U.S. patent number 3,570,485 [Application Number 04/726,875] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-16 for flexible catheter and inserting apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Baxter Laboratories, Inc.. Invention is credited to Richard J. Reilly.
United States Patent |
3,570,485 |
Reilly |
March 16, 1971 |
FLEXIBLE CATHETER AND INSERTING APPARATUS
Abstract
A cannula is disposed about a stylet with a sharp forward end
for incising the wall of an organ having a lumen for receiving the
cannula from which, thereafter, the stylet is removable. The
cannula may be collapsible for preventing fluid flow relative to
the organ upon stylet removal, and thereafter defines a path, for
inserting the catheter into the lumen. A slit extending
longitudinally of the cannula may be provided to enable rapid
stripping of the latter from the catheter which is longer than the
cannula.
Inventors: |
Reilly; Richard J. (Deerfield,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Baxter Laboratories, Inc.
(Morton Grove, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
24920377 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/726,875 |
Filed: |
May 6, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/510;
604/164.11; 604/508 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
25/0668 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
25/06 (20060101); A61m 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/214.4,221,348
(I.C./ Digest)/ |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Amplatz - Radiology - Feb. 1962, Vol. 87 -2 pp 265--275 128--214.4
.
Lancet - Oct. 1964 pp 941--42 128--214.4.
|
Primary Examiner: Truluck; Dalton L.
Claims
I claim:
1. In an assembly for inserting a catheter into a lumen of a body
organ having a wall-requiring breach for access to said lumen, the
combination comprising:
a rigid stylet having a shank and a forward end fashioned for
incising said wall to gain entry to said lumen;
a flexible cannula disposed intimately about said shank, said
cannula being tapered at one end for insertion about said stylet
into said lumen through said incised wall and to remain in said
lumen after stylet removal; and
said cannula defining a longitudinal slit along its entire length
to permit the transverse removal of said cannula from a catheter
after emplacement by withdrawal of the cannula from the body organ
and passing said catheter through said slit.
2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said cannula is
defined by a collapsible wall for cutting off flow therethrough
from said lumen after removal of said stylet.
3. A combination according to claim 2 in which the cannula is light
transmissive and defines a channel on the outer surface of said
shank for receiving fluid upon entrance of said cannula into the
lumen.
4. A method of inserting a catheter into a living body which
comprises inserting a rigid incising stylet having a flexible
cannula disposed about it into said living body; withdrawing said
stylet from said cannula without withdrawing said cannula from the
body; passing a flexible catheter into said body through the
cannula; and thereafter withdrawing said cannula from the body
without withdrawing the catheter and separating the catheter from
the cannula by pulling the cannula transversely relative to the
catheter through a longitudinal slit defined in said cannula, and
extending for the entire length thereof, to separate said cannula
and catheter.
5. The method of claim 4 which comprises collapsing a portion of
said cannula after withdrawing said stylet to prevent flow
therethrough.
Description
The present invention relates to translocation of fluids relative
the lumen of a body organ having a wall-requiring breach for access
to said lumen. Particularly, the invention relates to a flexible
catheter and apparatus for inserting such a catheter into the lumen
of an organ such as a blood vessel. The art with which the present
invention is concerned is characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,094,122
and 3,225,762.
In accordance with the teaching of the former, a hollow hypodermic
needle having an incising end is adapted to gain access to the
lumen of a vessel. A catheter (referred to in said patent as a
cannula) is mounted over the needle and is insertable into the
lumen along a path defined by the needle. The needle is
proportioned to project from both ends of the catheter to enable
needle insertion into the lumen and withdrawal from the catheter
following catheter insertion in the lumen. Such limitation of
catheter length to less than that of the needles severely restricts
facility with which the catheter is usable.
This shortcoming is solved by an assembly according to the latter
patent which provides a slit in the wall of a catheter (also
referred to in said last patent as a cannula) medially of its ends
from which an organ-incising instrument can be removed following
catheter insertion into the lumen. Although the latter assembly
enables employment of a catheter of any length, means adapted to
prevent undesirable leakage through the slit are absent. That
hazard limits use of the catheter to a condition in which it will
not be bent at or near the slit.
Moreover, because in each of the heretofore known assemblies the
catheter is disposed over an incising instrument, a filter, which
is desirable for removing particulate from translocated fluid,
cannot be installed in the catheter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
combination of a flexible catheter and apparatus for insertion
thereof into a body lumen such as the lumen of a blood vessel.
It is a further object of the invention to enable insertion of a
catheter of any length into such body lumen, regardless of the
length of the inserting apparatus.
It is another object of the invention to facilitate removal of
catheter-inserting apparatus following insertion of a catheter of
any selected length into a body organ.
To effect the foregoing objects, an assembly for translocating
fluids relative the lumen of a body organ having a wall-requiring
breach for access to the lumen includes a rigid stylet. A shank of
the stylet at its forward end is fashioned for incising the wall to
gain entry to the lumen. A cannula is movably disposed intimately
about the shank for insertion into the lumen through the incised
wall and for relative removal from said stylet. A flexible catheter
which is longer than the cannula and adapted for fluid
translocation is proportioned for withdrawable insertion into the
lumen through the cannula after the stylet has been removed. In one
aspect of the invention, the cannula has an axial slit extending
its length for removal from the catheter after catheter insertion
into the lumen.
