Automated Catheter

Abstract

A catheter assembly for packaging in sterile condition within a protective removable envelope. The catheter assembly includes an elongated rigid body having a longitudinal bore formed therethrough. An integral lubrication reservoir is provided on a mid-portion of the body and opens into the bore of the body from one side thereof. A catheter is provided and has its distal end slidingly telescoped into one end of the body bore and the body is provided with longitudinal opposite side generally radial slot portions whereby the body is weakened along longitudinal radial planes extending along said slot portions for separation of the body from about the catheter. A suitable lubricant is disposed within the lubrication reservoir and maintained within the latter against movement into the bore by means of a rupturable membrane separating the reservoir from the bore. In addition, the body includes opposite side outwardly protecting shield portions adjacent at least the other end of the body and which are supported from the latter for separation away from the associated catheter with the body portions to be separated along the aforementioned radial planes.

Description

The automated catheter assembly of the instant invention has been designed to simplify the catherization of either the male urinary bladder or the female urinary bladder. The automated catheter assembly may utilize substantially any accepted rubber catheter or its equivalent and includes structure whereby the associated catheter may be lubricated in a sterile manner as it is placed in use and inserted into the female urethra or male penis without contamination of the rubber catheter during insertion. Also, the automated catheter assembly is provided with a support body having a bore formed therethrough and the associated rubber catheter is advanced through the bore while one hand supports the body in alignment with the female urethra or male penis. Also, the body includes opposite side shield portions whereby the adjacent portions of the patient's body are shielded against contact with the distal end of the catheter and the body and shield may be readily broken away from the proximal end of the catheter after the latter has been inserted.

The main object of this invention is to provide a catheter assembly designed to simplify the catheterization of male and female patients.

Another object of this invention is to provide a catheter assembly wherein the catheter may be readily lubricated in a sterile state immediately prior to insertion of the distal end of the catheter.

Still another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a catheter assembly including shield structure for shielding the distal end of the catheter from contact with parts of the body other than the urethra of a female and the penis of a male.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an automated catheter assembly in accordance with the preceding objects and which may be used in conjunction with a conventional catheter.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a catheter assemblage in accordce with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a catheter assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention and adapted to be utilized in catheterizing a male patient;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the catheter as seen from the left side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the ring by which the end of the catheter enclosing envelope is anchored to the proximal end of the body of the catheter assembly;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7--7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the lubricant reservoir portion of the catheter assembly prior to its being attached to the body of the catheter assembly;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of the body portion of the catheter assembly;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged front elevational view of the catheter assembly illustrating the manner in which one half of the shield on the distal end of the body of the catheter assembly and the corresponding half of the assembly body may be broken away from the remainder of the body for removal of the latter from the catheter after its insertion:

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a catheter assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention and adapted to be utilized in catheterizing a female patient;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the distal end portion of the catheter assembly;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 13--13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 14--14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the body of the catheter assembly illustrated in FIGS. 11 through 14 with parts of the body being broken away and illustrated in vertical section and exploded positions of the upper body portions illustrated in phantom lines; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the clamp ring by which the forward end of the protective envelope is anchored to the proximal end of the body portion of the female form of catheter assembly.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a catheter assembly for utilization in conjunction with male patients. The catheter assembly includes a generally cylindrical body 12 having a longitudinal bore 14 formed therethrough. The rear or proximal end of the body 12 is diametrically reduced as at 16 and the intermediate portion of the body includes an upwardly opening well 18 which opens downwardly into a transversely enlarged intermediate portion 20 of the bore 14. Further, a disk-shaped shield 22 is carried by the forward distal end of the body 12 and includes a central opening 24 therein registered with the forward end of the bore 14. The well 18 is defined by an upstanding cylindrical wall 26 including circumferentially spaced bulbous portions 28. A cover 30 including a downwardly opening cylindrical channel 29 is provided and the channel includes axially spaced sets of circumferentially spaced enlarged portions 29' into which the bulbous portions 28 are snap receivable, the outer portions of the cover on opposite sides of each of the enlarged portions 29' being slotted at 29" and the cover being constructed of resilient material. A generally spherical hollow lubricant bladder 32 is seatingly captive within a downwardly opening partial spherical recess in the cover 30. The lower end of the bladder 32 is rupturable by means of an upwardly projecting spike 33 carried by a cross brace 34 below the cover 30 upon down displacement of the cover 30 from the ready position thereof illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the cover 30 being releasably frictionally retained in the upper ready position by the bulbous portions 28 being seated in the lower set of enlarged channel portions 29'.

