# US 2014/0194857 A1 · Catheter with an enhanced pushability > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194857 A1 - Document ID: US20140194857A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/126,978 - Filed: 2012-06-21 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-21 - Assignees: Eran Eilat; Cathaway Medical (2012) Ltd.; Dr. Eyal Bressler Ltd. - Applicants: Cathaway Medical (2012) Ltd.; Dr. Eyal Bressler Ltd. - Inventors: Eran Eilat - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194857A1 ## CPC - A61M 25/0017: {specially adapted for long-term hygiene care, e.g. urethral or indwelling catheters to prevent infections} - A61M 25/005: {with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids} - A61M 25/0026: {Multi-lumen catheters with stationary elements (catheter assemblies comprising a catheter in combination with a guide tube, sheath or sleeve A61M2025/0681; catheters comprising telescoping coaxial elements A61M2025/0175)} - A61M 25/0045: {multi-layered, e.g. coated (coating materials A61L29/08)} - A61M 25/0052: {Localized reinforcement, e.g. where only a specific part of the catheter is reinforced, for rapid exchange guidewire port} - A61M 2025/0063: {having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body} - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A urinary catheter of enhanced pushability, for indwelling introduction into a patient's urethra having an effecter within the longitudinal bore of the catheter near its distal end to facilitate an easy introduction of the catheter into the body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability, said catheter comprising a main longitudinal axis along which an envelope, having at least one open bore, is in fluid communication between the catheter's proximal and distal ends, wherein said catheter further comprises at least one effecter protruding within said bore and positioned along said envelope within at least one portion of the catheter, such that upon pushing the catheter towards the orifice of a body cavity, and advancing catheter's distal end throughout said cavity, the stiffness of the catheter is greater along said catheters' main axis than in other planes, whilst the flexibility of the catheter is not significantly reduced in other planes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability according to claim 1, characterized by an elongated linear open-bore encapsulated within a continuous envelope, said catheter having a main longitudinal axis, and at least one proximal end and at least one other distal end; wherein said catheter comprising at least one elongated effecter located within at least one portion of said bore and in parallel to said axis; said effecter provides said catheter with increased stiffness along said axis, whilst retaining the transverse and rotational flexibility of the catheter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability of claim 1, wherein said catheter is characterized by at least one fold along said longitudinal axis of said envelope, said fold is characterized by at least one inter-bore portion and at least one envelope-portion, wherein the outer envelope of said catheter is continuous defining a well-encapsulated open-bore. ### Claim 4 A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability as defined above, characterized by at least one fold along the longitudinal axis of said envelope, said fold is further characterized by at least one inter-bore portion and envelope-portion, wherein the outer surface of said catheter is continuous defining a well-encapsulated open-bore and wherein the base of the fold has sufficient flexibility that the sides of the fold may approach during insertion or during use, so that the effective diameter of the catheter may be decreased without significantly affecting the cross-sectional area of the open bore, so that fluid flow may be maintained in areas wherein the urethra is constricted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability according to claim 1, structured as a Foley catheter, comprising a flexible envelope which defined an open-bore, and at least one effecter located (i) within said bore of said catheter, and (ii) in at least one portion of the horizontal plane of said bore, wherein said effecter provides said catheter with increased stiffness in said horizontal plane, whilst retaining the flexibility in the sagittal and coronal planes of said catheter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability of claim 1, wherein said envelope's outer surface defines a complete circle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A flexible catheter of enhanced pushability of claim 1, characterized by at least one fold along the longitudinal axis of said envelope, said fold is further characterized by at least one inter-bore portion and envelope-portion, wherein the outer envelope of said catheter is continuous defining a well-encapsulated open-bore. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein said effecter is selected from a group consisting of an effecter which has a triangular, flap-shaped, rectangular or polygonal cross-section; an effecter which has a curved, elliptical, oval or otherwise rounded cross-section; an effecter which has a leaf-like or fibrous-type or C-like or otherwise narrow cross-section; an effecter with a plurality of stems; an effecter where said stems join to form at least one joint cross-section; an effecter where a single cross section divides or sub-divides into a plurality of members and cross-sections thereof; an effecter comprising at least one M-like, S-like, W-like, U-like, T-like, Y-like sub-structure; or any combination thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said effecter is made of a biocompatible polymeric material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein the effecter has flexible characteristics. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is comprised of a silicon elastomer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The catheter of claim 1, wherein said effecter is affixed around the main axis such that a coil-like arrangement is provided. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein the effecter defines a pathway for infusing fluids via the proximal end to the distal end. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter structure includes an intermediate region defined between the proximal region and the distal region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter structure includes an infusion port located in the linear tubular structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein said effecter is hollow and the lumen thus formed is in fluid communication, in whole or in part, with the balloon retention mechanism of said catheter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein said effecter is hollow and the lumen thus formed has fluid communication with an external port whereby it may be filled with saline or some other fluid or pressurized with air or some other gas, but said lumen has no fluid communication with the balloon retention mechanism of said catheter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein said effecter is hollow and the lumen thus formed has no fluid communication with any external port and the said lumen is filled with saline or some other fluid or is pressurized with air or some other gas or contains air or some other gas at atmospheric pressure or contains air or some other gas at sub-atmospheric pressure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The Foley catheter of claim 1, wherein said effecter is hollow and is subdivided into two or more parts forming two or more lumens disposed either angularly about the main longitudinal axis, radially about such axis, or in any combination of these, wherein one or more of said lumens may be in fluid communication, in whole or in part, with the balloon retention mechanism of said catheter; one or more of said lumens may be in fluid communication with one or more external ports lumens may or may not share external ports; or one or more of said lumens may have no fluid communication with any external ports and be filled with saline or some other fluid or air or some other gas as a pressure which may be below atmospheric pressure, at atmospheric pressure, or above atmospheric pressure or any combination of these.