Suprapubic catheter with dual balloons

A suprapubic catheter comprising, an elongated shaft having a drainage lumen extending therethrough, and a plurality of openings extending through the shaft and communicating with the drainage lumen. The catheter has a first elastic sleeve secured to the shaft in spaced circumferential zones and defining a first cavity beneath the first sleeve, with the first sleeve being located adjacent a distal end of the shaft. The catheter has a second elastic sleeve secured to the shaft in spaced circumferential zones and defining a second cavity beneath the second sleeve, with the second sleeve being located proximal the first sleeve, and with the openings being located intermediate the first and second sleeves. The catheter has one or more inflation lumens extending along the shaft for inflating the first and second sleeves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to suprapubic catheters. 
Patients are commonly catheterized with urinary or Foley catheters in which 
the catheter is passed through the urethra of a patient until a distal end 
of the catheter is located in the patient's bladder. During 
catheterization with a urinary catheter, urine drains from the bladder 
through the catheter, and through a drainage tube attached to a promixal 
end of the catheter to a drainage bag for collection therein. In 
suprapubic systems, a catheter is passed through the abdominal wall of the 
patient until a distal end of the catheter is located in the bladder. 
During catheterization with a suprapubic catheter, urine drains from the 
bladder through the catheter, through a drainage tube connected to a 
proximal end of the catheter to a drainage bag for collection therein. 
There are important advantages of the suprapubic catheter over the urinary 
catheter. First, the incidence of infection in the suprapubic systems is 
much less than that in urinary catheters. Second, if surgery has taken 
place in the region of the urethra, it is desirable to keep the catheter 
from the surgical area to promote healing. Third, urinary catheters 
prevent normal voiding by the patient, while the suprapubic systems permit 
voiding once the drainage tube in the suprapubic system is closed. Hence, 
in suprapubic systems the physician may readily determine whether the 
patient is ready to void naturally, while in urinary catheter systems the 
catheter must be removed from the patient to achieve this result. Finally, 
the suprapubic systems are more comfortable for the patient than urinary 
catheters, and the suprapubic systems increase the mobility of the 
patient. 
However, prior suprapubic catheters generally have a coil at a distal end 
located in the bladder, and it has been found that some of the coils of 
thermoplastic materials have a tendency to straighten out and pass into 
the urethra thus blocking drainage of the catheter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A principal feature of the present invention is the provision of an 
improved suprapubic catheter. 
The suprapubic catheter of the present invention comprises, an elongated 
shaft having a drainage lumen extending therethrough, and a plurality of 
openings extending through the shaft and communicating with the drainage 
lumen. The catheter has a first elastic sleeve secured to the shaft in 
spaced circumferential zones and defining a first cavity beneath the first 
sleeve, with the first sleeve being located adjacent a distal end of the 
shaft. The catheter has a second elastic sleeve secured to the shaft in 
spaced circumferential zones and defining a second cavity beneath the 
second sleeve, with the second sleeve being located proximal the first 
sleeve, and with the openings being located intermediate the first and 
second sleeves. The catheter has means for inflating the first and second 
sleeves. 
A feature of the present invention is that the inflated second sleeve 
retains the catheter in place in the bladder, and prevents accidental pull 
out of the catheter from the bladder. 
Still another feature of the invention is that the inflated second sleeve 
seals against the bladder and prevents leakage around the catheter. 
Yet another feature of the invention is that the inflated second sleeve 
indicates how far the catheter should be pulled out with the distal 
portion of the catheter in place in the bladder. 
A further feature of the invention is that the inflated first sleeve 
prevents the catheter from passing into the urethra. 
Thus, a feature of the invention is that the inflated first sleeve prevents 
blockage of the catheter. 
Further features will become more fully apparent in the following 
description of the embodiments of this invention and from the appended 
claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a suprapubic catheter 
generally designated 10 having an elongated shaft 12, with the shaft 12 
having a drainage lumen 14 extending therethrough. The shaft 12 may have 
an open distal end 15. 
The catheter 10 has a first elastic sleeve or balloon 16 bonded to the 
shaft 12 in spaced circumferential zones 18 and 20 at ends of the first 
sleeve 16, with the first sleeve 16 defining a first cavity 22 beneath the 
first sleeve 16. As shown, the first sleeve 16 is located adjacent a 
distal end portion 24 of the shaft 12. 
The catheter 10 has a second elastic sleeve or balloon 26 secured to the 
shaft 12 in spaced circumferential zones 28 and 30 at ends of the second 
sleeve 26, with the second sleeve 26 defining a second cavity 32 beneath 
the second sleeve 26. As shown, the second sleeve 26 is located proximal 
the first sleeve 16. The shaft 12 has a plurality of openings 34 extending 
through the shaft 12 and communicating with the drainage lumen 14 at a 
location intermediate the first and second sleeves 16 and 26. 
The catheter 10 has a connector 36 attached to a proximal end 38 of the 
shaft 12. The connector 36 has a first side arm 40 having a first valve 42 
of known type which actuates by contact of the tip of a syringe (not 
shown). The first side arm 40 and shaft 12 have a first inflation lumen 44 
communicating between the first valve 42 and the first cavity 22 of the 
first sleeve 16. 
The connector 36 has a second side arm 46 having a second valve 48 of known 
type which actuates by contact of a tip of a syringe. The second side arm 
46 and shaft 12 have a second inflation lumen 50 extending between the 
second valve 48 and the second cavity 32. The catheter 10 may be 
constructed from silicon. 
In use, a puncture is made in the abdominal wall of the patient, and the 
catheter 10 is passed through the puncture until the first and second 
balloons 16 and 26 are located in the bladder of the patient. A depth mark 
52 is provided on the shaft 12 to indicate when the balloons are in the 
bladder. Next, the first balloon 16 is inflated by contacting the first 
valve 42 with the syringe and pumping fluid through the first valve and 
first inflation lumen 44 into the first cavity 22. The second balloon 26 
is then inflated by contacting the second valve 48 with the syringe and 
pumping fluid through the second valve 48 and second inflation lumen 50 
into the second cavity 32. The catheter 10 is then pulled proximally until 
the second inflated balloon 26 contacts the bladder wall. 
Thus, the inflated second balloon retains the catheter in place in the 
bladder, and prevents accidental pulling out of the catheter from the 
bladder. Also, the inflated second balloon seals against the bladder and 
prevents leakage around the catheter, and also indicates how far the 
catheter should be pulled out with the first balloon 16 in place in the 
bladder. The inflated first balloon 16 prevents the catheter from passing 
into the urethra, and thus prevents possible blockage of the catheter 10. 
The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding 
only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as 
modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.