Catheters

Claim 2

In a drainage system including a hollow catheter comprising a tubular shaft having proximal and distal ends, an inflatable sleeve surrounding the shaft adjacent the distal end thereof and upon inflation retaining the catheter in position by formation of an enlarged balloon surrounding the shaft, a first opening adjacent the distal end of the shaft through which body fluids may pass into a drainage channel defined by the drainage system and extending from the first opening through the length of the shaft, and a second opening spaced from the first opening through which the fluids may pass from the channel, that improvement comprising: tubing connected to the proximal end of said catheter, defining a portion of said drainage channel, and having an outlet communicating with a receptacle; at least a longitudinally-extending circular in transverse cross-section portion of said tubing being of a porous material which is pervious to air but impervious to body fluids and which is not-wettable by body fluids, whereby air may pass through said material to said channel.

Claim 3

In a drainage system including a balloon catheter comprising a tubular shaft having proximal and distal ends, an inflatable sleeve surrounding the shaft adjacent the distal end thereof and upon inflation retaining the catheter in position by formation of an enlarged balloon surrounding the shaft, a first opening adjacent the distal end of the shaft through which body fluids may pass into a drainage channel defined by the drainage system and extending from the first opening through the length of the shaft, and a second opening spaced from the first opening through which the fluids may pass from the channel, that improvement comprising: an adapter having an interior bore defining a portion of said drainage channel, one end of said adapter being attached to said catheter to permit said fluids to flow from said catheter into said bore, another end of said adapter being adapted for connection to tubing extending from said adapter to a receptacle to permit said fluids to flow from said adapter to said receptacle, and said adapter comprising a porous material which is pervious to air but impervious to body fluids and which is not-wettable by body fluids, whereby air may pass through said material to said channel.

Claim 4

In a drainage system including a balloon catheter comprising a tubular shaft having proximal and distal ends, an inflatable sleeve surrounding the shaft adjacent the distal end thereof and upon inflation retaining the catheter in position by formation of an enlarged balloon surrounding the shaft, a first opening adjacent the distal end of the shaft through which body fluids may pass into a drainage channel defined by the drainage system and extending from the first opening through the length of the shaft, and a second opening spaced from the first opening through which the fluids may pass from the channel, that improvement comprising: an adapter having an interior bore defining a portion of said drainage channel, one end of said adapter being attached to said catheter to permit said fluids to flow from said catheter into said bore, another end of said adapter being adapted for connection to tubing extending from said adapter to a receptacle to permit said fluids to flow from said adapter to said receptacle, and said adapter comprising a porous material which is pervious to air but impervious to body fluids and which is not-wettable by body fluids, whereby air may pass through said material to said channel.

Claim 5

The catheter of claim 2 wherein said adapter is generally circular in cross-section, said bore extends generally axially through the length of said adapter, and said adapter includes three axially-spaced, generally radially-facing surfaces, a first one of said surfaces being adapted for engaging said catheter, a second one of said surfaces being adapted for engaging said tubing, and the third one of said surfaces being intermediate said first one and said second one and defining an air-flow surface of predetermined minimum axial length.

Claim 6

The catheter of claim 3 including respective axial steps intermediate said first one and said third one surfaces and intermediate said third one and said second one surfaces.

Claim 7

The catheter of claim 4 wherein each of said surfaces is generally outwardly-facing.

Claim 8

The catheter of claim 2 wherein said porous material is a porous polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 9

The catheter of claim 2 wherein said porous material comprises pores having a predetermined maximum pore size not greater than about 5 microns.

Claim 10

The catheter of claim 7 wherein said predetermined maximum pore size is about 0.7 microns.