US 4,946,440 AGranted

Evertible membrane catheter and method of use

OwnerJohn E. Hallinventor

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Abstract

A catheter for medical or veterinary use is provided which is especially adapted for gentle and pristine introduction into a body cavity or vasculature. The catheter includes an outer and inner tube with a cylindrical membrane connecting distal ends of the two tubes. A fluid may be introduced into an annular space between the tubes to inflate the membrane, which may have a variable thickness to inflate into various configurations within the body cavity. The catheter may be advantageously provided with a guide wire for directing the catheter during insertion into the body cavity by diverting the distal end of the outer tube. The invention hereof also includes a method of using the catheter including the steps of inserting, directing and locating the catheter, extending inner tube beyond the outer tube, isolating the body cavity or vessel and then withdrawing the catheter from the body cavity or vessel.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A catheter for introduction into a body cavity comprising:

a flexible outer tube having a distal end and a user end, said distal end being adapted for insertion into a body cavity;
a flexible inner tube having a distal end and a user end, said inner tube being within and substantially co-axial with said outer tube, said inner tube being slidable with respect to said outer tube and defining an annular space therebetween;
a cylindrical membrane coupled to both the distal end of the outer tube and the distal end of the inner u e, to define a pristine chamber when the membrane is in a first, reflected position within said outer tube,
means associated with the user end of said outer tube for introducing a fluid under pressure into said annular space;
and
means for selectively directing the distal end of said outer tube from a location proximate said user end, said directing means comprising a flexible guide wire coupled to the exterior of the distal end of said outer tube and located exterior to said annular space, said guide wire extending longitudinally at least a portion of the distance between said user end and said distal end,
said guide wire being selectively shiftable relative to said outer tube for transversely deflecting the distal end of said outer tube from its axial orientation from a location proximate said suer end when located inside said body cavity.

4 more elements

A method of treating a portion of a body cavity comprising the steps of introducing a catheter into a body cavity, said catheter comprising an outer tube having a user end and a distal end, an inner tube slidably engaged within said outer tube having a user end and a distal end, and defining an annular space between the inner tube and the outer tube, a cylindrical membrane forming a sleeve between said inner tube and said outer tube, and means for selectively directing the distal end of said outer tube from a location proximate said user end, said directing means including a flexible guide wire positioned exterior to said annular space, said guide wire extending longitudinally along the exterior of said outer tube at least a portion of the distance between said user end and said distal end,

directing the distal end of the outer tube of said catheter to said portion of said body cavity by shifting said guide wire relative to said outer tube from a location proximate said user end in a longitudinal direction to transversely deflect said distal end of said outer tube during introduction of said catheter;
locating said distal end of said outer tube adjacent said portion of said body cavity;
extending said distal end of said inner tube beyond the distal end of said outer tube to every said membrane;
treating said portion of the body cavity;
and
withdrawing the catheter from the body cavity.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.