeve to place the enlarged sleeve radially over the superimposed proximal end of the catheter tube and stem and releasing the sleeve to further strengthen the coupling by radial pressure contiguously imposed upon the superimposed proximal end of the catheter tube and through said proximal end upon substantially the entirety of the gripping surface of the stem;

suturing the skin at the second site closed over the port and the coupling;

whereby catheter tube pull off and blow-off are alleviated.