Abstract A physiological drainage catheter comprising an elongated tube with a central axis and a peripheral wall surrounding it. A port passes through the wall to the passage for the purpose of draining fluid from the region surrounding the tube. A peripheral cuff surrounds the wall and is fastened thereto on each side of the port, the cuff ballooning away from the wall to leave a cavity therebetween. The cuff is made of a flexible openpore silicone rubber sponge which provides a large number of restricted, but continuous, passages from outside of the cuff to the cavity, and an increased surface area thereby to screen or filter fluid which reaches the port from regions to be drained outside the cuff to minimize clogging, and by its increased surface area to decrease the possibility of being closed by abutment with surrounding tissue.
A drainage catheter comprising: an elongated tube having a central axis and a peripheral outer wall, an axial passage extending along the central axis, and at least one entry port passing through the wall to the passage; and a peripheral cuff encircling the wall and fastened thereto at axially spaced apart locations on opposite sides of the port, the cuff ballooning away from the wall to leave a cavity therebetween, the cuff being inherently flexible and resiliently deformable, and made of a flexible, open-pore silicone rubber sponge whereby to provide many restricted but continuous passages from outside of the cuff to the cavity, thereby rendering the cuff permeable to fluid, and uninflatable, the ballooning being caused by the inherent shape of the cuff as attached to the tube when otherwise unstressed, the cuff being deformable by contact with surrounding tissue.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
A drainage catheter comprising: an elongated tube having a central axis and a peripheral outer wall, an axial passage extending along the central axis, and at least one entry port passing through the wall to the passage; and a peripheral cuff encircling the wall and fastened thereto at axially spaced apart locations on opposite sides of the port, the cuff ballooning away from the wall to leave a cavity therebetween, the cuff being inherently flexible and resiliently deformable, and made of a flexible, open-pore silicone rubber sponge whereby to provide many restricted but continuous passages from outside of the cuff to the cavity, thereby rendering the cuff permeable to fluid, and uninflatable, the ballooning being caused by the inherent shape of the cuff as attached to the tube when otherwise unstressed, the cuff being deformable by contact with surrounding tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A physiological drainage catheter according to claim 1 in which the cuff makes a full peripheral seam with the wall on each side of the entry port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A physiological drainage catheter according to claim 2 in which there is provided a plurality of said entry ports, the seams being formed on opposite sides of the said plurality of entry ports.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A physiological drainage catheter according to claim 1 in which the tube terminates in abutment at one of its ends against a shoulder formed on a laterally-enlarged tip.