Catheter

Claim 1

A MEDICAL CATHETER FOR INSERTION INTO A BODY PASSAGE, SAID CATHER COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE THERMOPLASTIC TUBE HAVING AN OPEN END, A PARTIALLY CLOSED OPPOSITE END AND A FIRST LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE; (B) SAID TUBE HAVING AN OPENING ADJACENT THE PARTIALLY CLOSED END TO ALLOW DRAINAGE OF BODY FLUIDS THROUGH SAID PASSAGE TO SAID OPEN END; (C) SAID TUBE DEFINING A SECOND INFLATION PASSAGE SMALLER THAN THE INDEPENDENT OF SAID FIRST PASSAGE AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID TUBE, SAID SECOND SMALLER PASSAGE HAVING AN OPEN END ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE TUBE AND A CLOSED END ADJACENT THE PARTIALLY CLOSED END OF SAID TUBE; (D) AN ELASTIC THERMOPLASTIC LAYER ENCIRCLING A LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF SAID TUBE ADJACENT ITS PARTIALLY CLOSED END, SAID LAYER BEING BONDED AT TWO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED AREAS TO SAID TUBE BUT BEING FREE OF ATTACHMENT TO THE TUBE BETWEEN SAID SPACED AREAS TO PROVIDE AN INFLATABLE BALLOON SECTION; (E) SAID CATHETER HAVING A SMALL RESTRICTED OPENINGS CONNECTING SAID SECOND PASSAGE WITH A SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE INFLATABLE HALLOON SECTION; AND (F) A PARTITIONING COATING ENCIRCLING THE ENTIRE PORTION OF THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE TUBE WITHIN THE BALLOON SECTION, SAID PARTITIONING COATING BEING CONSTRUCTED OF A MATERIAL READILY AND COMPLETELY SOLUBLE IN WATER AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, WHEREBY SAID PARTITIONING MATERIAL PREVENTS THE BALLOON SECTION FROM ADHERING TO THE UNDERLYING EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE TUBE PRIOR TO INFLATION OF SAID BALLOON, AND WHEREBY THE PARTITIONING COATING WHEN DISSOLVED IN WATEWR AT ROOM TEMPERATURE PROVIDES A SOLUTION WHICH CAN BE EASILY REMOVED THROUGH THE SMALL RESTRICTED OPENING AND THE INFLATION PASSAGE TO DEFLATE THE CATHETER BALLOON.