How to further effect the foregoing and other objects, features and
advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon
consideration of the following description and appended claims,
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein the same reference character or numeral refers to like or
corresponding parts throughout the several views.
On the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of stylet and cannula
comprising apparatus according to the present invention for
inserting a catheter into the lumen of a body organ.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of said apparatus and
illustrating said stylet partially withdrawn from the lumen of a
body organ.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a catheter and said
cannula associated in the lumen according to the invention.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the catheter and
illustrating removal of the cannula following catheter insertion
into said lumen.
FIG. 5 is a view according to section line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
Referring more particularly to the drawings, a stylet 10 which may
be a solid rod has a forward or downstream end portion 12 fashioned
with a tapered cutting edge for incising the wall of a body organ,
herein shown as a blood vessel 16, for access to its lumen 18. An
upstream portion 14 is arranged opposite end portion 12 on a medial
shank or shaft section 20 of said stylet. Upstream end portion 14
here is shown as a disc-shaped handle. However, said end portion
may be fashioned as a receptacle (not shown), to accommodate the
male luer tip of a syringe (not shown) for easier insertion of the
stylet into a lumen 18.
A preferably transparent collapsible cannula 22 is disposed
intimately about shank 20 but is arranged for sliding movement on
and relative removal from stylet 10 longitudinally thereof. The
cannula has a tapered forward end portion and is adapted for
insertion about said stylet into lumen 18 through the incised wall
of blood vessel 16 by sliding said cannula from its position of
FIG. 1 to its position of FIG. 2 while the stylet is in the blood
vessel. The cannula, thereafter, is adapted to remain in the lumen
while the stylet is withdrawn through the upstream end portion 24
of said cannula. An intermediate condition of stylet withdrawal is
shown in FIG. 2.
The wall of the cannula is of a collapsible fabrication, the
rigidity of which is such that upon removal of stylet 10 the
tension of tissue 26 (FIG. 2) about vessel 16 as well as the
tension of the walls of the vessel itself about the incision will
collapse cannula 24. Thereby, upon stylet removal, flow from the
lumen 18 through the cannula is prevented.
The length of stylet 10 is such that its forward end portion 12 and
handle 14 are simultaneously projectable from opposite ends of
cannula 22. Moreover, the stylet may have a longitudinal groove 34
which extends from its incising end for a short distance up the
surface of shank 20 where said groove tapers into the fabric of the
surface. Thereby blood flowing from lumen 18 into groove 34 can be
observed through the cannula to indicate penetration of the stylet
10 through the wall of vessel 16. The collapsible character of the
cannula prevents blood flow from lumen 18 about the stylet beyond
the upstream end of groove 34.
A flexible catheter 28, preferably of plastic fabrication, and
which is longer than cannula 22 5 adapted for fluid translocation
into and out of lumen 18. The catheter is proportioned for
withdrawable insertion into said lumen through the cannula after
stylet removal to effect a cannula over catheter arrangement. The
stiffness of the catheter is adequate to overcome tissue pressure
holding the cannula in a collapsed condition whereby the catheter
can be inserted into lumen 18 through the cannula. To facilitate
such last insertion the catheter has a smooth surfaced forward end
portion 30 which may be stiffer than the remainder thereof and is
fashioned for passing fluids relative the lumen. Moreover, the
forward end portion may have means for filtering fluid herein
defined by a plurality of small apertures 31 in said forward end
portion in consequence of which particulate delivered through the
catheter may be prevented from entering blood vessel 16.
The foregoing arrangement enables use of a catheter of considerable
length which is not limited by the length of the cannula. The
latter member merely provides means enabling insertion of the
catheter into lumen 18 through the incised wall of vessel 16. But
once access to the vessel has been gained by the catheter, it is
desirable to remove the cannula as its purpose has been fulfilled
and further maintenance within vessel 16 needlessly strains
tissues. Frequently removal of the cannula is not indicated until
after the upstream end of the catheter has been connected to a
receptacle such as a solution bottle (not shown). In practice, the
upstream end of the catheter may be connected even prior to
insertion of the catheter into the lumen of the vessel. In such
circumstances it is impossible to remove the cannula from the
catheter by passing it over the upstream end of the catheter.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention the cannula
has an axial slit 32 which extends its entire length and
facilitates removal of the cannula from about the inserted
catheter. To effect such result the cannula is withdrawn from lumen
18 (FIG. 4) and stripped from the catheter, said catheter passing
through the axial slit as the cannula and catheter are separated,
leaving only the catheter in the vessel.
As many substitutions or changes could be made in the above
described construction, and as many apparently widely different
embodiments of the invention within the scope of the claims could
be constructed without departing from the scope and spirit thereof,
it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying
specification shall be interpreted as being illustrative and not in
a limiting sense.
* * * * *