Self-adjusting catheter

A catheter comprising:

• a catheter proximal end;
• a catheter open distal end;
• a catheter length extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter open distal end;
• a height perpendicular to the length;
• a width perpendicular to the length and height;
• a hollow interior extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter open distal end;
• an inner tube surrounding the hollow interior and extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter open distal end and having an inner tube length parallel to the catheter length, the inner tube comprised of a proximal inner tube having a proximal inner tube proximal end and a proximal inner tube distal end and a distal inner tube having a distal inner tube proximal end joined to the proximal inner tube distal end and a distal inner tube distal end;
• a coil surrounding the inner tube and having a coil proximal end, a coil distal end, and a coil length extending from the coil proximal end to the coil distal end and parallel to the catheter length;
• a braid surrounding the inner tube and having a braid proximal end, a braid distal end, and a braid length extending from the braid proximal end to the braid distal end and parallel to the catheter length,
• an outer tube surrounding the inner tube, coil, and the braid, the outer tube extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter open distal end and having an outer tube length parallel to the catheter length;
• wherein the catheter is comprised of i) a proximal segment comprising a proximal segment proximal end, a proximal segment distal end located proximal to the catheter open distal end, a proximal segment length extending from the proximal segment proximal end to the proximal segment distal end and parallel to the catheter length, a proximal segment width parallel to the catheter width, and a proximal segment height parallel to the catheter height;
• ii) a distensible segment located distal to the proximal segment and comprising a distensible segment proximal end, a distensible segment distal end, a distensible segment length extending from the distensible segment proximal end to the distensible segment distal end and parallel to the catheter length, a distensible segment width parallel to the catheter width, and a distensible segment height parallel to the catheter height, the distensible segment comprising a distensible segment interior defining a portion of the hollow interior;
• and iii) a distal segment located distal to the distensible segment and comprising a distal segment proximal end, a distal segment distal end, a distal segment length extending from the distal segment proximal end to the distal segment distal end and parallel to the catheter length, a distal segment width parallel to the catheter width, and a distal segment height parallel to the catheter height;
• wherein the length of the catheter is from about 100 centimeters to about 165 centimeters;
• wherein the catheter comprises a relaxed configuration in which the proximal, distal and distensible segments are cylindrical in shape and comprise an inner diameter of from about 0.04 inches to about 0.10 inches;
• wherein, when a linear force in the distal direction is applied to the proximal segment while the open distal end is lodged against a vessel wall of the human blood vessel, and in response, a linear force in the proximal direction is applied to the catheter open distal end, the linear forces are configured to cause the catheter to self-adjust from the relaxed configuration to a distended configuration in which i) the height and/or width of the distensible segment is configured to increase, the distensible segment is configured to become non-cylindrical, and/or at least one side of the catheter in the distensible segment is configured to bulge outward, and ii) the width, height and length of the proximal and distal segments are configured to remain constant and the proximal and distal segments are configured to remain cylindrical;
• wherein the coil distal end is located distal to the braid distal end and the distensible segment distal end;
• wherein the braid distal end is located at the distensible segment proximal end and/or the proximal inner tube distal end and the distal inner tube distal proximal end are located at the distensible segment proximal end;
• wherein the distal inner tube is more flexible than the proximal inner tube;
• and
• wherein, for at least a portion of the distal and distensible segments, the coil overlaps itself so that the coil winds in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.