Single lumen balloon catheter apparatus

A catheter apparatus useful for non-surgical entry into the cervical canal of a uterus to dispense a diagnostic fluid therein, the catheter apparatus comprising:

• a catheter comprising:
• an elongated body having a lumen extending continuously from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, the body further having a first aperture of a predetermined area opening into the lumen for dispensing a diagnostic fluid into the interior of a subject uterus;
• and
• a balloon disposed marginally adjacent to the first end of the body for fluid sealing the interior of the subject uterus;
• the body further having a second aperture of a predetermined area opening into the lumen for inflating the balloon with the diagnostic fluid;
• wherein the predetermined area of the second aperture is greater than the predetermined area of the first aperture;
• and
• a syringe for delivering the diagnostic fluid into the catheter.

A catheter useful for non-surgical entry into the cervical canal of a uterus to dispense a diagnostic fluid therein, the catheter comprising:

• an elongated body having a lumen extending continuously from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, the body further having an aperture of a first predetermined area opening into the lumen for dispensing a diagnostic fluid into the interior of a subject uterus;
• and
• a balloon disposed marginally adjacent to the first end of the body for fluid sealing the interior of the subject uterus;
• the body further having a single aperture of a second predetermined area opening into the lumen for inflating the balloon with the diagnostic fluid;
• wherein the aperture of the second predetermined area allows fluid to enter the balloon under pressure to inflate and to maintain inflation of the balloon.

A method of non-surgical entry into a uterus of a patient to dispense a diagnostic fluid therein, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a catheter apparatus which comprises a catheter, and a syringe removably coupled to the catheter, the syringe filled with a diagnostic fluid, the catheter including an elongated body having a lumen extending continuously from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, the body having a first aperture of a predetermined area opening into the lumen, the catheter further including a balloon disposed marginally adjacent to the first end of the body, the body further including a second aperture providing fluid communication between the lumen and an interior of the balloon, the second aperture having a predetermined area which is greater than the predetermined area of the first aperture;
• positioning the balloon of the catheter in a deflated state in a cervical canal of the uterus;
• operating the syringe at a selected injection rate to cause the diagnostic fluid to flow through the lumen of the catheter and out the first aperture into the uterus, the predetermined area of the first aperture generating a fluid pressure within the lumen which is proportional to the selected injection rate, the fluid pressure within the lumen causing the diagnostic fluid to flow into the balloon through the second aperture, thereby inflating the balloon to a size that is proportional to the fluid pressure, the inflated balloon occluding the cervical canal and sealing the uterus.