U.S. patent number 3,898,993 [Application Number 05/506,896] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-12 for lubricated catheter.
Invention is credited to Tokuso Taniguchi.
United States Patent |
3,898,993 |
Taniguchi |
August 12, 1975 |
Lubricated 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. 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 the slot portions for separation of the body
from about the catheter. A tubular lubricant reservoir is provided
and includes a first open end and a second closed end in the form
of a collapsible bulbous portion. The tubular reservoir has its
open end telescoped over the distal end of the catheter and the
corresponding end of the longitudinal bore formed through the body.
In addition, the body includes opposite side outwardly projecting
shield portions adjacent the distal 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.
Inventors: |
Taniguchi; Tokuso (Hilo,
HI) |
Family
ID: |
27017158 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/506,896 |
Filed: |
September 17, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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400694 |
Sep 25, 1973 |
3861395 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
604/172 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
25/002 (20130101); A61M 25/0111 (20130101); A61M
2025/0062 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
25/00 (20060101); A61M 25/01 (20060101); A61M
025/00 (); A61M 007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/349R,245,214.4,35R,348,221 ;206/63.2R,63.2A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Medbery; Aldrich F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: O'Brien; Clarence A. Jacobson;
Harvey B.
Parent Case Text
This application comprises a continuation-in-part of my copending
U.S. application Ser. No. 400,694, filed Sept. 25, 1973, and now
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,395, for Automated Catheter.
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 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 at one end of
said body for subsequent projection of said catheter from the other
end of said passageway, said body being provided with, on one side
thereof, a longitudinally extending weakened zone and on the
opposite side thereof longitudinally spaced and aligned slots, the
connecting portions of said opposite side of said body disposed
between adjacent ends of adjacent slots and the latter defining a
second weakened zone extending longitudinally of said body, whereby
said body may be parted along said weakened zones from about said
body, and a tubular lubricant reservoir open at one end and having
said one end removably telescoped over said distal end of said
catheter and within said other end of said passageway, the other
end of said tubular reservoir defining a lubricant receiving area
and including means operative to cause displacement of said
lubricant from said area toward said one end of said tubular
reservoir and about said distal end of said catheter.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said one end of said body
includes an endwise outwardly opening cup-shaped shield into the
center of whose closed end said one end of said passageway opens,
said shield including weakened opposite side areas thereof aligned
with said weakened zones of said body.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said one end of said body
includes a living body engaging shield.
4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said shield is supported
solely from a portion of said body disposed between said weakened
zones.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tubular lubricant
reservoir is constructed of stiff but somewhat resilient material,
said lubricant receiving area comprising a hollow and collapsible
bulbous enlargement carried by said other end of said tubular
reservoir, said means operative to cause lubricant from said area
comprising deformable material of which said bulbous enlargement is
constructed.
6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said one end of said tubular
lubricant reservoir includes circumferentially spaced lengthwise
extending tongue portions supported from the remainder of said
reservoir only at the ends thereof adjacent said other end of said
reservoir, the outer surfaces of said tongue portions defining
wedge surfaces for causing inward displacement of the free ends of
said tongue portions in response to seated engagement of said
tongue portions in the other end of said passageway.
7. A catheter assembly for packaging in sterile condition within a
removable protective envelope, said assembly including an elongated
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 at one end of said body for
subsequent projection of said catheter from the other end of said
passageway, and a tubular lubricant reservoir open at one end and
having said one end removably telescoped over said distal end of
said catheter and within said other end of said passageway, the
other end of said tubular reservoir defining a lubricant receiving
area and including means operative to cause displacement of said
lubricant from said area toward said one end of said tubular
reservoir and about said distal end of said catheter.
8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said one end of said tubular
lubricant reservoir includes circumferentially spaced lengthwise
extending tongue portions supported from the remainder of said
reservoir only at the ends thereof adjacent said other end of said
reservoir, the outer surfaces of said tongue portions defining
wedge surfaces for causing inward displacement of the free ends of
said tongue portions in response to seated engagement of said
tongue portions in the other end of said passageway.
9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said one end of said body
includes an endwise outwardly opening cup-shaped shield into the
center of whose closed end said one end of said passageway opens,
said shield including weakened opposite side areas thereof aligned
with said weakened zones of said body.
