Method of fluid delivery and catheters for use with same

• US 20040116896A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Roger Dillard Massengale
• Inventors: Massengale, Roger Dillard
• Granted Patent: US 7,465,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0037 characterized by lumina being arranged side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0039 characterized by lumina being arranged coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0057 Catheters delivering medicament other than through a conventional lumen, e.g. porous walls or hydrogel coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0073 Tip designed for influencing the flow or the flow velocity of the fluid, e.g. inserts for twisted or vortex flow general flow characteristics A61M2206/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0023 by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• 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 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0074 Dynamic characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. openable, closable, expandable or deformable

Abstract

A pain management system for the infusion of drug to a wound site includes a pump connected to medical tubing which is connected to an improved infusion catheter for providing uniform delivery of fluid throughout an anatomical region. The infusion catheter is inserted into the body of a patient at a pierce site, spaced from an incision site, and extended to the wound site. The pump causes the drug to flow through the medical tubing, through the infusion catheter and to the wound site. One method by which the infusion catheter is advanced to the wound site includes a guide needle that is placed within an introducer tubing. The needle is pierced through the patient'"'"'s skin, after which the guide needle is withdrawn and discarded, leaving the introducer tubing in place partially under the patient'"'"'s skin. The infusion catheter is then threaded through the introducer tubing and advanced to the wound site. The introducer tubing is then withdrawn and the infusion catheter remains in place to provide drug to the wound site. The introducer tubing is preferably peeled off of the infusion catheter and discarded. In accordance with one embodiment of the catheter, the catheter comprises an elongated tube with a plurality of exit holes along an infusion section of the catheter, and an elongated flexible porous member residing within the tube and forming an annular space between the tube and the member. In accordance with other embodiments, the catheter includes a tube having a plurality of exit holes in a side wall of the tube. The exit holes may combine to form a flow-restricting orifice of the catheter. Advantageously, fluid within the catheter flows through all of the exit holes, resulting in uniform distribution of fluid within an anatomical region.

Claims

1. A method of introducing fluid to a wound site of a patient, comprising the steps of:

providing a guide needle within an introducer conduit;

piercing the skin of the patient with the guide needle;

advancing the guide needle through the patient'"'"'s tissue to a wound sites;

removing the guide needle from within the introducer conduit, while leaving a distal end of the introducer conduit in the wound site;

threading an infusion catheter through the introducer conduit;

removing the introducer conduit from the patient while leaving the infusion conduit in place in the wound site of the patient;

peeling the introducer conduit off of the infusion catheter; and

introducing fluid to the wound site through the infusion catheter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the infusion catheter is placed in fluid communication with a pump to infuse the fluid to the wound site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the infusion catheter is primed with the fluid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid is pain medication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pierce site is approximately 3-5 cm away from the wound site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the guide needle is hollow.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the guide needle has no lumen therethrough.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the infusion catheter is placed in fluid communication with tubing which is placed in fluid communication with the pump to infuse the fluid to the wound site.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the pump and a first end of the tubing are bonded together, and a second end of the tubing and the catheter are bonded together.

10. A method of introducing fluid to a wound site of a patient, comprising the steps of:

providing a guide needle within an introducer conduit;

piercing the skin of the patient with the guide needle;

advancing the guide needle through the patient'"'"'s tissue to a wound site;

removing the guide needle from within the introducer conduit, while leaving a distal end of the introducer conduit in the wound site;

threading a catheter including an elongated tube having a plurality of exit holes along the length thereof, and a tubular porous membrane concentrically enclosed within said tube, through the introducer conduit;

removing the introducer conduit from the patient while leaving the infusion catheter in place in the wound site of the patient; and

introducing fluid to the wound site through the infusion catheter.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the steps of peeling the introducer conduit off of the infusion catheter.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the tubular porous membrane is configured so that a fluid flowing through said catheter will pass through the walls of the tubular porous membrane.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein fluid flowing within said catheter will pass through the tubular porous membrane and exit said catheter by flowing through the exit holes.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the infusion catheter and the tubular porous membranes are substantially flexible.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the exit holes are provided around the circumference of the catheter.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the average pore diameter of the tubular porous member is less than 0.23 micron.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the pore diameter of the tubular porous member is approximately 0.45 micron.