Multilumen catheter assembly and methods for making and inserting the same

• US 6,719,749 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medical Components, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medical Components, Inc.
• Inventors: Schweikert, Timothy, Schon, Donald A., Madison, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paik, Sang Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Vinod D.
• Application Number:
  US09/585,149
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 604/544, 604/523, 604/534, 604/535, 604/284, 604/96.01, 604/536, 604/43
• US Class Current: 604/544
• 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 2025/0081 Soft tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0029 characterized by features relating to least one lumen located at the middle part of the catheter, e.g. slots, flaps, valves, cuffs, apertures, notches, grooves or rapid exchange ports catheter shaft surface irregularities A61M2025/006
• 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 assembly and methods for making and inserting the same are provided. The catheter assembly includes a unitary catheter and at least two distal end tubes which extend distally from the unitary catheter. The at least two lumens in the unitary catheter are in fluid communication with passageways through the distal end tubes. The catheter assembly may be made by extruding a unitary catheter tube having internal longitudinally extending lumens, then splitting the tube on its distal end portion to form distal end tubes. The tubes are then ground and polished to form a smooth surface on the exterior of the tubes. The catheter assembly may also be made by forming an outer layer on at least two longitudinally extending catheters while leaving two distally extending portions of the tubes outside the outer layer to form the distal end tubes. The multilumen catheter assembly may be inserted in a patient for acute and chronic catheterization and subcutaneously tunneled and inserted using a single insertion procedure while leaving the distal end tubes within the vessel capable of free movement and sealing the insertion site into an area to be catheterized.

Claims

1. A multilumen catheter assembly having a distal portion, wherein the catheter assembly comprises:

a unitary catheter body having a plurality of lumens disposed therein, wherein the entire body has a generally oval cross section, wherein the unitary catheter body includes a longitudinal plane generally bisecting the unitary catheter body;

wherein the plurality of lumens comprises;

a first lumen disposed within the unitary catheter body on a first side of the longitudinal plane, wherein the first lumen is generally circular in cross section and has a first length; and

a second lumen disposed within the unitary catheter body on a second side of the longitudinal plane, opposing the first side of the longitudinal plane, wherein the second lumen is generally circular in cross section and has a second length, different from the first length;

wherein the distal portion of the catheter assembly is split along the longitudinal plane such that each of the first and second lumens is capable of free movement independent of the other of the first and second lumens,

wherein the catheter assembly further comprises a first extension tube in fluid communication with the first lumen and a second extension tube in fluid communication with the second lumen.

2. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a first extension tube in fluid communication with a first lumen and a second extension tube in fluid communication with the second lumen.

3. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 2, wherein the hub is configured to divert the distal ends of the extension tubes away from each other.

4. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a connector and a clamp releasably attached to each extension tube.

5. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of holes formed through each of the first and second distal end tubes to provide fluid flow from outside the first and second distal end tubes into the passageways in the first and second distal end tubes.

6. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a first distal end opening in the first distal end tube and a second distal end opening in the second distal end tube.

7. A multilumen catheter assembly having a distal portion, wherein the catheter assembly comprises:

a unitary catheter body having a plurality of lumens disposed therein, wherein the entire body has a generally circular cross section, wherein the unitary catheter body includes a longitudinal plane generally bisecting the unitary catheter body;

wherein the plurality of lumens comprises;

a first lumen disposed within the unitary catheter body on a first side of the longitudinal plane, wherein the first lumen is generally circular in cross section and has a first length; and

a second lumen disposed within the unitary catheter body on a second side of the longitudinal plane, opposing the first side of the longitudinal plane, wherein the second lumen is generally circular in cross section and has a second length, different from the first length;

wherein the distal portion of the catheter assembly is split along the longitudinal plane such that each of the first and second lumens is capable of free movement independent of the other of the first and second lumens,

wherein the catheter assembly further comprises a first extension tube in fluid communication with the first lumen and a second extension tube in fluid communication with the second lumen.

8. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a connector and a clamp releasably attached to each extension tube.

9. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of holes formed through each of the first and second distal end tubes to provide fluid flow from outside the first and second distal end tubes into the passageways in the first and second distal end tubes.

10. The multilumen catheter assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a first distal end opening in the first distal end tube and a second distal end opening in the second distal end tube.