Catheter having inflatable retention means

A Foley retention catheter having a shaft at least the outer surface of which consists essentially of a thermoplastic elastomer which is a block polymer including a thermoplastic polystyrene end block and an elastomeric saturated open chain hydrocarbon block, said shaft carrying a safety signal balloon in the form of a sleeve having a single-layer wall of substantially uniform thickness consisting essentially of a thermoplastic elastomer which is a block polymer including a thermoplastic polystyrene end block and an elastomeric saturated open chain hydrocarbon block, said sleeve having its margins bonded circumferentially to the outer surface of said shaft.

In a catheter having a shaft including a main lumen communicating with an opening adjacent its distal end and a separate inflation lumen, the improvement wherein said shaft carries an inflatable retention means comprising a balloon having a wall of elastic material, said shaft being a coextruded laminate in which the outer lamination is thermoplastic elastomer capable of being bonded to said balloon.

A balloon-type catheter which comprises a tubular shaft and an inflatable balloon member, carried by said catheter, said shaft and balloon member being made of an elastic composition which comprises essentially a block copolymer having thermoplastic rubber characteristics with a central rubbery polyolefin block and terminal blocks of polystyrene, said composition optionally including polypropylene, said formulation being mixed with sufficient hydrophobic oil-type plasticizer to provide the desired degree of softness to said elastic composition, said balloon member being sealed in position on said shaft.

A catheter having a shaft at least the outer surface of which consists essentially of a thermoplastic elastomer which is a block polymer including a thermoplastic polystyrene end block and an elastomeric saturated open chain hydrocarbon block, said shaft carrying an inflatable retention means comprising a balloon in the form of a sleeve having a single-layer wall of substantially uniform thickness consisting essentially of a thermoplastic elastomer which is a block polymer including a thermoplastic polystyrene end block and an elastomeric saturated open chain hydrocarbon block, said sleeve fitting closely over said shaft and having its margins bonded circumferentially to the outer surface of said shaft, said catheter comprising in addition a safety signal balloon inflatable at a higher pressure than said retention balloon, the wall of said safety signal balloon consisting essentially of the same thermoplastic elastomer as the wall of said retention balloon, said safety signal balloon having its margins bonded circumferentially to said shaft.