The left hand side of the body 12 is provided with a longitudinally extending radial slot 48 and the left side of the shield 22 is also provided with a radial slot 50. In addition, the right hand side of the body 12 is provided with similar longitudinally spaced and extending slots 52 and 54 and the right side of the shield 22 is provided with a radial slot 56 which opens into the opening 24 but terminates radially outwardly a spaced distance from the outer periphery of the disk 22. Further, the upper sections of the right and left hand side portions of the shield 22 include depending protective flanges 55 and 57 supported from the rear surfaces thereof and which overlap the rear extremities of the slots 56 and 50.

The upper marginal edge portion of the disk 22 includes a forwardly projecting partial cylindrical shield flange 58 and the front surface of the shield 22 includes a pair of forwardly projecting integral lugs 60 disposed above and below the outer end portion of the slot 50. Finally, the lower marginal edge portion of the shield 22 includes a forwardly projecting handle 62 terminating at its forward end in a downwardly and reversely curving fingergrip 64.

The distal end 66 of a catheter 68 is loosely telescoped into the rear end of the bore 14 and positioned in the transversely enlarged intermediate portion 20 of the bore 14 below the tearable membrane 36. The open end of a protective bag 70 in which all but the distal end of the catheter is received is supported from the diametrically reduced neck or end 16 of the body 12 by means of a clamp ring 72, the latter being provided with a longitudinal slot 74 aligned with the slot 50 and a pair of axially spaced longitudinal radial slots 76 registered with the slot 54.

In operation, the entire catheter assembly 10 is packaged within a sealed protective envelope (not shown). When it is desired to use the catheter assembly, the latter is removed from its protective envelope and the cover 30 is downwardly displaced to rupture the bladder 32 whereby the lubricant within the bladder will flow down into the transversely enlarged portion 20 of the bore 14 and lubricate the distal end of the catheter 68. Then, the assembly 10 is held in one hand (with the associated male organ) by the fingergrip 64 of the handle 62 the manner illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 1 of the drawings and the catheter 68 projecting out of the rearward end of the body 12 is pushed forward with the other hand through the envelope or bag 70 until the distal end 66 of the catheter has been inserted in the bladder, the handle 64 serving as a "docking" guide to facilitate alignment of the head of the male organ with the distal end 66 of the catheter 68. Then, the lugs 60 are engaged in both hands and pulled apart in order to split the shield 22 along the slots 50 and 56 and to also split the body 12 along the slots 48, 52 and 54 as well as the clamp ring 72 along the slots 74 and 76, see FIG. 10. Thereafter, the two halves of the assembly 10 are removed from about the catheter 68 and the envelope 70 may be slid from the proximal end of the catheter 68.

In FIGS. 11 through 16 of the drawings there may be seen a modified form of catheter assembly 10' constructed in accordance with the present invention, but which is adapted to be used in catheterizing female patients. Various of the components of the female catheter assembly 10' are identical, or at least substantially identical, to corresponding components of the male catheter assembly 10. Accordingly, the various identical or nearly identical components of the female catheter 10' are designated by prime reference numerals corresponding to the numerals applied to the corresponding components of the male catheter illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10.

The female catheter assembly 10' differs from the male catheter assembly 10 in that the female catheter 10' does not include a shield corresponding to the shield 22 or the equivalent of the handle 62 supported from the shield 22. Rather, the lower portion of the body 12' of the female catheter assembly 10' is provided with a depending support rib 13 from whose lower marginal portion a horizontal transverse flange 15 is supported. The opposite side marginal portions of the flange 15 converge forwardly and have upstanding opposite side shield flanges 17 and 19 supported therefrom notched at their forward ends as at 21 and 23, respectively. Also, the flange 19 includes an upwardly projecting handle 25 intermediate its front and rear ends.

