Catheter With Improved Flow Characteristics
AssigneeMicroVention, Inc.
InventorsGeorge Stern, Vladimir Satchouk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Catheters are described that have improved flow characteristics that may be particularly helpful when delivering embolic agents within a blood vessel. One catheter includes a fluid flow modifier that is configured to create laminar fluid flow out of a distal end of the catheter to help reduce turbulence and achieve predictable fluid movement. Another catheter includes scavenging ports that are configured to suction in embolic agents that have refluxed proximally back from a distal end of the catheter.
Claims20
A catheter, comprising:
- a catheter shaft;
- a delivery lumen within the catheter shaft;
- and,
- a fluid flow modifying structure within a distal portion of the delivery lumen comprising a central lumen and a plurality of outer lumens, each of the plurality of outer lumens being in fluid communication with the central lumen.
A catheter for delivering embolic agents, comprising:
- a catheter shaft;
- a delivery lumen within the catheter shaft;
- a reduced diameter region of the delivery lumen that has a uniform diameter along its length that is less than a diameter of a proximal region of the delivery lumen;
- and,
- at least one sidewall aperture located through a sidewall of the catheter shaft and into the reduced diameter region of the delivery lumen.
A method of delivering fluid within a patient, comprising:
- positioning a distal end of a catheter within a vessel of a patient;
- injecting fluid into a first lumen of the catheter;
- passing the fluid through a fluid flow modifying structure within a distal portion of the first lumen, the fluid flow modifying structure comprising a central lumen and a plurality of outer lumens that are each located adjacent to the central lumen;
- and
- creating a laminar fluid flow out of a distal end of the catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.