A catheter having a shaft including a drainage lumen and an inflation lumen is provided with a molded connector unit bonded to its proximal end, the connector unit including a drainage fitting and an inflation side arm. A rigid adapter tube has its forward end extending into the drainage lumen and its rearward end seated against the drainage fitting to seal the drainage lumen and fitting from the side arm and inflation lumen; the adapter tube provides communication between the drainage lumen and the drainage fitting and the connector unit provides communication between the inflation lumen and the inflation side arm.
The invention relates to a balloon catheter, particularly an endotracheal theter, with a catheter tube of elastic, tissue-compatible material, in which the signal balloon (6) near the proximal end (3) of catheter tube (1) and the retention sleeve (4) near the distal end (2) of catheter tube (1) are present in a foil hose (15), extending over the entire length of the catheter tube, sheathing the catheter, and they are preformed in the hose in one piece. Foil hose (15) engages loosely on the catheter tube at the points of signal balloon (6) and retention sleeve (4), and is otherwise connected tightly with the catheter tube. Feed tube (5) connecting retention sleeve (4) with signal balloon (6) and the proximal end of the catheter tube can be formed by one or more grooves (14) in the outside wall of respirator tube (1), and the foil hose (15) covers the grooves to seal them gas- and liquid-tight from the outside. Furthermore, the balloon catheter is provided with a special fitted connector, which is particularly simple and safe to handle.
A catheter having a shaft carrying an inflatable retention means such as a Foley indwelling or retention catheter or an endotracheal tube is provided with a retention balloon or bulb comprising thermoplastic elastomer in the form of a sleeve or collar having its margins bonded to the outer surface of the shaft which maintains its inflation and its retention capability for an extended period of time. When the catheter shaft is made of thermoplastic elastomer, the balloon can be heat sealed to the shaft. A one-piece connector including drainage fitting, inflation side arm and safety signal balloon can be bonded to the proximal end of the shaft.
The invention relates to a remote controlled catheter guide provided with a micro-balloon which comprises a head formed of a coil spring (4) mounted at the end (2) of a tube (1). When pulling on a flexible traction member (7) fastened to an eccentric point inside the end of the head, this head can be curved at will. The remote controlled catheter guide with micro-balloon is thus constituted of the assembly of elements forming a channel through which it is possible to locate the flexible traction (8) which is inflatable through its feeding duct (9) it is possible to carry out the pre-dilatation of stenosis so that afterwords a conventional catheter can be slid in place over the catheter-guide.
