Patent ID: 8825129
Filing Date: 2014-09-02
Classification: A61B,A61M,A61N

Abstract:
1. A nerve block catheter system comprising a flexible indwelling nerve block catheter and a rigid stylet, the catheter and stylet each comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion terminating in a distal tip, wherein: (a) the distal portion of the catheter comprises a tissue lock which engages target site tissue and thereby anchors the catheter to the target site tissue without axially advancing or retracting the catheter tip whereby the catheter tip is retained in pharmacological proximity to a target nerve, and the proximal portion of the catheter comprises an actuator of the tissue lock, (b) the stylet is insertable axially in the catheter, providing rigidity to the catheter system during placement, (c) the distal tip of the stylet is sufficiently sharp to push through to the target site tissue, and (d) the distal portion of the catheter and/or stylet comprises an electrode that senses and/or stimulates nerve electrical activity for placement, wherein: the tissue lock is reversible and reversibly engages the target site tissue without axially advancing or retracting the catheter tip, the tissue lock comprises one or more protrusions and the actuator alternatively causes the protrusions to engage or disengage the target site tissue, the protrusions are bulges, the catheter comprises an inner sheath and outer sheath, and one or more sections of the outer sheath are made of a compliant material that bulges outward to form the bulges when the outer sheath is axially compressed, the actuator comprises a mechanism that causes the outer sheath to compress axially, and the system further comprises a skin-mounted decoupler that insulates the tip of the catheter from proximal tissue movement.