Catheter having distal stylet opening and connector
First Claim
1. A catheter, comprising:
- first and second elongate tubes, each tube having a respective outer surface and a lumen and each tube having distal and proximal ends;
wherein the first and second tubes are joined together at their distal ends to form a single tube defining a catheter body distal end with a single outer surface, with the lumina of the first and second tubes remaining separate in the catheter body distal end;
the first tube having first and second segments with the first segment being located distally to the second segment, the lumen of the first segment terminating in a closed end in the catheter body distal end, and the first and second segments being severed from each other at a severance location proximal to the catheter body distal end; and
a connector engaged with the first and second segments and connecting the first and second segments together at the severance location, the connector forming a fluid-tight seal with the first and second segments and the connector being disconnectable from a segment;
wherein the length of the lumen of the first segment continuing into the catheter body distal end and the diameter of the lumen are selected to receive a stylet so that the stylet can be introduced through the first segment lumen at the severance location when the connector is disconnected and extended to the closed end of the segment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intracranial pressure monitoring and drainage catheter having two tubes that are joined into a single tube at the catheter body distal end, each tube having a separate lumen. One tube is severed at a location proximal to the catheter body distal end and has an internal connector that may be removed from one severed end to introduce a stylet into the lumen. The stylet results in increased rigidity of the catheter body distal end to assist in placing the catheter in the patient. The wall of the distal end of the catheter has drainage apertures formed in communication with the lumen in which the stylet is placed. Reconnecting the internal connector after removal of the stylet provides a fluid path from the distal end of the catheter body to the proximal end of the catheter for drainage of fluid from the patient. A sensor may be placed in the other lumen for sensing a physical parameter of the patient, such as pressure or temperature or both.
172 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A catheter, comprising:
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first and second elongate tubes, each tube having a respective outer surface and a lumen and each tube having distal and proximal ends; wherein the first and second tubes are joined together at their distal ends to form a single tube defining a catheter body distal end with a single outer surface, with the lumina of the first and second tubes remaining separate in the catheter body distal end; the first tube having first and second segments with the first segment being located distally to the second segment, the lumen of the first segment terminating in a closed end in the catheter body distal end, and the first and second segments being severed from each other at a severance location proximal to the catheter body distal end; and a connector engaged with the first and second segments and connecting the first and second segments together at the severance location, the connector forming a fluid-tight seal with the first and second segments and the connector being disconnectable from a segment; wherein the length of the lumen of the first segment continuing into the catheter body distal end and the diameter of the lumen are selected to receive a stylet so that the stylet can be introduced through the first segment lumen at the severance location when the connector is disconnected and extended to the closed end of the segment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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8. The catheter of 5 wherein:
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the sensor comprises a pressure sensor disposed in the catheter body distal end; and the energy conducting devices comprise optical fibers extending from the pressure sensor to the proximal end of the lumen.
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13. A catheter, comprising:
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first and second elongated tubes, each tube having a respective outer surface and a lumen and each tube having distal and proximal ends; wherein the first and second tubes are joined together at their distal ends to form a single tube defining a catheter body distal end having a single outer surface, with the lumina of the first and second tubes remaining separate in the catheter body distal end; the first tube having first and second segments with the first segment being located distally to the second segment, the lumen of the first segment terminating in a closed end in the catheter body distal end, and the first and second segments being severed from each other at a severance location proximal to the catheter body distal end; a connector engaged with the first and second segments and connecting the first and second segments together at the severance location, the connector forming a fluid-tight seal with the first and second segments and the connector being disconnectable from a segment; and drainage apertures formed at the catheter body distal end in fluid communication with the lumen of the first tube; wherein the length of the lumen of the first segment continuing into the catheter body distal end and the diameter of the lumen are selected to receive a stylet so that the stylet can be introduced through the first segment lumen at the severance location when the connector is disconnected and extended to the closed end of the segment. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)
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17. The catheter of 14 wherein:
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the sensor comprises a pressure sensor disposed in the catheter body distal end; and the energy conducting devices comprise optical fibers extending from the pressure sensor to the proximal end of the lumen.
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21. An intracranial catheter comprising:
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a drainage catheter portion having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one drainage aperture at the distal end and a lumen extending therethrough from said at least one drainage aperture to the proximal end of said drainage catheter portion; a sensor catheter portion having a proximal end, a distal end and a sensor at the distal end operative to sense a physical parameter and to transmit sensor signals to the proximal end of said sensor catheter portion; said drainage catheter portion and said sensor catheter portion being disposed in side-by-side relation to one another, with distal segments of said drainage catheter portion and said sensor catheter portion being fused to comprise a unitary distal segment of said catheter; a stylet insertion opening formed in said drainage catheter portion at a stylet insertion location which is proximal to the unitary distal segment of said catheter but distal to the proximal end of said drainage catheter portion, said opening extending into said lumen such that a rigid stylet may be inserted through said opening and advanced into said lumen; a closure apparatus for closing said stylet insertion aperture when no stylet is inserted therethrough, said closure apparatus being operative to seal said lumen such that fluid may pass through said lumen from said at least one drainage aperture to the proximal end of said drainage catheter portion; and a transecting cut through said drainage catheter portion at said stylet insertion location so as to form first and second severed ends of said drainage catheter portion; wherein said closure apparatus comprises a disconnectable internal connector operative to join the severed ends of said drainage catheter in end-to-end fashion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification