Venous catheter having collapsible multi-lumens

A venous catheter for insertion through a needle into a vein wherein said needle can thereupon be removed from said vein and from said catheter, said venous catheter comprising:

• a plurality of collapsible lumens, each of said collapsible lumens having a formed fluid passageway therein, each of said collapsible lumens being formed from material wherein each of said collapsible lumens is capable of expanding radially outwardly under the pressure of fluid flowing therein and wherein each of said collapsible lumens collapses when fluid is not flowing therein and wherein the total cross-sectional area of said collapsible lumens substantially increases when fluid is flowing in any of said collapsible lumens,
• means engaging each of said plurality of collapsible lumens for holding and plurality of collapsible lumens together in a bundle, said holding means being flexible, but stiff enough to prevent bending of any one of said plurality of collapsible lumens, wherein each of said collapsible lumens collapses substantially about said holding means when fluid is not flowing therein, and
• the combined outer diameter of said plurality of collapsible lumens and said holding means, in the fully collapsed state, being less than the inner diameter of said needle.

A catheter comprising:

• an elongated flexible lumen having a fluid passageway formed therein, said lumen being formed of material having sufficient resiliency to maintain its shape and wherein said passageway is capable of maintaining its configuration whether or not fluid is flowing therein, and
• a plurality of elongated collapsible lumens affixed to the outer periphery of said flexible lumen so that one side of each of said collapsible lumens is connected to said outer periphery, each of said elongated collapsible lumens being formed from material having a sufficient resiiency to return to a substantially fully collapsed state substantially about the outer periphery of said flexible lumen after fully expanding under pressure of fluid therethrough and wherein the total cross-sectional area of said lumens substantially increases when fluid flows through any collapsible lumen.