Stationary central tunnel dialysis catheter with optional separable sheath

A stationary central dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. a planar axially elongated sinuous tubular member of integral construction having a plurality of axially extending lumens formed therein and a generally rounded smooth outer periphery;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, said apertures being axially displaced from one another along said tubular member and proximate one end of said tubular member, said tubular member being straight between said apertures in said respective lumens;
• c. at least a part of said tubular member being of predetermined two-dimensional generally M-shape substantially matching human left side venous anatomy, including portions of relative straightness connected by curved portions, fitting a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• d. said tubular member having predetermined two-dimensional shape substantially matching an anatomical central tunnel region of interest, including at least two portions of relative straightness connected by a curved portion region, to fit a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• e. said tubular member being deformable and resiliently returning to said predetermined two-dimensional shape after deformation;
• f. said tubular member including means normally biased away from the member for separating said tubular member aperture remote from said end from a surrounding wall of said preselected body lumen when said catheter is in place therewithin while permitting axial movement of said tubular member within said lumen relative to said wall, said separating means being movable in a direction against the normal bias towards the tubular member to cover one of the apertures in the tubular member;
• g. said tubular member having wall thickness greater in the curved portion than in said portions of relative straightness.

A stationary central dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. a planar axially elongated sinuous tubular member of integral construction having a plurality of axially extending lumens formed therein and a generally rounded smooth outer periphery;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, said apertures being axially displaced from one another along said tubular member and proximate one end of said tubular member;
• c. at least a part of said tubular member being of predetermined two-dimensional generally M-shape substantially matching human left side venous anatomy, including portions of relative straightness connected by curved portions, fitting a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• d. said tubular member having predetermined two-dimensional shape substantially matching an anatomical central tunnel region of interest, including at least two portions of relative straightness connected by a curved portion region, to fit a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• e. said tubular member being deformable and resiliently returning to said predetermined two-dimensional shape after deformation;
• f. said tubular member including non-inflatable means for separating said tubular member aperture remote from said end from a surrounding wall of said preselected body lumen when said catheter is in place therewithin while permitting axial movement of said tubular member within said lumen relative to said wall, said non-inflatable means being normally biased away from the tubular member and movable to its biased position without any actuation by the user;
• g. said tubular member having wall thickness greater in the curved portion than in said portions of relative straightness;
• h. a flexible sheath having a proximal portion and a distal portion and complementally surrounding at least said part having predetermined two-dimensional shape, for protecting said tubular member part having predetermined shape, and being peelably removable therefrom in situ when said tubular member has been positioned within said preselected lumen;
• i. ripcord means in the form of a suture embedded in said flexible sheath and running the longitudinal length thereof to define a line of weakness therein, extending along said tubular member for rupturing said sheath in the vicinity of an axial extremity of said tubular member proximate said apertures in response to manual force applied to a portion of said suture extending from the body of a patient in whom said catheter has been implanted.

A stationary central dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. a planar axially elongated sinuous tubular member of integral construction having a plurality of axially extending lumens formed therein and a generally rounded smooth outer periphery;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, said apertures being axially displaced from one another along said tubular member and proximate one end of said tubular member, said tubular member being straight between said apertures in said respective lumens;
• c. at least a part of said tubular member being of predetermined two-dimensional generally M-shape substantially matching human left side venous anatomy, including portions of relative straightness connected by curved portions, fitting a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• d. said tubular member being deformable and resiliently returning to said predetermined two-dimensional shape after deformation;
• e. said tubular member including means for separating said tubular member aperture remote from said end from a surrounding wall of said preselected body lumen when said catheter is in place therewithin while permitting axial movement of said tubular member within said lumen relative to said wall;
• f. said tubular member having wall thickness greater in the curved portion than in said portions of relative straightness;
• g. a flexible sheath having a proximal portion and a distal portion and complementally surrounding at least said part having predetermined two-dimensional shape, for protecting said tubular member part having predetermined shape, and being peelably removable therefrom in situ when said tubular member has been positioned within said preselected lumen;
• h. ripcord means in the form of a suture embedded in said flexible sheath and running the longitudinal length thereof to define a line of weakness therein, the suture looped around at the distal portion with free ends at the proximal portion to define the line of weakness separable first adjacent the suture loop, the suture extending along said tubular member for rupturing said sheath in a proximal direction in the vicinity of an axial extremity of said tubular member proximate said apertures in response to manual force applied to a portion of said suture extending from the body of a patient in whom said catheter has been implanted.

