GB2245499A - Catheters. - Google Patents

Abstract

A urinary balloon catheter (10) has a part-annular balloon (15) and a drainage port (17) located in succession circumferentially around the catheter body (11). There are preferably two or more like balloons uniformly spaced around the body with a respective port between each successive pair of balloons and with the ports extending to the distal extremity of the balloons longitudinally of the catheter.

Description

CATHETERS This invention concerns catheters and more particularly so-called balloon catheters, such as used for the management and control of urinary problems.

These catheters commonly have an annular inflatable/ deflatable balloon extending circumferentially around the catheter body in the manner of a collar, with inflation of the balloon serving, following location of the catheter in a patient, to hold the catheter in place by engagement of the balloon with adjacent tissue.

For urinary usage the balloon is normally located near the proximal end of the catheter, the so-called tip, which is located in the bladder by way of the urethra. The balloon, when inflated with such location, seats in the neck of the bladder to prevent unintended exit of the catheter tip. Urine drainage is effected through a lumen of the catheter by way of a port sited between the balloon and tip. A further lumen serves for inflation/ deflation of the balloon from the distal end of the catheter, and yet another lumen facility may be provided for the supply of irrigation fluid to the bladder.

Balloon catheters in urinary usage can, however, give rise to difficulty. Because the balloon seats around the bladder neck and the drainage port is proximally located relative to the balloon, the bladder cannot empty completely by way of the catheter. As a result, there is normally a residual amount of urine left stagnant in the bladder and this can give rise to infection. Also residual urine can cause debris and/or crystal formation to accumulate around the catheter tip, leading to blockage of the drainage port. Another difficulty is that residual urine can be forced, by intra-abdominal pressure, to leak between the catheter and urethra and so wet the patient.

An object of the invention is to reduce such difficulties and, to this end, there is provided a catheter having a balloon and a port located in succession circumferentially therearound.

In a preferred form as so far developed, the invention provides a catheter having at least two balloons, suitably of like form uniformly spaced around the catheter, and a respective port located between each successive pair of balloons around the catheter.

For most purposes each port preferably extends as far as one extremity of the balloons longitudinally of the catheter and this extremity is appropriately distal for urinary usage to ensure bladder emptying.

The balloons can each be inflated and deflated in previously known manner by way of respective individual lumens and ports for this purpose. Alternatively, the balloons can be acted upon simultaneously by way of a single lumen communicated with each balloon.

As further clarification of the invention, the same is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1, 2 and 3 show one urinary catheter embodiment respectively with deflated balloons prior to use, with balloons inflated during use, and in cross-sectional view taken at Ill-Ill in Figure 2; and Figures 4 and 5 show another such embodiment in similar manner to Figures 2 and 3.

The catheter of Figures 1 to 3 is denoted generally at 10 and has an elongate body 11 with a drainage lumen 12 and two inflation/deflation lumina 13 extending therethrough. The lumina 12 and 13 are closed at one end 14 of the body, which end is rounded and is to serve as the proximal tip.

Near the tip 14, the body carries two like balloon structures 15 at mutually spaced, diametrally opposed locations.

These structures are communicated with respective ones of lumina 13 by individual ports in the catheter body.

The catheter body is also formed with two like drainage ports 17 respectively located in the spaces between the balloon structures. These ports 17 communicate with drainage lumen 12 and extend to the same longitudinal extent as the balloon structures.

At its other, distal end the catheter body terminates in a connecter 18 of Luer or other form whereby the drainage lumen can be connected with a line leading to a urine collection bag. This end of the body also has two branch formations 19 respectively communicated with the inflation/deflation lumina. These formations each comprise a tube 20 leading to a hollow bulb 21 and related one-way valve 22, the tube carrying a clamp 23.

Prior to use of this catheter the bulbs 21 are prefilled with a sterile liquid. In use, the proximal tip is passed into the bladder by way of the urethra. When so located, the clamps 23 are individually released while the related bulbs are squeezed to inflate the respective balloon structures. This serves to retain the catheter with the balloons engaged in the bladder neck as indicated in Figure 3 in which the bladder is generally denoted at 30.

In order to remove the catheter the balloons must, of course, be deflated. This entails release of the tube clamps 23 and application of a syringe or other instrument to the valves 22 to open the source and withdraw the inflation liquid.

In any event, when so located and retained it will be appreciated that the bladder can be drained to a substantially completely empty state whereby the above-discussed difficulties are reduced and/or avoided.

In the modified embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 the balloon structures are inflated and deflated by way of a single lumen 13. For this purpose it may be preferred to intercommunicate the structures by way of channels 24 forming part of these structures, rather than channeling within the catheter body, whereby existing catheter bodies can be deployed according to the invention. In either event, the balloon structures effectively become individual lobes of a unitary balloon rather than separate balloons.

This embodiment also has a lumen 25 for supply of irrigation fluid to the bladder by way of a related port 26. In addition it show the provision of the reinforcement 27 to act against any tendency for collapse of the catheter body in the region of the drainage ports during use.

While the invention has been described with more particular reference to urinary catheters and the illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated that it is more widely applicable to catheters within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (7)

1. A catheter having a balloon and a port located in succession circumferentially therearound.

2. A catheter comprising an elongate body having a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, at least two inflatable/deflatable balloon structures mutually spaced circumferentially around said body, and a respective port formed In said body between each successive pair of said structures to communicate with said lumen.

3. A catheter according to Claim 2 wherein said structures are of like form uniformly spaced around said body.

4. A catheter according to Claims 2 or 3 wherein said port extends as far as one extremity of said structures longitudinally of said body.

5. A catheter according to Claim 4 wherein said structures are adjacent one end of said body and said one extremity is further from said one end.

6. A catheter according to any one of Claims 2 to 5 wherein said body has a further lumen and a further port communicating said further lumen with at least one of said structures.

7. A catheter according to Claim 6 wherein said structures are intercommunicated in a unitary manner by a channel extending around said body.