A catheter for the creation of an atrial septal defect without thoracotomy. The catheter comprises a main flexible tubular housing and a branch tubular housing. A flexible guide wire extends through the main housing and is secured at the distal end thereof and extends outwardly of the distal end. The guide wire can be deformed into a dome shape protruding from a slit opening in the distal end of the main housing by advancing the guide wire from the proximal end of the main housing. A tiny surgic...

A catheter for use in an animal or human body. A flexible tube resistant to the action of body fluids and compatible with the body environment, e.g., of silicone rubber, has an exterior portion, an interior portion, and a percutaneous or skin-passing portion. The interior portion has apertures for withdrawal of fluid from a body cavity or vessel; the exterior portion has a removable closure. The skin-passing portion has a fabric or textile skirt or annular flange that lies adjacent the inner sur...

A retention-type catheter adapted to be inserted, through the urethra, into the urinary bladder of a medical patient; the catheter including--in unitary relation--a primary tube for drainage of the bladder, a secondary tube for irrigation of the bladder, and an initially contracted but expansible retainer formed in the primary tube adjacent the tip thereof, the secondary tube being longitudinally movable relative to the primary tube and arranged to further serve as an exteriorly manually actuate...

A catheter for urinary and other purposes is disclosed, comprising means forming an elongated flexible conduit having an insertion end, the conduit also having a distal end spaced from the insertion end. Means are provided forming a protective sheath extending in continuous form from the insertion end toward the area of the distal end, and maintaining a substantially sterile condition on the entire outer surface of the conduit. The protective sheath may be a pair of telescopically-arranged tubes...

A catheter for the continuous irrigation of the bladder which has a drainage tube for the removal of fluid from the bladder, an auxiliary axial bore extending through the wall of the drainage tube, and an irrigation tube extending from the axial bore beyond the tip of the catheter. The irrigation tube has a plurality of radial discharge outlets. During use, the irrigation tube curves around the bladder; fluid passes through the irrigation tube to provide a discharge spray and a turbulent flow of...

A catheter structure which includes a disc adapted to be positioned in contact with the urethral meatus. The disc is provided with an aperture within which is positioned a thin-walled, flexible, tubular envelope that is secured to the disc. A semi-rigid catheter tube is associated with and supported by the envelope. As the catheter tube is moved toward and into the urethra, the envelope unrolls progressively to cover the walls of the urethra and thereby prevents direct contact between the cathet...

A method and apparatus is disclosed for making a combined needle and catheter of the type in which the needle is used to lead the end of the catheter thereon into a body cavity and, after insertion, is withdrawn through the catheter with most of the catheter remaining in the body. To form the catheter, the needle is initially placed in an upright position with its pointed end downward and located within the orifice of a die wiper. Thereafter, a measured quantity of a viscous plastic material or ...

A catheter for epidural anesthesia comprising a plastic tube which has its near end open permitting adaptation to the tip of syringe or the like, and the opposite or distal end rounded and carrying embedded in the interior of same a metallic piece opaque to X-rays; having in the distal end, which is closed, from two to six longitudinal slits, each of which is both longitudinally and circumferentially offset from the nearest adjacent slit so that the diametral planes in which said slits are place...

For use in administering continual spinal anesthesia, a catheter for longitudinal movement within the lumen of a relatively large needle used to approach just about to the spinal column to the end of the catheter, a thin needle with a through opening is secured and a stylet is provided in the catheter to advance the small needle relative to the large needle to pierce the wall of the spinal column in a relatively fine opening through which the anesthesia is administered.

A catheter comprising, an extruded tube having a drainage lumen and inflation lumen, with the inflation lumen communicating with the outside of the tube through an opening. The catheter has a tip secured to a distal end of the tube, and an annular sleeve extending from the tip and having a proximal end secured to the outside of the tube.