Catheter assembly including triple lumen tip

By a catheter assembly, a method of treating blood of a patient, the method comprising:

• a) aspirating blood from the patient through a first opening defined in a first lumen of the catheter assembly;
• b) treating the blood outside the body of the patient;
• c) infusing the treated blood to the patient through a second opening substantially un-staggered with respect to the first opening defined in a second lumen of the catheter assembly;
• d) infusing a fluid through a third lumen of the catheter assembly;
• and
• e) reversing the flow of blood within the first and second lumens so as to infuse blood through the first lumen and aspirate blood through the second lumen, a recirculation rate after reversal of the flow of blood being less than or equal to about five percent.

A catheter assembly, comprising:

• a catheter body defining a first lumen, a second lumen, and a third lumen, the catheter body including a distal tip region, the distal tip region including:
• a tapered nose portion;
• a venous lateral opening in fluid communication with the first lumen and defined on a portion of the nose portion so as to define a distal-facing portion, the venous lateral opening defined by an angled cross cut through an outer perimeter of the catheter body;
• an arterial lateral opening in fluid communication with the second lumen and defined on a portion of the nose portion so as to define a distal-facing portion, the arterial lateral opening defined by an angled cross cut through the outer perimeter of the catheter body, the venous and arterial lateral openings symmetrically opposed in substantially un-staggered position with respect to one another, the venous and arterial lateral openings imparting a lateral and a distal direction to fluid flowing out therefrom;
• and
• a distal end opening defined on a distal end of the nose portion, the distal end opening in fluid communication with the third lumen.

A catheter assembly, comprising:

• a catheter body defining a first lumen and a second lumen, the catheter body including a distal tip region, the distal tip region including:
• a nose portion defining a distally converging outer surface;
• a venous lateral opening in fluid communication with the first lumen and defined by an angled cross cut through an outer perimeter of the catheter body, the venous lateral opening being at least partially defined on the distally converging outer surface;
• an arterial lateral opening in fluid communication with the second lumen and defined by an angled cross cut through the outer perimeter of the catheter body, the arterial lateral opening being at least partially defined on the distally converging outer surface, the venous and arterial lateral openings being symmetrically disposed in a substantially un-staggered position with respect to one another, the venous and arterial lateral openings imparting a lateral and a distal direction to fluid flowing out therefrom;
• and
• a distal end opening in fluid communication with one of the venous and arterial lumens and sized to pass a guidewire therethrough.