Flexible intubation assemblies

A catheter comprising:

• a body structure extending from a proximal body end to a distal body end;
• a passageway extending within the body structure and along a passageway portion of a length of the body structure from a proximal passageway end to a distal passageway end;
• at least one proximal passageway opening passing through the body structure near the proximal body end for fluidly coupling an ambient environment of the body structure with the passageway;
• a plurality of distal passageway openings, wherein:
• each distal passageway opening of the plurality of distal passageway openings passing through the body structure near the distal body end for fluidly coupling the ambient environment of the body structure with the passageway;
• and
• the plurality of distal passageway openings comprises:
• a first distal passageway opening;
• a second distal passageway opening positioned between the distal body end and the first distal passageway opening;
• and
• a third distal passageway opening positioned between the distal body end and the second distal passageway opening;
• a lumen extending within the body structure and along a lumen portion of the length of the body structure from a proximal lumen end to a distal lumen end, wherein the lumen is distinct from the passageway within the body structure along a shared portion of the length of the body structure from a proximal shared portion end to a distal shared portion end;
• and
• at least one proximal lumen opening passing through the body structure near the proximal body end for fluidly coupling the ambient environment of the body structure with the lumen, wherein:
• at least one of the plurality of distal passageway openings fluidly couples the ambient environment of the body structure with the lumen;
• and
• the shared portion of the length of the body structure extends at least between:
• the most distal of the at least one proximal passageway opening and the at least one proximal lumen opening;
• and
• the most proximal of the plurality of distal passageway openings.

A catheter comprising:

• a body structure extending from a proximal body end to a distal body end;
• a passageway extending within the body structure and along a passageway portion of a length of the body structure from a proximal passageway end to a distal passageway end;
• at least one proximal passageway opening passing through the body structure near the proximal body end for fluidly coupling an ambient environment of the body structure with the passageway;
• and
• at least one distal passageway opening passing through the body structure near the distal body end for fluidly coupling the ambient environment of the body structure with the passageway, wherein:
• a neck portion of the length of the body structure is between the passageway portion of the length of the body structure and the distal body end, whereby the passageway does not extend through the neck portion;
• an outer diameter of the body structure at a position along the passageway portion of the length of the body structure is greater than an outer diameter of the body structure at a position along the neck portion of the length of the body structure;
• a tip portion of the length of the body structure is between the neck portion of the length of the body structure and the distal body end;
• an outer diameter of the body structure at a position along the tip portion of the length of the body structure is greater than the outer diameter of the body structure at the position along the neck portion of the length of the body structure;
• and
• the neck portion enables the distal body end to wiggle with respect to the body structure at the position along the passageway portion of the length of the body structure.

A catheter comprising:

• a body structure extending from a proximal body end to a distal body end;
• a passageway extending within the body structure and along a passageway portion of a length of the body structure from a proximal passageway end to a distal passageway end;
• at least one proximal passageway opening passing through the body structure near the proximal body end for fluidly coupling an ambient environment of the body structure with the passageway;
• at least one distal passageway opening passing through the body structure near the distal body end for fluidly coupling the ambient environment of the body structure with the passageway;
• and
• a tapered tip formed from a tip structure distinct from the body structure and then fused to the distal body end without increasing a cross-sectional area of the catheter along the length of the body structure.