Introducing catheter

Claim 2

In an introducing catheter (10) comprising: a tube (12) defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said catheter enabling distal entry of a first relatively small diameter guidewire (46), said tube further having a side port (20) larger than the distal diameter of said lumen through which a larger, second guidewire (48), advanced within said tube from said proximal end, can emerge, characterized in that a ramp (26) is disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (30) of said ramp being fixed to said tubing adjacent to said side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said tubing in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first, relatively small guidewire, said ramp thereby being adapted to permit said first guidewire to be advanced proximally through said tubing from the distal tip past said side port and said ramp being adapted to deflect the tip of said second, larger diameter guidewire advanced distally through said tubing from the proximal end, to cause said second guidewire to emerge from said lumen via said side port.

Claim 3

The introducing catheter of claim 1 characterized in that said second guidewire is a straight, floppy-tip or j-type guidewire.

Claim 4

The introducing catheter of claim 1 characterized in that said ramp is formed integrally with said tube.

Claim 5

The introducing catheter of claim 3 characterized in that said ramp comprises a deformed portion of the wall of said tube.

Claim 6

The introducing catheter of claim 1 or 4 characterized in that a gap (33) of predetermined limited dimension is defined between the end of said ramp and the inner wall (32) of said tube for passage of said first guidewire.

Claim 7

A kit used for introducing a drainage catheter into an organ of the body, characterized in that said kit comprises: a hollow thin wall needle (40), said needle having a lumen therethrough, a stylet for said needle sized and adapted to extend through said needle lumen, a first, relatively small guidewire (46) having a diameter sized to permit said guidewire to be received within the lumen of said needle; an introducing catheter (10) including a tube (12) defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said tube further having a side port (20) larger than the distal diameter of said lumen and a ramp (26) disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (38) of said ramp being fixed to said tubing adjacent to the side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being disposed adjacent to the inner wall (32) of said tubing in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first relatively small guidewire, said lumen having a diameter at said distal end which is sufficiently large to receive therethrough said first guidewire; a stiffening cannula defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said cannula being sized to be received within said introducing catheter and having an outer diameter which is larger than the lumen of said introducing catheter at the distal end, the lumen of said cannula being sized to receive said first guidewire therethrough; and a second, larger guidewire (48) having a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of said first guidewire and of the lumen of said introducing catheter at the distal end, said second guidewire being sized to be received through the proximal end and the side port of said introducing catheter.

Claim 8

A kit used for introducing a drainage catheter into an organ of the body, characterized in that said kit comprises: a hollow thin wall needle (40), said needle having a lumen therethrough, a stylet for said needle sized and adapted to extend through said needle lumen, a first, relatively small guidewire (46) having a diameter sized to permit said guidewire to be received within the lumen of said needle; an introducing catheter (10) including a tube (12) defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said tube further having a side port (20) larger than the distal diameter of said lumen and a ramp (26) disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (38) of said ramp being fixed to said tubing adjacent to the side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being disposed adjacent to the inner wall (32) of said tubing in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first relatively small guidewire, said lumen having a diameter at said distal end which is sufficiently large to receive therethrough said first guidewire; a stiffening cannula defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said cannula being sized to be received within said introducing catheter and having an outer diameter which is larger than the lumen of said introducing catheter at the distal end, the lumen of said cannula being sized to receive said first guidewire therethrough; and a second, larger guidewire (48) having a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of said first guidewire and of the lumen of said introducing catheter at the distal end, said second guidewire being sized to be received through the proximal end and the side port of said introducing catheter.

Claim 9

The kit of claim 6, characterized in that said needle is a 21 gauge needle, said first guidewire has a diameter of the order of about 0.018 inch (0.46 mm), and said second guidewire has a diameter of the order of about 0.038 (0.97 mm) inch.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8, characterized in that said method includes: inserting a stiffening cannula into the introducing catheter prior to advancing it over the first guidewire, step 4 includes advancing the cannula with the introducing catheter received thereover, over the first guidewire to a desired position with the distal end of the cannula in said body cavity while maintaining the position of the first guidewire relative to the body cavity; and step 5 includes removing the cannula and the first guidewire from the introducing catheter while maintaining the introducing catheter in its position relative to the body cavity.