10. The combination of claim 7 wherein said tubular lubricant
reservoir is constructed of stiff but somewhat resilient material,
said lubricant receiving areas comprising a hollow and collapsible
bulbous enlargement carried by said other end of said tubular
reservoir, said means operative to cause lubricant from said area
comprising deformable material of which said bulbous enlargement is
constructed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of self-lubricating catheters and catheters
specifically designed for sterile packaging have been heretofore
designed. Examples of such previously patented catheters may be
found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,077,194, 3,154,080, 3,345,988, 3,444,860,
3,515,173, 3,556,294, 3,595,230, 3,566,874, 3,592,192, 3,605,752,
3,606,889, 3,672,376, 3,677,244, 3,682,173, 3,683,928 and
3,776,915. Although these numerous prior types of catheters have
been developed, a need still exists for a catheter construction
which will lend itself to sterile packaging, ease in lubrication by
lubricant also contained within the sterile packaging and ease of
insertion by way of a tubular guide through which the catheter is
advanced during insertion and which may be readily separated from
about the catheter after insertion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The automated catheter assembly of the instant invention has been
designed to simplify the catheterization 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 catheter is advanced
through the bore while one hand supports the body in alignment with
the female urethra or the male penis. Also, the body includes
opposite side shield portions whereby adjacent portions of the
patient's body are shielded against contact with the distal end of
the catheter and the body and the 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 patient and the penis of a male patient.
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 accordance 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, simple to use
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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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 a view of the tubular body and shield portions of the
catheter assembly;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of the catheter assembly
of the instant invention as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 1
and prior to lubrication of the catheter;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially
upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and
illustrating the manner in which the catheter may be lubricated and
the lubricant reservoir may be removed in phantom lines;
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the
plane indicated by the section line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the proximal end of the
lubricant reservoir;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken
substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7--7 of
FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to the
central portion of FIG. 4 but illustrating the lubricant reservoir
in the process of being endwise telescoped from the distal end of
the catheter;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the removable spring clamp by which
the protective bag portion of the catheter assembly is removably
supported from the proximal end of the tubular body portion of the
automated catheter;
FIG. 10 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. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the distal end
of the catheter assembly illustrated in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional
view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section
line 12--12 of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially
upon the plane indicated by the section line 13--13 of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the
proximal end of the tubular lubricant reservoir utilized in the
assembly illustrated in FIGS. 10 through 13; and
FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the tubular body and shield
portion of the female form of automated catheter with parts thereof
being broken away and illustrated in vertical section and an
exploded or removed position of the top half of the tubular body
illustrated in phantom lines.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10
generally designates a catheter assembly for utilization in
conjunction with male catheterization. The catheter assembly 10
includes a generally cylindrical body 12 having a longitudinal bore
14 formed therethrough. The body 12 includes a forward or distal
end 16 and a rear or proximal end 18 and the forward end of the
bore 14 includes a slightly outwardly flaring counterbore 20. Also,
an intermediate portion of the body 12 includes an outwardly
projecting and circumferentially extending rib 29 for a purpose to
be hereinafter more fully set forth.
Formed integrally with the distal end 16 is a generally circular
plate 22 and the plate 22 projects radially outwardly from the
distal end 16 and closes the rear or proximal end of a forwardly
opening cup-shaped shield 24 including a thickened reinforcing bead
26 at its forward distal end.
The body 12, plate 22 and shield 24 are slotted along one radial
plane of the coinciding center axes of the bore 14, the counterbore
20 and the shield 24. The diametrically opposite portions of the
body 12, the plate 22 and shield 24 are provided with slightly
longitudinally spaced slots 30, 32 and 34 with unslotted portions
36 and 38 of the shield 24 and body 12 being disposed between the
slots 30 and 32 and the slots 32 and 34. The continuous slot
diametrically opposite the slots 30, 32 and 34 is referred to by
the reference numeral 40 and portions of the shield 24 closely
adjacent the slot 40 are provided with outwardly projecting
manually engageable lugs 42 and 44 for a purpose to be hereinafter
more fully set forth.
