Multilumen catheter, particularly for hemodialysis

• US 6,001,079 A
• Filed: 03/05/1998
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thierry Pourchez
• Original Assignee: Thierry Pourchez
• Inventors: Pourchez, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn Wood
• Assistant Examiner(s): Finkel, Sharon
• Application Number:
  US09/029,251
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 604/27, 604/29, 604/28, 604/284, 604/19, 604/49, 604/54, 604/93, 604/258, 604/266, 604/264, 604/271, 604/239, 604/43, D24/108, D24/112, 600/581
• US Class Current: 604/43
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0031 characterized by lumina for withdrawing or delivering, i.e. used for extracorporeal circuit treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0037 characterized by lumina being arranged side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0021 characterised by the form of the tubing A61M25/0054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip

Abstract

A multilumen catheter (1) of a type comprising two inner lumens (2, 3) defined by a wall (2A, 3A) for guiding a fluid (4), and two opposite ends (5, 6), namely a distal end (5) and a proximal end (6), characterized in that the distal end is formed of two elongated and discrete end portions (13, 14) located beyond a so-called dividing point (12) at a predetermined distance D1 from the proximal end (6), wherein said end portions, in a rest position of the catheter, extend parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, each over a predetermined length (L1, L2) measurable between a free end (13A, 14A) and the dividing point (12), are each made of a flexible material, contain a segment of at least one lumen (2, 3) and have at least one channel (7, 8) for delivering and/or sampling the fluid.

Claims

1. A multilumen catheter (1) comprising:

at least two inner lumens (2,

     3), defined by a wall (2A, 3A), each of said inner lumens being adapted to guide at least one fluid (4), said wall isolating said at least two inner lumens from one another along an entire length of said catheter, to define at least two separate fluid flow passages,

two opposite ends (5,

     6), a first one of which (5) is a distal end, said distal end specifically intended to be placed in a cavity of a patient'"'"'s body and adapted to deliver and/or sample the fluid (4) to or from said distal end through at least one channel (7,8), a second end (6) being a proximal end, said proximal end adapted to be connected to a means (9) for circulating fluid (4),

said distal end of said catheter having a dividing point (12) located at a fixed predetermined distance D1 from said proximal end (6), and having at least two distinct elongated end portions (13,

     14) extending from said dividing point, said dividing point being nearer to said distal end than to said proximal end,

wherein said at least two end portions, in at least one rest position of the catheter, extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said catheter, each over a predetermined length (L1, L2) measurable between a free end of said distal end (13A, 14A) and the dividing point (12),

wherein said at least two end portions are each made of flexible material so as to be flexible at least under the effect of a lateral action due to the displacement of a fluid, and

wherein each of said at least two end portions contains at least one segment of at least one of the lumens (2,

     3) and has at least one channel (7,

     8) for delivering and/or sampling the fluid.

2. The multilumen catheter according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said at least two end portions has a different length (L1, L2), and

the channels with which each of said at least two end portions are equipped are so constructed and arranged such that each emerges at a different position along the catheter.

3. The multilumen chatheter according to claim 2, wherein the channels with which the at least two end portions are equipped are disposed in a group on each end portion, and wherein said groups are disposed at different positions along the catheter.