Claim 13

An introducing catheter combination, characterized by (a) a tube (12) formed of resilient material defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said tube further having a side port (20) and a ramp (26) disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (30) of said ramp being fixed to said tube adjacent to said side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said tube in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first relatively small guidewire (46), said lumen having a diameter at said distal end which is substantially smaller than said side port; and (b) a stiffening cannula received within said tube and terminating proximally of said ramp, said cannula being removable from said tube.

Claim 14

An introducing catheter combination, characterized by (a) a tube (12) formed of resilient material defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said tube further having a side port (20) and a ramp (26) disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (30) of said ramp being fixed to said tube adjacent to said side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said tube in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first relatively small guidewire (46), said lumen having a diameter at said distal end which is substantially smaller than said side port; and (b) a stiffening cannula received within said tube and terminating proximally of said ramp, said cannula being removable from said tube.

Claim 15

The introducing catheter combination of claim 10, characterized in that said combination further comprises: (c) a guidewire received within said tube and cannula and having a diameter approximately the same as the lumen at the distal end of said catheter.

Claim 18

The method of claim 12 characterized in that said tube comprises thermoplastic, and said forming and depressing are performed by pressing a heated forming tool (25) having an inclined surface (27) against a portion of said tube adjacent to said side port, said heating causing the deformed portion to be set at said incline.

Claim 19

In an introducing catheter (10) comprising: a tube (12) of low-friction thermoplastic defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said catheter enabling distal entry of a first relatively small diameter guidewire (46), said tube further having a side port larger than the distal diameter of said lumen through which a larger, second guidewire (48), advanced within said tube from said proximal end, can emerge, characterized in that a thermoformed ramp (26) is disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (30) of said ramp being integral with said tubing adjacent to said side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being resilient and disposed adjacent to the inner wall (32) of said tubing in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first, relatively small guidewire, the upper edge of the proximal end of said ramp lying at or below the center line of said tube, said ramp thereby being adapted to permit said first guidewire to be advanced proximally through said tubing from the distal tip past said side port and said ramp being adapted to deflect the tip of said second, larger diameter guidewire advanced distally through said tubing from the proximal end, to cause said second guidewire to emerge from said lumen via said side port.

Claim 20

In an introducing catheter (10) comprising: a tube (12) of low-friction thermoplastic defining a lumen and having proximal and distal open ends, said tube having a tapered tip (18) and decreased lumen size at said distal end, said catheter enabling distal entry of a first relatively small diameter guidewire (46), said tube further having a side port larger than the distal diameter of said lumen through which a larger, second guidewire (48), advanced within said tube from said proximal end, can emerge, characterized in that a thermoformed ramp (26) is disposed within said tube at the distal end of said side port, said ramp being inclined distally toward said side port, the distal end (30) of said ramp being integral with said tubing adjacent to said side port and the proximal end (31) of said ramp being resilient and disposed adjacent to the inner wall (32) of said tubing in the region opposite said side port in a manner to permit passage therepast of said first, relatively small guidewire, the upper edge of the proximal end of said ramp lying at or below the center line of said tube, said ramp thereby being adapted to permit said first guidewire to be advanced proximally through said tubing from the distal tip past said side port and said ramp being adapted to deflect the tip of said second, larger diameter guidewire advanced distally through said tubing from the proximal end, to cause said second guidewire to emerge from said lumen via said side port.

Claim 21

The catheter of claim 14 characterized in that said tube comprises PTFE.

Claim 22

The catheter of claim 14 or 15 characterized in that the upper surface of the proximal end of said ramp is convexly curved as a result of thermoforming pressure.