Patent Publication Number: US-2018050172-A1

Title: Continuous bladder irrigation adaptor for a foley catheter

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for providing continuous bladder irrigation in combination with a traditional Foley catheter. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A Foley catheter is a medical device formed of a flexible tube that is passed through the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine. Foley catheters are a common type of indwelling urinary catheter. The tube of a Foley catheter has two separated channels, or lumens, running down its length. In use, one of the lumens is open at both ends and drains urine into a collection bag. The other lumen has a valve on the outside end and connects to a balloon at the tip. When the catheter is inserted into the bladder, the balloon is inflated with sterile water so that the balloon expands inside the bladder to retain the catheter in place. Foley catheters are commonly constructed of silicone rubber. Use of Foley catheters increases the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection and other adverse effects. 
     Irrigation of the bladder is frequently necessary following surgery and is sometimes required because of other conditions, such as bleeding following an injury or due to stones or tumors, or in cases of bladder dysfunction or chronic obstruction. In one conventional procedure, a catheter is inserted into the bladder and remains in place in the patient as long as irrigation is needed. The catheter is connected to a drain bag or container between treatments to allow urine to be discharged. When an irrigation treatment is to be given, the catheter is disconnected from the drain bag and a plunger-type syringe is filled with sterile water, or other fluid suitable for irrigation, and connected to the catheter. The bladder is then irrigated by depressing the plunger of the syringe after which the plunger is retracted to withdraw the fluid from the bladder. The catheter is then disconnected from the syringe and reconnected to the drain bag until time for the next treatment. This frequent opening and closing of the system provides many opportunities for infection. 
     Continuous bladder irrigation is also frequently used to prevent the formation of blood clots after surgery as well as to remove urine. Continuous bladder irrigation involves continuous infusion of a sterile solution into the bladder, usually by using a three-way irrigation closed system with a triple-lumen catheter. One lumen is used to drain urine; another is used to inflate the catheter balloon, and the final lumen carries the irrigation solution. However, the insertion of a triple lumen catheter first usually requires the removal of the standard double lumen catheter. Replacing catheters always carries a risk of infection. 
     Therefore it can be seen that there is a need for a means and method of providing continuous bladder irrigation without replacing the standard double lumen Foley catheter and therefore reducing the risks of infection. 
     SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an adaptor for use in continuous bladder irrigation, comprising a first hollow tube portion having at a first end a first connector portion adapted to be connected to a drainage outlet of a catheter wherein the first hollow tube portion being joined to a hollow inlet tube and a hollow outlet tube and the inlet tube having a fluid inlet connector and an insert portion extending from the fluid inlet connector and through the first hollow tube portion. 
     The present invention further provides a method of providing continuous bladder irrigation comprising the steps of attaching an inlet tube of an irrigation adaptor to a drainage port of an irrigant bag and removing air from an insert tube connected to the inlet tube by allowing irrigant liquid to flow from the irrigant bag through the insert tube so that air is removed from the insert tube and then stopping the flow of irrigant liquid and inserting the insert tube into a drainage lumen of an indwelling catheter and connecting the irrigation adaptor to a drainage port of the indwelling catheter, and connecting an outlet tube of the irrigation adaptor to a drainage bag and restarting the flow of irrigant liquid so that irrigant liquid flows through the insert tube. 
     The present invention also provides a medical device for providing continuous irrigation of an internal body part comprising a three-way adaptor formed of hollow tubing having a first opening, a second open and a third opening, the first opening being adapted for receiving a liquid and the second opening being adapted for connection to a catheter and the first opening having a hollow insert portion extending from the first opening and through the second opening and the hollow insert portion having a fluid outlet and wherein the second opening is larger than the hollow insert portion so that liquid may flow around the hollow insert portion through the second opening to the third opening. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for facilitating continuous irrigation through a standard catheter; 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an adaptor to create a third lumen in a standard catheter; 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a device which can be used to provide continuous irrigation and removed without removing a standard catheter. 
