Anti-clotting methods and apparatus for indwelling catheter tubes
First Claim
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1. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in an idle catheter tube indwelling within a vessel of a medical patient comprising the acts of:
- advancing a deflated balloon along an entirely unobstructed hollow interior of the idle indwelling catheter tube so that the balloon is radially aligned at least in part with a distal end of the catheter tube;
inflating the balloon to radially contiguously engage, close, seal and occlude the entire hollow interior at the distal end of the idle indwelling catheter tube, without expanding the distal end, to deny blood access to the hollow interior.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Enabled or activated closure and sealing devices in the form of closure balloons, and related methods, are disclosed, which substantially preclude entry and clotting of blood at the distal end of a lumen of an indwelling catheter tube during times when flow therein is not occurring. The closure and sealing balloon is disabled or deactivated to accommodate flow, without clotting, through the lumen of the catheter tube when flow therein is resumed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in an idle catheter tube indwelling within a vessel of a medical patient comprising the acts of:
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advancing a deflated balloon along an entirely unobstructed hollow interior of the idle indwelling catheter tube so that the balloon is radially aligned at least in part with a distal end of the catheter tube;
inflating the balloon to radially contiguously engage, close, seal and occlude the entire hollow interior at the distal end of the idle indwelling catheter tube, without expanding the distal end, to deny blood access to the hollow interior. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in idle ingress and egress companion unobstructed catheter tubes indwelling within a vessel of a medical patient, comprising the acts of:
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advancing a deflated balloon along an entirely hollow and unobstructed lumen of each idle ingress and egress catheter tube to a position at least partially radially with a distal end of each;
inflating the respective balloons to radially span cross sectionally the lumen and radially contiguously engage, close, seal and occlude the lumen at the distal end of each catheter tube, thereby preventing blood infiltration and clotting by denying blood access, to the entirely occluded lumen of each catheter tube;
purging the lumen of one or both catheter tubes in a proximal-to-distal direction with a suitable liquid under pressure.
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8. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in a catheter tube indwelling within a vessel of a patient comprising the acts of:
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terminating flow along a hollow interior passageway of the indwelling catheter tube;
after the terminating act, inflating a balloon to expand the balloon radially across the interior passageway and contiguously radially engage, close, seal and occlude the entire hollow cross section of the interior passageway at a distal end of the indwelling catheter tube to deny blood in the vessel access to the hollow passageway thereby preventing clotting within the catheter tube. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in ingress and egress companion catheter tubes indwelling within a vessel of a medical patient, comprising the acts of:
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terminating ingress and egress flow along hollow interior passageways of the indwelling catheter tubes, respectively;
after the terminating step, radially inflating balloons so that each balloon radially spans the interior passageway of the associated catheter tube occluding the same by engaging, closing and sealing the respective hollow interior passageways at the distal ends of the indwelling ingress and egress catheter tubes to prevent clotting within either catheter tube by denying blood in the vessel access to the hollow interior passageways. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in an idle catheter tube placed within a vessel of a medical patient comprising the acts of;
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advancing a deflated balloon along a hollow interior of the idle catheter tube to a distal end thereof prior to placement of the catheter tube in the vessel;
inflating the balloon so that the balloon radially expands without significant axial displacement to diametrally span the hollow interior to physically engage, close, seal and occlude the hollow interior at the distal end of the catheter tube;
collectively introducing the distal end of the catheter tube and the inflated balloon into the vessel, whereby clotting within the hollow interior is prevented by the denial of entry of blood into the hollow interior of the catheter tube. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of addressing the problem of clotting in idle ingress and egress companion catheter tubes placed within a vessel of a medical patient, comprising the acts of:
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advancing a deflated balloon along a hollow interior of each idle ingress and egress catheter tube to a distal end of each prior to placement of either catheter tube in the vessel;
inflating the respective balloons so that the balloon radially expands to diametrally span the hollow interior of each catheter tube and to contiguously close, seal and occlude the hollow interior of each catheter tube at the distal end of each;
introducing each inflated balloon and the distal end of the associated catheter tube together into the vessel, whereby clotting within the hollow interiors is prevented by the inflated balloons denying entry of blood into either catheter tube.
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Specification