Steerable wound drain device

• US 8,834,453 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allegiance Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allegiance Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spehalski, Stephan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiest, Philip R
• Application Number:
  US14/010,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 604 8- 10, 604/43, 604/93.01, 604/129, 604264-268, 604540-544, 604/508, 604523-536, 600433-435, 600/585
• US Class Current: 604/543
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/90 Negative pressure wound therapy devices, i.e. devices for applying suction to a wound to promote healing, e.g. including a vacuum dressing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09083 having a coil around a core
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0133 Tip steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/00 Drainage appliance for wounds or the like , i.e. wound drains, implanted drains negative pressure wound therapy devices A61M1/90; implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 ; middle ear drainage A61F11/202

Abstract

The invention relates to a steerable wound drainage device which permits control of the positioning within the body of the device thereby affording the practitioner the ability to re-position the wound drain within the body while avoiding unnecessary trauma to surrounding tissues and organs. In one embodiment, the wound drainage device contains at least one longitudinal duct, at least one internal lumen, and at least one lateral opening communicating therewith, and an internal steering apparatus adapted to controllably position the catheter within the body.

Claims

1. A wound drainage device comprising:

a flexible catheter having a body and a plurality of drainage ducts defined therein;

a steering conduit, wherein the body of the catheter encloses the steering conduit, wherein the plurality of drainage ducts are arranged around the steering conduit and extend circumferentially relative to the steering conduit, and wherein only the body of the catheter is located directly between an outer circumference of the steering conduit and the plurality of drainage ducts;

an internal steering apparatus at least partially disposed within the steering conduit and structured to controllably position the catheter within a body by causing deviation of the catheter into a plurality of configurations and directions relative to a longitudinal axis of the catheter; and

at least one lateral opening is defined in a bottom surface of a corresponding longitudinal duct of the plurality of longitudinal ducts;

wherein the internal steering apparatus is configured to selectively alter an effective rigidity of the catheter while the internal steering apparatus is disposed within the steering conduit.

2. The wound drainage device of claim 1, wherein the at least one lateral opening defines an area that is smaller than an area defined by the bottom surface of the corresponding longitudinal duct.

3. The wound drainage device of claim 1, wherein the at least one lateral opening extends circumferentially relative to the steering conduit.

4. The wound drainage device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drainage ducts comprises a plurality of internal lumens defined in the catheter.

5. The wound drainage device of claim 1, wherein the catheter further comprises:

a first proximal opening fluidly connected to the steering conduit;

wherein upon final assembly, a first portion of the internal steering apparatus is disposed within the steering conduit and a second portion of the internal steering apparatus extends externally from a second proximal opening; and

wherein the first proximal opening is distal the second proximal opening.

6. The wound drainage device of claim 1, wherein:

the internal steering apparatus comprises a steerable guidewire structure; and

the steerable guidewire is slidably disposed within the steering conduit.

7. The wound drainage device of claim 6, wherein the steerable guidewire terminates at a distal tip sized to be freely movable through the steering conduit, such that the steerable guidewire is fully removable from the catheter.

8. The wound drainage device of claim 4, wherein the catheter further comprises:

a first proximal opening fluidly connected to the plurality of internal lumens; and

a second proximal opening fluidly connected to the steering conduit;

wherein, upon final assembly, a first portion of the internal steering apparatus is disposed within the steering conduit and a second portion of the internal steering apparatus extends externally from the second proximal opening.

9. The wound drainage device of claim 8 wherein the second proximal opening is distal the first proximal opening.

10. The wound drainage device of claim 9, wherein the second proximal opening comprises a radial passage through a side wall of the catheter.

11. The wound drainage device of claim 8, wherein the first proximal opening is distal the second proximal opening.

12. The wound drainage device of claim 8, wherein the steering conduit has a cross-sectional area that is less than a cross-sectional area of each internal lumen.

13. The wound drainage device of claim 6, wherein the steerable guidewire terminates at a distal tip sized to be freely movable through the steering conduit, such that the steerable guidewire is fully removable from the catheter.

14. The wound drainage device of claim 1, wherein the internal steering apparatus includes:

a central tension member;

a coil surrounding the tension member; and

a handle connected to the tension member and the coil;

wherein, upon final assembly of the device, the tension member and the coil are at least partially disposed within the catheter, and the handle is external the catheter.

15. The wound drainage device of claim 14, wherein the internal steering apparatus is configured such that movement of the handle effectuates transverse movement, rotational movement, and flexibility state change of the catheter.

16. The wound drainage device of claim 14, wherein the internal steering apparatus is configured to be freely operable among rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible states.