Infusion catheter with non-uniform drug delivery density

• US 6,524,300 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Meglin, Allen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belena, John F
• Application Number:
  US09/738,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 604/246, 604/264, 604/500, 604/523, 604/525, 604/528, 604/537, 604/9, 604/30, 604/43, 604/167.04, 604/247
• US Class Current: 604/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/10 Flow characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0075 Valve means

Abstract

An infusion catheter has a plurality of exits whose distribution of sizes or positions produces a variation in delivery rate and pressure of a drug or other medical preparation over an infusion region. The exits may be holes or slits. A method of infusing a medical agent, infuses the agent at a rate which is non-uniform over a length of infusion.

Claims

1. An infusion catheter comprising:

an elongated catheter body defining a catheter lumen, the catheter body having a proximal end at which a medical agent can be introduced into the catheter lumen, and having an infusion segment defined at a distal end;

the infusion segment including a non-uniform pattern of infusion exits constructed to disperse a variable density of medical agent through the catheter body to the catheter lumen.

2. The infusion catheter of claim 1, wherein the non-uniform pattern of exits comprises:

a first region with an exit density of about 1-10 infusion exits per 2 cm of length; and

a second region with an exit density of about 25-30 infusion exits per 2 cm of length.

3. The infusion catheter of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second regions has a substantially uniform exit distribution.

4. The infusion catheter of claim 2, wherein the second region is located more distal relative to the first region.

5. The infusion catheter of claim 2, wherein the first region is located more distal relative to the second region.

6. The infusion catheter of claim 2, wherein the pattern of exits varies continuously from the first region to the second region.

7. The infusion catheter of claim 2, wherein at least one infusion exit is smaller than a 30 gauge needle.

8. The infusion catheter of claim 2, wherein at least one infusion exit is a slit.

9. The infusion catheter of claim 1, wherein the non-uniform pattern of infusion exits comprises:

plural infusion exits of varying sizes.

10. The infusion catheter of claim 9, wherein the plural infusion exits of varying sizes are slits of varying lengths.

11. The infusion catheter of claim 10, wherein the non-uniform pattern of infusion exits comprises:

a first region of slits of a first length; and

a second region of slits of a second length.

12. The infusion catheter of claim 11, wherein lengths of the slits vary continuously from the first length to the second length between the first region and the second region.

13. The infusion catheter of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second regions has a substantially constant slit length throughout.

14. A method of infusing a medical agent into a target lumen of a body, comprising:

inserting a catheter into the target lumen;

injecting the medical agent into a lumen of the catheter; and

ejecting the medical agent from the lumen of the catheter into the target lumen of the body at a rate which is not uniform and with variable density over an infusion segment of the catheter.

15. An infusion catheter comprising:

an elongated catheter body defining a catheter lumen, the catheter body having a proximal end at which a medical agent can be introduced into the catheter lumen, and having an infusion segment defined at a distal end;

the infusion segment including a pattern of infusion exits through the catheter body to the catheter lumen, wherein the pattern is arranged such that a substantially higher density of infusion exits is located toward one of the distal end and the proximal end relative to the location of a substantially lower density of infusion exits, in order to produce a non-uniform flow rate with variable density from the infusion exits along the catheter body.