Dialysis catheter

A dialysis catheter comprising an outer wall, first portion having a first diameter, an elongated distal portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, a transition region between the first portion and distal portion, a first venous lumen region having a longitudinally extending venous lumen configured to deliver blood, the venous lumen terminating in a distal opening at a distalmost end of the catheter, and first and second independent longitudinally extending arterial lumens positioned in respective first and second arterial lumen regions each of the first and second arterial lumens configured to withdraw blood from a patient, each of the arterial lumens terminating in an opening in the transition region spaced proximally of the distal opening, the first arterial lumen having a first region, a second region and a third region between the first and second regions, the first and second regions of the first arterial lumen each positioned a first distance from the outer wall of the catheter, and the third region of the first arterial lumen positioned a second distance from the outer wall of the catheter, the second distance being less than the first distance to form an arch shaped wall portion in the first arterial lumen region progressively increasing in thickness from the third region of the first arterial lumen toward the first region of the first arterial lumen and from the third region of the first arterial lumen to the second region of the first arterial lumen, and the second arterial lumen has a first region, a second region and a third region between the first and second regions of the second arterial lumen, the first and second regions of the second arterial lumen each positioned a third distance from the outer wall of the catheter, and the third region of the second arterial lumen positioned a fourth distance from the outer wall of the catheter, the fourth distance being less than the third distance to form an arch shaped wall portion in the second arterial lumen region progressively increasing in thickness from the third region of the second arterial lumen toward the first region of the second arterial lumen and from the third region of the second arterial lumen to the second region of the second arterial lumen.

A dialysis catheter for delivering and withdrawing blood from a patient's body, the catheter comprising a catheter body defining first, second, third and fourth quadrants in a transverse cross-section at an intermediate portion and having first and second arterial lumens and a venous lumen, the venous lumen positioned in a portion of the third and fourth quadrants with a first region adjacent the intersection of the four quadrants and a second region opposite the first region, a wall thickness of the catheter at the second region of the venous lumen having a first dimension and increasing in thickness in a direction toward the third quadrant and increasing in thickness in a direction toward the fourth quadrant to form a first arch shaped wall portion, the arch shaped wall portion thereby having a thinner portion at the portion aligned with a diameter bisecting the first and fourth quadrants from the second and third quadrants and progressively thicker portions in the third and fourth quadrants, and the first arterial lumen is positioned in a portion of the second and third quadrants and the second arterial lumen is positioned in a portion of the first and fourth quadrants, a major portion of the first arterial lumen and the center of the first arterial lumen being positioned in the second quadrant and a major portion of the second arterial lumen and the center of the second arterial lumen being positioned in the first quadrant, a catheter wall portion forming a second arch shaped wall portion adjacent the first arterial lumen, the second arch shaped wall portion having a first pinnacle and first and second portions of increasing thickness extending away from the first pinnacle.