Inflatable Ports, Catheter Assemblies Including Inflatable Ports, And Methods Thereof
AssigneeC. R. Bard, Inc.
InventorJohn G. Evans
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Abstract
An inflatable port including a housing, a chamber in the housing, a septum over the chamber, a hollow stem extending from the housing, and a bladder around at least a portion of the housing. The chamber has a major opening and a minor opening. The septum is positioned over the major opening of the chamber and is fixed to the housing. The stem fluidly connects to the chamber by way of the minor opening of the chamber. The bladder is configured to increase a size of the inflatable port upon inflation of the bladder and decrease the size of the inflatable port upon deflation of the bladder. Also disclosed herein is a catheter assembly including the inflatable port, as well as a method related to the foregoing inflatable port and catheter assembly.
Claims20
An inflatable port, comprising:
- a housing;
- a chamber in the housing, the chamber having a major opening and a minor opening;
- a septum over the major opening of the chamber, the septum fixed to the housing;
- a hollow stem extending from the housing, the stem fluidly connected to the chamber by way of the minor opening of the chamber;
- and
- a bladder around at least a portion of the housing configured to increase a size of the inflatable port upon inflation of the bladder and to decrease the size of the inflatable port upon deflation of the bladder.
A catheter assembly, comprising:
- a) an inflatable port including
- a housing;
- a chamber in the housing, the chamber having a major opening and a minor opening;
- a septum over the major opening of the chamber, the septum fixed to the housing;
- a hollow stem extending from the housing, the stem fluidly connected to the chamber by way of the minor opening of the chamber;
- and
- a bladder around at least a portion of the housing configured to increase a size of the inflatable port upon inflation of the bladder and to decrease the size of the inflatable port upon deflation of the bladder;
- b) a catheter including an end portion configured to slide over the stem of the inflatable port, the catheter having a lumen in fluid communication with the chamber of the inflatable port;
- and
- c) a catheter lock configured to slide over the end portion of the catheter over the stem of the inflatable port, thereby locking the catheter on the stem of the inflatable port.
A method for implanting a catheter assembly, comprising:
- obtaining components of the catheter assembly,
- wherein the components include an inflatable port, a catheter including an end portion configured to slide over a stem of the inflatable port, and a catheter lock configured to slide over the end portion of the catheter over the stem of the inflatable port to lock the catheter on the stem of the inflatable port;
- introducing the catheter to a superior vena cava of a patient through a first incision near a clavicle of the patient;
- introducing the inflatable port to a port pocket in the patient created through a second incision below the first incision on a chest of the patient;
- connecting the catheter to the inflatable port and locking the catheter on the stem of the inflatable port;
- inflating the inflatable port to an appropriately sized port for the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.