High pressure injection system

• US 6,503,244 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Micro Therapeutics, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hayman, Douglas Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/801,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96, 604/97, 604/98, 604/100, 604/525, 604/110, 604/218, 604/263, 604/243, 604/283, 604/523, 604/524, 604/103.09, 285/322, 285/334.4, 285/423, 141/27, 141/329
• US Class Current: 604/525
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2044 having slits
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2058 having multiple connecting ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/10 Coring prevention means, e.g. for plug or septum piecing members
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0098 having a strain relief at the proximal end, e.g. sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0052 Localized reinforcement, e.g. where only a specific part of the catheter is reinforced, for rapid exchange guidewire port
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0097 characterised by the hub connectors A61M39/10

Abstract

A catheter and system for delivering viscous fluid, under high pressures, into the vasculature of a patient includes a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, a reinforcing member surrounding at least a portion of the proximal end, and a compression fitting surrounding the reinforcing member for holding the proximal end of the catheter body. A strain relief element shrouds a portion of the proximal end to prevent kinking of the catheter body. Accordingly, the reinforcing member, the compression fitting and the strain relief element cooperate to hold the catheter body in a luer fitting and to prevent the proximal end of the catheter body from kinking under bending, and to prevent leakage or bursting under pressure.

Claims

1. A catheter for delivering viscous fluid into the vasculature of a patient, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end;

a reinforcing member surrounding at least a portion of the proximal end of the catheter body; and

a compression fitting surrounding the reinforcing member for holding the proximal end of the catheter body.

2. A catheter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member includes a tube that fully surrounds the proximal end.

3. A catheter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is rigid, being fabricated from a tube of stainless steel less than 0.5″

long, and being bonded to the proximal end.

4. A catheter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a sheath covering the reinforcing member, the sheath is compressible to enable the compression fitting to squeeze the sheath and thereby grip the reinforcing tube.

5. A catheter as set forth in claim 4, wherein the sheath is over-molded around the reinforcing member.

6. A catheter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the compression fitting includes a locknut having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining an opening for circumscribing the reinforcing member, the outer surface having threads for engaging a luer fitting, whereby when the locknut engages a luer fitting, the inner surface presses against the proximal end and the reinforcing member of the catheter body prevents significant deformation of the proximal end.

7. A catheter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a luer fitting, the compression fitting attaches the proximal end to the luer fitting, the luer fitting including a strain relief element that covers the compression fitting and a portion of the proximal end to inhibit kinking of the proximal end.

8. A catheter as set forth in claim 7, wherein the strain relief element tapers from the luer fitting towards the catheter body to reinforce the proximal end of the catheter body.

9. A catheter as set forth in claim 8, wherein taper extends between 1″

-3″

.

10. A catheter as set forth in claim 9, wherein taper extends about 1.5″

.

11. A catheter for delivering viscous fluid into the vasculature of a patient, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the catheter body being capable of withstanding pressures of over 2000 psi to facilitate delivery of a viscous fluid;

a luer fitting;

a compression fitting surrounding the proximal end of the catheter body;

a strain relief element extending over a portion of the proximal end of the catheter body to inhibit kinking of the proximal end of the catheter body; and

a reinforcing means attached to the proximal end to resist radial deformation of the proximal end.

12. A catheter for delivering viscous fluid into the vasculature of a patient, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end or the catheter body being capable of withstanding pressures of over 2000 psi to facilitate delivery of a viscous fluid;

a luer fitting;

a compression fitting surrounding the proximal end of the catheter body;

a strain relief element extending over a portion or the proximal end of the catheter body to inhibit kinking of the proximal end of die catheter body;

wherein the strain relief element bonds to the compression fitting.

13. A catheter for delivering viscous fluid into the vasculature of a patient, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the catheter body being capable of withstanding pressures of over 2000 psi to facilitate delivery of a viscous fluid;

a luer fitting;

a compression fitting surrounding the proximal end of the catheter body;

a strain relief element extending over a portion of the proximal end of the catheter body to inhibit kinking of the proximal end of the catheter body;

wherein the compression fitting has an annular recess that holds the strain relief element.

14. A catheter for delivering viscous fluid into the vasculature of a patient, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the catheter body being capable of withstanding pressures of over 2000 psi to facilitate delivery of a viscous fluid;

a luer fitting;

a compression fitting surrounding the proximal end of the catheter body;

a strain relief element extending over a portion of the proximal end of the catheter body to inhibit kinking of the proximal end of the catheter body, wherein the strain relief element bonds to the compression fitting and to the proximal end of the catheter body.

15. A fluid injection system for delivering viscous fluid into the vasculature of a patient, comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end having an outside diameter of 0.040″

or less to facilitate insertion of the catheter into tortuous regions of the vasculature, the distal end includes a delivery lumen with lumen walls, the lumen walls being at least 0.0012″

thick to withstand pressures associated with the delivery of a viscous fluid;

the proximal end being configured for attachment to a luer fitting and for withstanding pressures exceeding 2000 psi, a catheter locknut and luer, the luer having a first threaded portion and a second threaded portion, the locknut has an inner surface defining an opening that surrounds the proximal end of the catheter body, the locknut attaches to the first threaded portion of the luer fitting to attach the proximal end of the catheter body to the luer fitting.

16. A fluid injection system as set forth in claim 15, further comprising:

a syringe capable of delivering viscous fluid at pressures of over 1000 psi to the luer; and

a means for attaching the syringe to the luer.

17. A fluid injection system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the syringe includes a needle, the means for attaching the syringe to the luer fitting includes a syringe locknut, the needle inserts into the locknut and the locknut threads to the syringe to hold the needle within the second threaded portion of the luer fitting.

18. A fluid injection system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the luer is bifurcated, having a third threaded portion to simultaneously attach two syringes to the second and third threaded portions, respectively.

19. A syringe for use with viscous fluids, comprising:

a syringe having a blunt needle; and

a removable barb press fit on the blunt needle for piercing a vial holding viscous fluid to enable the syringe to draw the viscous fluid from the vial;

whereby, the barb slides off of the needle when the needle is removed from the vial.

20. A syringe as set forth in claim 19 wherein the syringe includes a locknut, the locknut surrounds the needle in a friction fit.

21. A method of filling a syringe with viscous fluid, comprising:

providing a syringe having a blunt needle and a vial of viscous fluid;

press fitting a removable barb on the blunt needle;

piercing the vial with the barb;

drawing viscous fluid into the syringe from the vial; and

removing the needle from the vial and hereby causing barb to slide off of the needle so that the barb remains in the vial.

22. A method of delivering a viscous fluid to a patient via the catheter, comprising:

filling a syringe with viscous fluid, by;

(a) providing a syringe having a blunt needle and a vial of viscous fluid;

(b) press fitting a removable barb on the blunt needle;

(c) piercing the vial with the barb;

(d) drawing viscous fluid into the syringe from the vial; and

(e) removing the needle from the vial and thereby causing barb to slide off of the needle so that the barb remains in the vial; and

then

inserting the needle into the catheter and delivering the viscous fluid to a patient via the catheter.