The distal end 46 of a catheter 48 is telescoped through the bore
14 from the proximal end 18 of the body 12 and substantially fully
received within the shield 24. In addition, the open end portion 50
of an elongated tubular envelope 52 is telescoped over the proximal
end 18 of the body 12 and retained in position thereon by means of
a C-shaped spring clamp 54 including a manually engageable lug 56
provided to facilitate manual removal of the spring clamp 54. The
opposite end of the tubular envelope or sleeve 52 is closed and
fully encloses the proximal end of the catheter 48. However, the
opposite end of the sleeve 52 may be left partially open when the
proximal end of the catheter 48 is assembled in continuity with a
tube (not shown) leading to a drainage bag.
A tubular lubricant reservoir 58 is provided and includes three
peripherally spaced and radially outwardly projecting wedge-type
lugs 60 on its proximal end with the lugs 60 being radially
inwardly displaceable through generally radial slots 62 formed in
the proximal end of the reservoir 58. The proximal end of the
reservoir 58 is tightly wedged into the outwardly flaring
counterbore 20 and the distal end of the tubular reservoir is
closed by means of a collapsible bulbous portion 64 disposed
outwardly of the distal end of the shield 24 and provided with a
slotted closure diaphragm 66 at least substantially closing the
interior of the bulbous portion 64 from the remainder of the
lubricant reservoir 58. A quantity of lubricant 68 is disposed in
the bulbous portion 64 behind the slotted diaphragm 66 and the
lubricant 68 may be expressed from the bulbous portion 64 through
the slotted diaphragm 66 by manually squeezing the bulbous portion
64. Upon expression of lubricant 68 from the bulbous portion 64
through the diaphragm 66, the lubricant passes through the tubular
lubricant reservoir 58 about the distal end 46 of the catheter 48
toward the proximal end of the reservoir 58.
The entire catheter assembly 10 described above in detail is
adapted to be sealingly enclosed within a protective envelope for
sterile purposes. When it is desired to use the catheter 10, the
outer protective envelope is removed and the bulbous portion 64 is
manually collapsed in order to express the lubricant 68 from the
bulbous portion 64 and cause the distal end 46 of the catheter 48
to be lubricated. Then, the lubricant reservoir 58 is displaced to
the left as illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 4 to withdraw the
lubricant reservoir 58 from its frictionally retained but
releasable position supported within the slightly outwardly flaring
counterbore 20 of the bore 14. Then, the proximal end of the body
12 is gripped through the envelope 52 and the shield 24 is guided
over the end of the male penis in order to properly position the
distal end 46 of the catheter 48 relative to the male organ.
Thereafter, the catheter 48 is pushed forward through the envelope
52 to project the distal end thereof into the male organ while the
latter and the shield 24 are held in aligned relation by the other
hand and with the shield 24 serving as a "docking" guide to
maintain alignment of the head of the male organ with the distal
end 46 of the catheter 48. After the catheter 48 has been pushed
forward sufficiently for the distal end 46 thereof to be inserted
into the bladder, the clamp 54 is removed from about the open end
of the envelope 52 in order that the latter may be slipped from the
proximal end of the catheter 48. Then, the lugs 42 and 44 are
engaged in both hands and pulled apart in order to split the body
12, the plate 22 and the shield 24 along the slots 30, 32 and 34.
Thereafter, the two halves of the assembly 10 are removed from
about the catheter 48.
In FIGS. 10 through 15 of the drawings there may be seen a modified
form of catheter assembly referred to in general by the reference
numeral 10'. The assembly 10' is constructed in accordance with the
present invention, but 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
9.
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 24. Rather, the lower portion of
the tubular 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, while the labial folds are separated with the
other hand, upon insertion of the distal end 46' of the catheter
48' into the urethra, the catheter assembly 10' is grasped by the
handle 25, and the catheter 48' is pushed forward through the
envelope 52' until the catheter 48' enters the bladder. To free the
catheter 48', the entire lower half of the assembly 10' comprising
the rib 13, flange 15, flanges 17 and 19 and lower half of the body
12' are broken away from the upper half of the body 12'.
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 resorted to, falling within the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *