Urethral catheter and guide

A urinary catheter with a detachable guiding and positioning system, the catheter configured for insertion through the male urethra of a subject such that, in position, the catheter is in fluid communication with the bladder of the subject for conveying fluid therefrom or thereto, the male urethra generally including in serial order from its proximal to distal end, a penile meatus, a penile urethra, a urinary sphincter, and a prostate urethra, the prostate urethra being located intermediate the sphincter and the bladder, said catheter and guiding and positioning system comprising:

• (a) a catheter configured for insertion into the male urethra, comprising:
• an upper tubular member having opposing upper and lower end portions and a lumen with an inner wall extending therebetween, said upper end portion having at least one opening formed therein, wherein, said upper tubular member has a length such that, in position, the upper tubular member extends above the sphincter in the prostate urethra so that said upper end portion is positioned with respect to a subject's bladder to allow fluid from the bladder to enter said at least one opening formed therein;
• a lower tubular member having opposing upper and lower end portions and a lumen with an inner wall extending therebetween, wherein said lower tubular member is attached to, but spatially separated a distance from, said upper tubular member, and wherein, in position in the subject, said lower tubular member is positioned below the sphincter;
• (b) a tubular guide configured to be inserted into said lumen of each of said upper and lower tubular members of said urinary catheter, said tubular guide comprising:
• an elongated tubular member having a length which is sufficient such that, in position inside the lumens of said catheter, said elongated tubular member axially extends from said upper tubular member through said spatially separate lower tubular member and through the penile urethra out of the subject's penile meatus;
• an elongated inflatable segment disposed about a perimeter portion of said guide elongated tubular member such that said inflatable segment is operatively configured to have a first collapsed state whereby said tubular guide is detached from said upper and lower tubular members such that said tubular guide can be readily inserted into or removed from the lumens of said catheter and a second radially outwardly expanded state such that said inflatable segment affixes said guide elongated tubular member to said catheter upper and lower tubular members;
• and
• an inflation mechanism disposed externally of the subject's penile meatus, in fluid communication with said elongated inflatable segment to cause said guide elongated inflatable segment to take on said expanded configuration.