Multilumen catheter assembly and methods for making and inserting the same
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of making a multilumen catheter, comprising:
- forming a unitary catheter tube to have a distal portion and a distal end portion terminating in a distal end, a proximal portion terminating in a proximal end, and a first lumen and a second lumen, each of the first lumen and the second lumen extending longitudinally through the unitary catheter tube; and
splitting the unitary catheter tube longitudinally along the distal end portion of the unitary catheter tube to form a first distal end tube and a second distal end tube.
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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.
243 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of making a multilumen catheter, comprising:
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forming a unitary catheter tube to have a distal portion and a distal end portion terminating in a distal end, a proximal portion terminating in a proximal end, and a first lumen and a second lumen, each of the first lumen and the second lumen extending longitudinally through the unitary catheter tube; and
splitting the unitary catheter tube longitudinally along the distal end portion of the unitary catheter tube to form a first distal end tube and a second distal end tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of making a multilumen catheter assembly, comprising:
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arranging a first catheter having a distal end, a distal end portion and at least one first lumen extending longitudinally therethrough and a second catheter having a distal end, a distal end portion and at least one second lumen extending longitudinally therethrough such that the first catheter and the second catheter are substantially longitudinally parallel; and
forming an outer layer around at least a portion of an exterior surface of the first catheter proximal to the distal end portion of the first catheter and around at least a portion of an exterior surface of the second catheter proximal to the distal end portion of the second catheter such that the first catheter and the second catheter are fixed within the outer layer, the first lumen and the second lumen are generally parallel within the outer layer and the distal end portions of the first and second catheters extend outwardly and distally from the portions of the exterior surfaces of the first and second catheters which are within the outer layer and the distal end portions are capable of independent movement. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of making a multilumen catheter assembly, comprising:
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forming a unitary catheter tube to have a distal portion and a distal end portion terminating in a distal end, a proximal portion terminating in a proximal end, and a first lumen and a second lumen, each of the first lumen and the second lumen extending longitudinally through the unitary catheter tube;
forming a first distal end tube having a first passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and a second distal end tube having a second passageway extending longitudinally therethrough; and
attaching the first and second distal end tubes to the distal end of the unitary catheter tube such that the first passageway in the first distal end tube is in communication with the first lumen of the unitary catheter tube and the second passageway in the second distal end tube is in communication with the second lumen in the unitary catheter tube.
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Specification