Apparatus and method for retaining a catheter in a blood vessel in a fixed position
First Claim
1. A catheter adapted for insertion into a blood vessel having blood flowing therethrough, comprising:
- a catheter having a distal end, a proximal end, a tip and an internal passageway for permitting fluids to pass through the catheter; and
a tip immobilizing means located at the distal end of the catheter for anchoring the distal end of the catheter within the blood flow to maintain the tip of the catheter in a spaced relationship from a blood vessel wall and to prevent the tip of the catheter from contacting a wall of the blood vessel without substantially obstructing fluid flow of blood through the blood vessel, such that catheter failure due to stenosis or thrombosis at the catheter distal end if reduced.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for retaining a catheter tip in a fixed position within a blood flow and preventing it from contacting a blood vessel wall. The apparatus includes a tip retainer at the distal end of the catheter that anchors the tip of the catheter within the blood vessel. The catheter tip is retained within the blood vessel spaced from the wall to ensure that it does not contact the wall of the blood vessel. This reduces damage to the blood vessel caused by chronic movement and contact between the catheter tip and the wall of the blood vessel. In one embodiment, the tip retainer includes a prong that penetrates the wall of the blood vessel, thus preventing the catheter tip from moving longitudinally within the blood vessel. In alternative embodiments, the tip retainer contacts the wall but does not penetrate the wall.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A catheter adapted for insertion into a blood vessel having blood flowing therethrough, comprising:
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a catheter having a distal end, a proximal end, a tip and an internal passageway for permitting fluids to pass through the catheter; and a tip immobilizing means located at the distal end of the catheter for anchoring the distal end of the catheter within the blood flow to maintain the tip of the catheter in a spaced relationship from a blood vessel wall and to prevent the tip of the catheter from contacting a wall of the blood vessel without substantially obstructing fluid flow of blood through the blood vessel, such that catheter failure due to stenosis or thrombosis at the catheter distal end if reduced.
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2. A catheter adapted for insertion into a blood vessel comprising:
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a catheter having a lumen therein that permits fluids to pass through said catheter, the catheter having a tip portion and a proximal portion spaced form the tip portion; a tip retainer assembly attached to the tip portion of the catheter; and a plurality of wall contact members, each of which contacts a blood vessel wall when the catheter is within a blood vessel, the wall contact members being a part of the tip retainer assembly, the wall contact members including a wall contact portion for contacting the blood vessel wall at a selected location and remaining in contact with the blood vessel wall for an extended time, the wall contact members being attached to said catheter tip portion and maintaining the catheter tip a spaced distance from the blood vessel wall and preventing the catheter tip from contacting the blood vessel to prevent damage to the blood vessel wall by repeated contact between the catheter tip and the blood vessel wall. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An assembly adapted for insertion into a blood vessel comprising:
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a catheter means for introduction into a blood vessel, the catheter means being adapted to being positioned within the blood vessel, the catheter means having a tip portion; an introducer assembly means for aid in inserting the said catheter means into a blood vessel; and a tip retainer assembly means located at the distal end of the catheter for retaining the tip portion in a relatively fixed position within a blood vessel, the tip retainer assembly means being adapted to be in a retracted position when the catheter means is not positioned within the blood vessel and in a deployed position when the catheter means is within the blood vessel, the tip retainer assembly means retaining the tip portion of the catheter means in a spaced position from the blood vessel wall and preventing repeated contact of the tip portion of the catheter means with the blood vessel wall. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of inserting a catheter having a tip retainer assembly attached at one end thereof into a blood vessel, comprising:
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placing a sheath insertion tube assembly within a blood vessel, the sheath insertion tube assembly including an insertion sheath having handles at a proximal end thereof which are not inserted into the blood vessel, a tip portion which is inserted into a blood vessel and a catheter within the insertion sheath, said catheter having a tip retainer assembly at a distal end of said catheter; maneuvering the insertion sheath assembly with the catheter therein to a selected position within the blood vessel; and withdrawing the insertion sheath from the catheter tube while maintaining the catheter tube at a fixed position within the blood vessel, the withdrawal of the insertion sheath causing the tip retainer assembly to be deployed in a spaced position away from the catheter tube such that the tip retainer assembly contacts the blood vessel wall with a preselected resilient spring biased force and maintains the catheter tip anchored at a preselected location and held a selected distance from the blood vessel wall to prevent the catheter tip from contacting the blood vessel wall. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. The method of securing a catheter tip at a selected location in a blood vessel, comprising:
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inserting a catheter within a blood vessel, the catheter having a tip and a tip retainer assembly adjacent the tip in a retracted position, the tip retainer assembly having a distal end in a retracted position and including a control assembly at a proximal end of the catheter outside the blood vessel; maneuvering the catheter tip to a selected location within the blood vessel; and manipulating the control assembly of the tip retainer to deploy the tip retainer assembly into abutting contact with the blood vessel wall such that the tip retainer assembly contacts the blood vessel wall with sufficient force to maintain the catheter tip anchored at a preselected location and holds the catheter tip in a spaced relationship from the blood vessel wall to prevent the catheter tip from repeatedly contacting the blood vessel wall.
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Specification