In operation, the female catheter assembly 10' is moved into position by one hand grasping the handle 25 and thereafter used in substantially the same manner as the assembly 10, except that the entire shield comprising the rib 13, flange 15 and the flanges 17 and 19 are broken away from the upper half of the body 12' when the lower half of the body 12' is separated from the upper half. Also, the body 12' includes an upstanding transverse flange 27, see FIG. 13, which serves to interconnect the forward ends of the wall portions 26' corresponding to the wall portions 26.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be restored to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A catheter assembly for packaging in sterile condition within a removable protective envelope, said assembly including an elongated separable rigid body having a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough including a transversely enlarged mid-portion, said body including a distal living body engaging shield, lubrication reservoir means supported from said rigid body and communicating with said enlarged mid-portion and comprising a means for dispensing a lubricant into said passageway mid-portion, a catheter having its distal end telescoped in said passageway from one end thereof and positioned in said enlarged mid-portion, said rigid body being provided with weakened opposite side portions extending longitudinally thereof whereby said body may be readily separated from about said catheter.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lubricant reservoir means includes a reservoir supported from an upper portion of said body, and dispensing means operatively associated with said reservoir for establishing communication between the latter and said passageway mid-portion.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said reservoir comprises a rupturable bladder, said dispensing means including means for rupturing said bladder.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said reservoir is positioned above said passageway mid-portion for gravity flow of lubricant from said bladder, after the latter is ruptured, into said passageway mid-portion.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said one end of said body has the open end of an elongated tubular protective bag secured thereover, the proximal end of said catheter being disposed in said bag.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said one end of said body has a clamp ring secured thereover under which the open end of said protective bag is secured, said clamp ring including weakened opposite side longitudinal areas thereof corresponding to the weakened opposite side portions of said body.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the weakened opposite side portions of said body include an at least substantially full length slot formed in one side of said body and a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots formed in and extending along the other side of said body.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said slot formed in said one side of said body opens through the opposite ends of said body and into said passageway the full length of said body.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said distal body engaging shield includes a generally disk shaped means centered relative to the rigid body, said shield having a central catheter opening formed therethrough with which the adjacent end of said passageway is registered and having a protruding handle means.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said shield includes opposite side weakened radial areas thereof registered with the adjacent ends of the weakened opposite side portions of said body.

11. A catheter assembly for packaging in sterile condition within a removable protective envelope, said assembly including an elongated rigid tubular body having a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough open at its opposite ends, a catheter having its distal end telescoped into said passageway from one end thereof for subsequent projection from the other end of said body, said body being provided with a main longitudinal slot on one side thereof opening through the opposite ends of said body and longitudinally spaced and aligned longitudinally extending slots on the opposite side thereof, said body including connecting portions disposed between adjacent ends of said longitudinally spaced slots, said longitudinally spaced spaced slots and connecting portions of said body defining weakened portions of said body extending longitudinally thereof opposite said main slot along which said connecting side portions of said body may be broken by spreading apart the body portions defining the opposite sides of said main slot, whereby said body may be readily separated from about said catheter.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said one end of said body has an open end of an elongated tubular protective bag secured thereover, the proximal end of said catheter being disposed in said bag, said one end of said body having a clamp ring secured thereover under which the open end of said protective bag is secured, said clamp ring including weakened opposite side longitudinal areas thereof corresponding to the weakened opposite side portions of said body.

13. The combination of claim 11 wherein the other end of said body includes an endwise outwardly projecting handle generally paralleling and disposed to one side of the central line of said passageway.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the outer end of said handle includes an outwardly directed and reversely curved fingergrip.

15. The combination of claim 11 wherein one side portion of said body includes an outstanding handle disposed at generally right angles relative to the central line of said passageway.