A stationary central dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. a planar axially elongated sinuous tubular member of integral construction having a plurality of axially extending lumens formed therein and a generally rounded smooth outer periphery;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, said apertures being axially displaced from one another along said tubular member and proximate one end of said tubular member, said tubular member being straight between said apertures in said respective lumens;
• c. said tubular member having predetermined two-dimensional shape substantially matching an anatomical central tunnel region of interest, including at least two portions of relative straightness connected by a curved portion region, to fit a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• d. said tubular member being deformable and resiliently returning to said predetermined two-dimensional shape after deformation;
• e. said tubular member including elongate flexible means normally biased away from the member for separating said tubular member aperture remote from said end from a surrounding wall of said preselected body lumen when said catheter is in place therewithin while permitting axial movement of said tubular member within said lumen relative to said wall, said flexible means being normally biased away from the tubular member and movable to its biased position without any actuation by the user.

A stationary central tunnel dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. a planar axially elongated sinuous tubular member having a plurality of axially extending lumens therein;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, said apertures being axially displaced from one another along said tubular member, said tubular member being straight between said apertures in said respective lumens;
• c. said tubular member having predetermined two-dimensional shape substantially matching an anatomical central tunnel region of interest, including at least two portions of relative straightness connected by a curved portion region, to fit a preselected body lumen in said anatomical region of interest;
• d. said tubular member being deformable and resiliently returning to said predetermined two-dimensional shape after deformation;
• e. said tubular member having an outer diameter greater in the curved portion than in the portions of relative straightness such that the wall thickness is greater in the curved portion than in said portions of relative straightness.

A stationary central tunnel dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. sinuous tubular member having a plurality of axially extending lumens formed therein;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, the apertures being axially displaced from one another along the tubular member;
• c. at least a portion of the tubular member having a predetermined shape substantially matching an anatomical portion of a patient;
• d. a removable flexible sheath surrounding at least a portion of the tubular member for protecting the tubular member, the sheath being separable from the tubular member and having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
• and
• e. a suture associated with the sheath and extending longitudinally along the sheath from a proximal portion to a distal portion, the suture being pulled from a proximal end to separate the sheath along a line of weakness formed by the suture, the suture being connected to the distal portion of the sheath to define a line of weakness separable first at the distal portion adjacent the connection separating progressively the sheath in a direction from the distal portion of the sheath toward the proximal portion of the sheath to separate the sheath from the tubular member for removal from the body.

A stationary central tunnel dialysis catheter comprising:

• a. a sinuous tubular member having a plurality of axially extending lumens formed therein and having an outer diameter;
• b. at least two of said lumens each having at least one aperture for through passage of fluid during dialysis, the apertures being axially displaced from one another along the tubular member;
• c. at least a portion of the tubular member having a predetermined shape substantially matching an anatomical portion of a patient;
• d. a movable flexible elongated member extending from the tubular member, the elongated member being biased away from the tubular member and movable from a first position closer to the tubular member to a second fully biased position biased away from the tubular member without any actuation by the user to maintain separation of at least one of the apertures from the wall of the vessel, the flexible elongated member having an outer diameter wherein in its fully biased position, the outer diameter of the elongated member and the outer diameter of tubular member, in combination, is less than the outer diameter of vessel in which it is inserted to allow unobstructed axial movement of the tubular member.