Method for cleaning the catheter of an implanted medication infusion system
First Claim
1. A method for cleaning the catheter of an implanted medication infusion system having a medication container and a pump for pumping medication from the medication container into a patient via said catheter, and a flushing port disposed downstream of said pump and upstream of said catheter through which a cleaning fluid can be flushed through said flushing port into said catheter, said catheter having an orifice and terminating in a catheter tip, said method comprising the steps of:
- placing said orifice of said catheter in fluid communication with an exterior of said patient; and
flushing cleaning fluid through said flushing port and through said catheter while said orifice is in fluid communication with the exterior of the patient and discharging said cleaning fluid from said catheter tip to the exterior of said patient.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Known implanted medication infusion systems have a medication container and a pump for pumping medication from the medication container into the patient via a catheter connected to the output of the pump. A flushing port is arranged downstream of the pump and upstream of the catheter. In a method for cleaning the catheter, a cleaning fluid is flushed through the flushing port and into the catheter. The orifice of the catheter is, during cleaning, placed in communication with the exterior of patient, and is isolated from the interior of the patient in order to convey the cleaning fluid out of the patient.
37 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for cleaning the catheter of an implanted medication infusion system having a medication container and a pump for pumping medication from the medication container into a patient via said catheter, and a flushing port disposed downstream of said pump and upstream of said catheter through which a cleaning fluid can be flushed through said flushing port into said catheter, said catheter having an orifice and terminating in a catheter tip, said method comprising the steps of:
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placing said orifice of said catheter in fluid communication with an exterior of said patient; and flushing cleaning fluid through said flushing port and through said catheter while said orifice is in fluid communication with the exterior of the patient and discharging said cleaning fluid from said catheter tip to the exterior of said patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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13. A method as claimed in claim I comprising the additional step of alternatingly subjecting said cleaning fluid while being flushed through said flushing port and said catheter to a first pressure, greater than atmospheric pressure, and a second pressure which is a negative pressure.
Specification