Drainage catheter and method for forming same

A drainage catheter for draining fluid from a body cavity of a patient, said drainage catheter comprising:

• an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end, a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent to said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• at least one aperture in said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube in fluid communication with and into said elongated hollow drainage tube, to facilitate drainage of fluids from a body cavity through said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• a hub associated with said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube about said outer tube surface;
• a filament routing channel operably positioned within said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• and
• at least one filament member, having at least two ends, at least a portion of the filament member being operably associated with said distal end of said drainage tube for altering the shape of the flexible region to facilitate retention of at least a portion of the elongated hollow drainage tube inside a patient's body, said at least one filament member extending through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube and at least one of said at least two ends emanating from at least one of said hub and said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube,
• at least a portion of said at least one filament member being positioned within said elongated hollow drainage tube and routed through said filament routing channel for slidable movement therethrough such that said at least one filament member is slidably maintained within said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube,
• said at least one filament member being slidably maintained in said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube at least in part by at least one insert member.

A drainage catheter for draining fluid from a body cavity of a patient, said drainage catheter comprising:

• an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end and a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• at least one aperture in said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube in fluid communication with and into said elongated hollow drainage tube, to facilitate drainage of fluids from a body cavity through said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• a hub associated with said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube about said outer tube surface, said hub including a drainage passageway communicating with said elongated hollow drainage tube and a barrel portion;
• at least one filament member operably associated with said distal end of said drainage tube for altering the shape of the flexible region to facilitate retention of at least a portion of the elongated hollow drainage tube inside a patient's body, said at least one filament member extending through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube, into said hub drainage passageway and emanating from said hub;
• said hub having a single unitary construction and further including at least one continuous filament member passageway extending through at least one entire side of said hub, said at least one filament member passageway being shaped to accommodate only the at least one filament member, without obstruction by further sealing members, through said at least one entire side of said hub;
• and
• said at least one filament member passageway further enabling slidable movement of said filament member therethrough, yet maintaining a substantially liquid tight seal between said drainage passageway and said hub barrel.

A drainage catheter for draining fluid from a body cavity of a patient, said drainage catheter comprising:

• an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end and a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• at least one aperture in said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube in fluid communication with and into said elongated hollow drainage tube, to facilitate drainage of fluids from a body cavity through said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• a hub associated with said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube about said outer tube surface, said hub including a drainage passageway communicating with said elongated hollow drainage tube and a barrel portion;
• at least one filament member operably associated with said distal end of said drainage tube for altering the shape of the flexible region to facilitate retention of at least a portion of the elongated hollow drainage tube inside a patient's body, said at least one filament member extending through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube, into said hub drainage passageway and emanating from said hub;
• and
• said hub further including at least one filament member passageway extending through said hub, said at least one filament member passageway enabling slidable movement of said filament member therethrough, yet maintaining a substantially liquid tight seal between said drainage passageway and said hub barrel,
• said at least one filament member being slidably retained in a filament routing channel operably positioned in said distal end of said drainage tube, and
• said at least one filament member being slidably retained in said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube at least in part by at least one insert member, which defines at least a portion of said filament routing channel.

A drainage catheter for draining fluid from a body cavity of a patient, said drainage catheter comprising:

• an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end and a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• at least one aperture in said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube in fluid communication with and into said elongated hollow drainage tube, to facilitate drainage of fluids from a body cavity through said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• a hub associated with said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube about said outer tube surface, said hub including a drainage passageway communicating with said elongated hollow drainage tube and a barrel portion;
• at least one filament member operably associated with said distal end of said drainage tube for altering the shape of the flexible region to facilitate retention of at least a portion of the elongated hollow drainage tube inside a patient's body, said at least one filament member extending through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube, into said hub drainage passageway and emanating from said hub;
• and
• said hub further including at least one filament member passageway extending through said hub, said at least one filament member passageway enabling slidable movement of said filament member therethrough, yet maintaining a substantially liquid tight seal between said drainage passageway and said hub barrel,
• said hub having a melting point lower than the melting point of said at least one filament member.

A method for forming a drainage catheter, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end, a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• positioning at least one filament member, said at least one filament member having at least two ends, inside said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• heating at least a portion of said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube to form a filament routing channel positioned within said distal end, said at least one filament member being positioned within and routed through said filament routing channel such that said at least one filament member is slidably maintained within said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• running said filament member through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube, such that said filament member emanates from the proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• and
• forming a hub on the proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube.

A method for forming a drainage catheter, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end, a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• associating at least one filament member, having at least two ends, with the distal end of the elongated hollow drainage tube to facilitate alteration of the shape of the flexible region to facilitate retention of at least a portion of the elongated hollow drainage tube inside a patient's body;
• running said at least one filament member through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube, such that said at least one filament member emanates from the proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• forming a hub, said hub including a drainage passageway and a barrel having a single unitary construction, onto said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube and directly around said at least one filament member, thereby creating at least one filament member passageway extending through said hub to house said at least one filament member, said at least one filament member passageway being shaped to accommodate only the at least one filament member, without obstruction by further sealing members, through said at least one entire side of said hub.

A method for forming a drainage catheter, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated hollow drainage tube having a proximal end, a distal end, a tip associated with said distal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube, a flexible region substantially adjacent said tip, and an inner tube surface and an outer tube surface defining a tube wall;
• associating at least one filament member, having at least two ends, with the distal end of the elongated hollow drainage tube to facilitate alteration of the shape of the flexible region to facilitate retention of at least a portion of the elongated hollow drainage tube inside a patient's body;
• running said at least one filament member through at least a portion of said elongated hollow drainage tube, such that said at least one filament member emanates from the proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube;
• forming a hub, said hub including a drainage passageway and a barrel, onto said proximal end of said elongated hollow drainage tube and directly around said at least one filament member, thereby creating at least one filament member passageway extending through said hub to house said at least one filament member;
• cooling and thus at least partially shrinking the at least one filament member passageway around at least a portion of said at least one filament member creating a fluid tight seal between said drainage passageway and hub barrel, yet enabling slidable movement of said at least one filament member relative to said hub.