Multi-luminal catheter, multi-luminal catheter assembly

Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Material introduced into and removed from body through...

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Details

604280, A61M 300

Patent

active

050410830

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention concerns a multi-luminal catheter wherein the lumens of the catheter, which have a different shape to the external form of the extension tubes to be connected to them, are given a shape which corresponds to said external form of said extension tubes at the extension tube connectors. It also concerns a method of manufacturing said catheter.
Further, this invention concerns a multi-luminal catheter assembly comprising a catheter body with multiple lumen, extension tubes connected to said catheter and members for fastening the catheter body and the extension tubes together, and a method of manufacturing said assembly.


BACKGROUND ART

In order to make most effective use of the volume of the cavities in a multi-luminal catheter, their cross-section is generally not circular, as shown in FIG. 1(b). The cross-sections of the extension tubes to be connected to the catheter body on the other hand are circular, and if these tubes are connected to the catheter without modification, airtight connections are consequently not obtained. Further, even when the cross-sections of both the catheter lumens and extension tubes are circular, the diameters of the extension tube lumens must necessarily be made smaller to insert the tubes into the catheter lumens. For this reason, a differential arises between the lumens, and gives rise to problems such as increased fluid resistance.
Conventionally, this problem was solved by making the connection through molded pieces of the same shape as the lumens, or by filling the spaces between the catheter lumens and the outer circumference of the extension tubes with adhesive.
If connections were made through molded pieces of the same shape as the catheter lumens, however, the manufacturing cost increased undesirably. If on the other hand the spaces between the inner surfaces of the catheter lumens and extension tubes were filled with adhesive, it was still difficult to obtain a perfectly airtight seal.
Further, in multi-luminal catheters manufactured by the above methods, the joint strength between the catheter body and the extension tubes is inadequate, and the tubes easily fall out of the catheter body in actual use.
This invention therefore aims to provide a multi-luminal catheter wherein extension tubes can be connected easily to the catheter body, and good airtightness is obtained.


DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The multi-luminal catheter of this invention is characterized in that it has lumens of substantially the same shape as the ends of the extension tubes to be connected to the tube connectors of the catheter body, which consists of thermoplastic resin and has multiple lumens of different shape to the external form of said tubes.
As the shapes of the lumens at the extension tube connectors in this multi-luminal catheter, are substantially identical to the external form of said tubes, the tube connections can be made smoothly, and airtight connections can be obtained. Further, even when the cross-sections of both the catheter lumens and extension tube lumens are circular, it is possible to connect extension tubes of substantially similar diameter to the catheter lumens, and increased fluid resistance of the lumens can thus be avoided.
This invention also aims to provide a method of manufacturing said multi-luminal catheter. In this method, cores of substantially similar form to the ends of the extension tube are pressed into the extension tube connectors of the catheter body, which consists of thermoplastic resin and has multiple lumens of different form to the extension tubes. The positions where the cores have been pressed into the catheter body are then heated, softened and introduced into a mold so as to create voids corresponding to the external form of the cores when the cores are subsequently withdrawn. Finally, the core insertion positions are cooled, and the cores are withdrawn.
In this method, as the multi-luminal catheter with extension tube connectors is made in such a way that the connector openings have identical shapes to the exter

REFERENCES:
patent: 1219785 (1987-03-01), Martin
patent: 4072146 (1978-02-01), Howes
patent: 4263236 (1981-04-01), Briggs et al.
patent: 4345963 (1982-08-01), Braber
patent: 4619643 (1986-10-01), Bai
patent: 4670009 (1987-06-01), Bullock
patent: 4682978 (1987-07-01), Martin
patent: 4838881 (1989-06-01), Bennett

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