Catheter with centering wire

In combination,

• an intravascular catheter comprising an elongated tubular body provided with an outer end portion having a tip formed with a central discharge orifice, and
• means for supporting the outer end portion of the catheter within a blood vessel and away from the inner wall lining of said vessel while a treating agent is delivered into the blood vessel through the discharge orifice,
• said means comprising an elongated flexible centering wire having in its natural, free state condition, a coiled distal end portion,
• the outer end portion of said catheter having a side wall formed with an elongated channel extending lengthwise of the outer end portion and having a channel outlet at the tip of said outer end portion,
• said wire being received lengthwise within said channel,
• said wire being slidable in said channel from a retracted position in which the distal end portion of said wire is substantially wholly confined within said channel to an operative position in which the distal end portion of said wire projects outwardly from said channel outlet and assumes its natural, coiled condition in contact with the interior wall of the blood vessel to support the outer end portion of said catheter centrally within the blood vessel, and away from the inner lining of the vessel, said wire in said operative position being radially outside the path of flow of the treating agent delivered through said discharge orifice.