     According to the present invention, an adaptor for a catheter is provided for facilitating continuous irrigation. 
     It must be understood that no one embodiment of the present invention need include all of the aforementioned objects of the present invention. Rather, a given embodiment may include one or none of the aforementioned objects. Accordingly, these objects are not to be used to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. The invention will become more fully apparent from the claims and the description in connection with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is plan view of the continuous bladder irrigation adaptor; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmented view of the continuous bladder irrigation adaptor of  FIG. 1  connected to a catheter; 
         FIG. 3  is an alternative embodiment of the connectors; and 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The adaptor  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  includes a first Y-shaped portion  12  preferably formed of flexible material such as silicone or rubber having an inlet tube  14  and an outlet tube  16  and a connector  18 . The connector  18  and the outlet tube  16  are hollow to allow drainage to flow through the connector  18  into the outlet tube  16 . The inlet tube  14  includes an insert  20  of narrower diameter than the inside diameter of the connector  18  and the insert  20  extends through the connector  18 . The insert  20  is a flexible hollow tube and may be formed of the same material as the Y-shaped portion  12 , but is preferably less flexible than the material forming the Y-shaped portion. The insert  20  includes an insert outlet  22 . 
     It should be understood that although a true Y shape is shown, the inlet tube  14  and the outlet tube  16  as well as the connector  18  can be of different lengths, i.e. the inlet tube  14  could be shorter or longer than the outlet tube  16  and both the inlet tube  14  and outlet tube could be of different lengths than the connector  18 . 
     The inlet tube  14  includes an inlet port  24  for connecting to the drainage port  26  of an irrigant bag  28 . The insert  20  may be constructed as one piece with the inlet port  24  and the inlet port  24  can be attached directly to or formed as part of the connector  18 . The insert  20  can be attached to the inlet port  24  by welding, adhesive or a friction fit as long as a secure fluid tight seal is achieved. The inlet tube  14  and the inlet port  24  may be a single unitary part or may be formed of separate parts joined together by welding, adhesive or friction fit. The outlet tube  16  includes an outlet port  30  for connecting the outlet tube  16  to the tubing port  32  of a drainage bag  38 . The connector  18  includes a connector port  40  for connecting the adaptor  10  to a urine drainage port  42  of a Foley catheter  44 . Preferably, the connecting parts and tubing of the adaptor  10  are designed for use with standard medical equipment currently in use, however it is foreseeable that new standards may be developed for tubing materials, sizes and connectors and therefore this description of the preferred embodiment should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims to the preferred embodiment. 
     In use, the drainage port  26  of an irrigant bag  28  is preferably attached to the inlet port  24  and fluid is allowed to flow through insert  20  to remove air. The insert  20  is then placed into the drainage lumen  46  of the indwelling Foley catheter  44  and the insert  20  preferably extends substantially the length of the drainage lumen  46  so that the insert outlet  22  is near the input-output ports  48  of the Foley catheter  44 . The connector port  40  is then connected in a fluid-tight manner to the urine drainage port  42  of the Foley catheter  44 . Outlet port  30  is connected to the tubing port  32  of the drainage bag  38 . The irrigant fluid is then allowed to flow through the insert  20  to the input-output ports  48  of the catheter  44  and drainage flows through the drainage lumen  46  of the Foley catheter  44  to the outlet tube  16  to the drainage bag  38 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the inlet port  24  and outlet port  30  have smooth interior surfaces  54  and  56 , respectively to allow a frictional engagement. Connector port  40  has a smooth exterior surface  58  for engaging the urine drainage port  42  of the catheter  44 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an alternative stepped connector arraignment for the for the inlet port  22 , the outlet port  24  and the connector port  26  wherein the ports have stepped connectors. It should be understood that the mode of connecting the ports  22 ,  24  and  26  could be either male or female connections and any of the connectors could be smooth or stepped or have a threaded or locking connection. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1  showing the connector  18  and the insert  20 . 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is defined by the appended claims.