Drainage catheter with visual indicator and/or lock system

A catheter comprising:

• a tube having an axis, a distal end for deployment in a patient, a proximal end for remaining outside of the patient, and having a first lumen therethrough;
• an anchoring mechanism at the distal end of the tube having a fully open configuration, a fully closed configuration, and a range of configurations therebetween;
• a filamentary member attached to the anchoring mechanism for controlling the configuration of the anchoring mechanism;
• a controller located at or near the proximal end of the tube for controlling the filamentary member, the controller comprising
• a spindle coaxially mounted on the tube and having a proximal reel portion comprising an outer surface having a winding diameter, a second lumen extending proximally from the first lumen, and a radial port connecting the outer surface with the second lumen,
• a hub coaxial with the tube and the spindle, rotatable about the axis, and having internal threads, the hub having a window therein,
• an axially translatable threaded washer coaxial with the spindle, non-rotatable relative to the spindle, having external threads for mating with the internal threads of the hub, and
• a winding washer axially rotatable about the spindle to which a proximal end of the filamentary member is attached;
• and
• a locking mechanism comprising a slide that is not rotatable on the axis relative to the tube, but is movable axially relative to the tube between a locked position and an unlocked position, and that has a substantially flat radially inward surface that is radially spaced a first radial distance from the axis
• wherein the filamentary member extends through the first lumen into the second lumen and out through the radial port to the winding washer such that twisting the hub about the axis rotates the winding washer and helically winds the filamentary member about the reel portion outer surface while also axially translating the threaded washer so that the threaded washer is visible within the hub window for visually indicating when the anchoring mechanism is in the closed configuration.

A catheter comprising:

• a tube having an axis, a distal end for deployment in a patient, and a proximal end for remaining outside of the patient;
• an anchoring mechanism at the distal end of the tube having a fully open configuration, a fully closed configuration, and a range of configurations therebetween;
• a filamentary member attached to the anchoring mechanism for controlling the configuration of the anchoring mechanism;
• and
• a controller located at or near the proximal end of the tube for controlling the filamentary member, the controller comprising:
• a spindle coaxially mounted on the tube and having a proximal reel portion comprising an outer surface having the winding diameter, a second lumen extending proximally from the first lumen, and a radial port connecting the outer surface with the second lumen;
• a hub coaxial with the tube and the spindle, rotatable about the axis, and having internal threads, the hub having a substantially flat region;
• an axially translatable threaded washer coaxial with the spindle, non-rotatable relative to the spindle, having external threads for mating with the internal threads of the hub;
• a winding washer axially rotatable about the spindle to which a proximal end of the filamentary member is attached;
• and
• a slide, non-rotatable about the axis relative to the tube, movable axially relative to the tube between a proximal position and a distal position, and having a substantially flat radially inward surface that is radially spaced a first radial distance from the axis and adapted to engage the substantially flat region of the hub when the slide is in the proximal position to lock the hub in a fixed rotational position;
• wherein the filamentary member extends through the first lumen into the second lumen and out through the radial port to the winding washer such that twisting the hub about the axis rotates the winding washer and helically winds the filamentary member about the reel portion outer surface while also axially translating the threaded washer.

In a catheter comprising (a) a tube having an axis, a distal end for deployment in a patient, and a proximal end for remaining outside of the patient;

• (b) an anchoring mechanism at the distal end of the tube having a fully open configuration, a fully closed configuration, and a range of configurations therebetween;
• (c) a filamentary member attached to the anchoring mechanism for controlling the configuration of the anchoring mechanism;
• and (d) a controller located at or near the proximal end of the tube for controlling the filamentary member, the improvement comprising the controller comprising:
• (e) a visual indicator for indicating the anchoring mechanism configuration;
• and
• (f) a locking mechanism for locking the anchoring mechanism in the fully closed configuration.