Catheter and method for cholangiography

An improved method of X-ray picture cholangiography including the steps of:

• surgically incising the common bile duct of a patient;
• inserting a hollow catheter balloon means into said incised bile duct;
• the catheter being a flexible and resilient tubular member of "T" shape and having a perpendicular branch and first and second opposite branches forming drain lumens, the three branches joining at a common point;
• inflating said balloon means;
• injecting a radiopaque contrast agent into said bile duct through said perpendicular branch;
• subjecting said injected bile duct to roentgenography whereby any stones therein can be detected;
• deflating said catheter balloon means and removing any such stones as may be detected;
• repeating said steps of inserting, inflating, injecting, subjecting and deflating until said bile duct is free from stones;
• and
• removing said cahteter from said bile duct and the patient after all of the stones have been removed;
• the improvement comprising:
• before taking the first X-ray picture, inflating a second balloon to completely close the bile duct and first drain lumen and partially inflating a first balloon;
• introducing the contrast agent between the balloons and then completely inflating the first balloon to close the bile duct and second drain lumen and thereby temporarily retain the contrast liquid in the bile duct and drain lumen;
• the balloon means comprising a first balloon connected in said first branch and a second balloon connected in said second branch, each balloon comprising a section of the branch wall and consisting of an inner flexible wall adapted to close the bile duct and an outer flexible wall adapted to completely close the drain lumen forming between them an interior space, said balloons being individually expanded by the introduction therein of air and collapsed by the withdrawal therefrom of said air;
• the inflation of the first and second balloons being by the introduction of pressurized air into said balloons from respective separate outside controlled sources of air which are connected to separate first and second air channels;
• the first air channel being in said perpendicular branch and said first branch and leading to the interior space of said first balloon and the second air channel being in said perpendicular branch and said second branch and leading to the interior space of said second balloon.