Self-inflating urinary catheter
AssigneeInternational Paper Company
InventorJohn F. La Rosa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-inflating urinary catheter which includes a retention balloon has a fluid-filled, unpressurized, deformable reservoir communicating with the balloon. An elastic diaphragm is arranged to squeeze the reservoir against another surface so as to pressurize the fluid, thereby exerting force to expel the fluid from the reservoir to inflate the retention balloon.
Claims11
A self-inflating urinary catheter of the type which includes a retention balloon and an inflation lumen connected for conducting fluid to inflate the balloon wherein the improvement comprises a squeezable fluid reservoir connected to the inflation lumen, and means to squeeze the reservoir, said means including at least two parts of which one part includes a stretchable diaphragm adjacent the reservoir, said parts being arranged to be moved together with the reservoir between them thereby stretching the diaphragm and pressurizing the fluid, the stressed diaphragm exerting force on the fluid to expel it from the reservoir and through the inflation lumen to inflate the retention balloon.
Apparatus for inflating the retention balloon at the distal end of a urinary catheter comprising:
- a flexible reservoir connected to the proximal end of the catheter and communicating with the inflation lumen of the catheter, the reservoir containing an initially unpressurized inflation fluid;
- and
- means for compressing the reservoir to pressurize the inflation fluid in the reservoir and cause the fluid to flow from the reservoir through the inflation lumen to inflate the retention balloon, the means for compressing the reservoir including a substantially rigid frame member and an elastic membrane supported at its periphery by frame member, the frame member and the reservoir being moveable relative to one another so that the membrane presses against the surface of the reservoir causing the membrane to be distorted and stressed so that the membrane applies a compressive force to the reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.