Catheter

A catheter comprising a flexible elongated conduit adapted for insertion into a body passage, said conduit having a forward insertion end and a rearward distal end spaced rearwardly from said insertion end, a handpiece surrounding a portion of said conduit in the area of said insertion end, said handpiece having a forward end and a rearward end, said conduit portion being longitudinally slidably positioned within said handpiece, means forming a longitudinally retractable envelope, sealing means sealing said envelope to said handpiece at a location spaced forwardly of said rearward end of said handpiece, with a portion of said envelope free of said handpiece rearwardly of said seal, said envelope also being sealed to said conduit rearwardly of said handpiece to provide a sealed, enclosed space surrounding at least a rearward position of said handpiece which is located rearwardly of said seal, and said envelope also surrounding at least a portion of said conduit, the exterior surface of said rearward portion of said handpiece comprising a substantially cylindrical body portion for providing a gathering support for the longitudinally retracted portion of the envelope, and a ramp-like conical portion sloping to adjacent the surface of the conduit for supporting forward sliding movement of said envelope concurrently with insertion of said conduit into said body passage.