Suction catheter with preformed tip

Abstract: The invention relates to a suction catheter comprising a tube-like basic body with a proximal and a distal end inside of which at least a discharge lumen extends, wherein a suction inlet connected to the discharge lumen has been arranged inside the basic body at a distance from the distal end, and a preformed, curved and pliable tip extends from the suction inlet to the distal end. The pliable tip may have been curved in a preformed manner in the direction in which the suction inlet is pointing.

Description: The invention relates to a suction catheter comprising a tube-like basic body with a proximal and a distal end inside of which at least a discharge lumen and a further lumen extends, wherein a suction inlet connected to the discharge lumen has been arranged inside the basic body at a distance from the distal end, and a preformed, curved and pliable tip extends the distal end. Such a suction catheter is known from EP-A-0 351 206. This known catheter is suitable for withdrawing, injecting or monitoring fluids within the central vasculature. The curved and pliable tip forms a blunt service, preventing damage to the blood vessel wall and preventing the introduction of the catheter in small vessels. The object of the invention is to further improve a catheter of this known kind. According to the invention, this object is achieved with a suction catheter of the kind set forth above, having the characterizing features of claim 1. In this way, the catheter can be used for instance to remove blood thrombi from the blood stream of a patient. The curved and pliable tip facilitates using the suction catheter also when larger blood vessels, such as the pulmonary artery, are concerned. An advantageous further development has been characterised in claim 2. This measure prevents the suction inlet from attaching itself to the wall of a blood vessel. The preformed curved tip ensures that the suction inlet is kept at a certain distance from the wall of the blood vessels. It has been found that the suction catheter as characterised in claim 3 is easy to handle. Preferably the measure as set out in claim 4 is employed. The catheter can then be guided by means of a guide wire. The measure as set out in claim 5 can in addition be employed in an advantageous manner. In that case the guide-wire-lumen extends substantially only in the end-section, so that in the section of the basic body extending from the proximal end to the suction inlet no space is taken up by the guide-wire-lumen. Consequently the discharge lumen can be given a maximum cross-section. The invention will be explained in greater detail below, with reference to the suction catheter according to the invention as illustrated in the figures. Figure 1 illustrates a partly broken away view of a suction catheter according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail indicated by arrow II in figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates a cross-section along the line III-III in figure 2. Figure 4 illustrates schematically the use of the suction catheter. The catheter 1 illustrated in figure 1 comprises a basic body 2, in which, at a distance from the distal end, a suction inlet 4 has been formed. This suction inlet 4 is connected with a discharge lumen, which extends form this opening 4 in the proximal direction to the proximal end of the catheter. There the discharge lumen 3 opens into a discharge connection 10. From the suction inlet 4, a preformed, curved and pliable tip 5 extends in the distal direction to the distal end. The curve is of the pigtail-type. As can be seen in the figure, the tip 5 is curved in the direction in which the suction inlet 4 is pointing. As a result the suction inlet 4 is at all times kept at a certain distance from the wall of a blood vessel into which the catheter has been introduced. The catheter shown in figure 1 is a preferred embodiment wherein the suction action at the suction inlet 4 is effected by means of ejector action. A pressure lumen 6 has been arranged inside the basic body 2 which ends close to the relatively distal end of the suction inlet 4, that is to say on the left-hand side in figure 1, in a jet nozzle 7 which is directed in the opposite, proximal direction along the suction inlet in the discharge lumen 3. As can be seen in greater detail in figure 2, a fluid jet can be directed along the opening 4 by means of the jet nozzle 7, as a result of which suction will be generated at the suction inlet 4 due to the ejector action. The material sucked in will be passed along by the liquid released from the jet nozzle 7 through the discharge lumen 3 to the discharge connection 10. At the proximal end the pressure lumen 6 is connected to a pressure connection 11. For the purpose of introducing the catheter 1, the curved tip 5 can be straightened by using a guide wire 13, which is advanced through a guide-wire-lumen 8 arranged for that purpose inside the basic body 2. At the proximal end this guide- wire-lumen 8 is connected with a guide-wire-connection 12. It should be noted that the connections 10, 11 and 12 in the figures 1 and 4 have only been illustrated schematically. A catheter used for the purpose described will have been provided at the proximal end with haemostatic devices in order to prevent undesired leaking out of blood via the lumens of the catheter. As can be seen in figure 4, the catheter 1 with the curved preformed tip 5 can be employed in large blood vessels and even be advanced through the heart 15 into the pulmonary artery. Because of the preformed Curve, the suction inlet 4 is positioned in a stable manner as required. The suction inlet 4 cannot attach itself to the wall as it is kept, by means of the curve 5, at a certain distance from the walls of the blood vessel. Although the guide-wire-lumen in the example of an embodiment shown extends right from the proximal end to the distal end, the catheter according to the invention can also be given the embodiment of a 'rapid exchange'-type. In that case the guide-wire-lumen extends from an opening in the wall of the basic body 2 positioned at a limited distance from the distal end to the distal end. With such an embodiment the guide-wire-lumen can be formed in the end-section only in a suitable manner. In that case the guide-wire-lumen does not take up any space in the section of the basic body through which the discharge lumen 3 and the pressure lumen 6 extend. These can in that case be given an optimum cross-section for the purpose of ejector action. The tip may be connected to the remaining part of the catheter in any suitable manner, for instance by means of glueing or welding. The specific shape of the curve may be adapted to the required operative position. The tip may have been manufactured in a suitable manner of a plastic material opaque to X-rays, so that the tip can be made properly visible on an X-ray screen.

Claims: Suction catheter comprising a tube-like basic body (2) with a proximal and a distal end inside of which at least a discharge lumen (3) and a further lumem (6) extends, wherein a suction inlet (4) connected to the discharge lumen (3) has been arranged inside the basic body (2) at a distance from the distal end, and a preformed, curved and pliable tip (5) extends the distal end, characterized in that the tip (5) extends from the suction inlet to the distal end and in that the further lumen (6) is a pressure lumen extending inside the basic body (2) which ends, close to the relatively distal end of the suction inlet, in a jet nozzle (7) directed in a proximal direction along the suction inlet (4) in the discharge lumen (3). Suction catheter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pliable tip (5) has been curved in a preformed manner in the direction in which the suction inlet (4) is pointing. Suction catheter as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the preformed curve is of the pigtail-type. Catheter as claimed in one of the previous claims, wherein the discharge lumen (3) extends to the suction inlet (4) and a guide-wire-lumen (8) extends to the distal end. Suction catheter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the guide-wire-lumen extends from an opening positioned distal to the suction inlet.

Inventors: REEKERS JAN ALBERTUS, REEKERS, JAN ALBERTUS
Applicants: CORDIS EUROP, CORDIS EUROPA N.V.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A61M25
IPC codes: A61M25, A61M1