Patent ID: 8500675

Claim:
A multitube catheter assembly comprising: a plurality of tube catheters, each having a proximal opening, a distal opening and outer surface defining a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough between the respective distal and proximal openings, said lumens each having a length, the tube catheters being non-concentric with at least one of said lumens being circular throughout the length between said respective distal and proximal openings; each lumen being independent from each other; wherein a portion of the outer surface of one tube catheter is fused to at least a portion of the outer surface of at least one other tube catheter to form a fused bundle comprising a generally circular outer wall comprising fused material, such that when viewed in transverse cross section, the fused bundle comprises a generally circular outside configuration defined by said wall; wherein the lumens each have a diameter when viewed in transverse cross section; an outer boundary of said lumens being formed from fused material, said fused material being generally radially, and circumferentially distributed within a region corresponding to the outer wall and a region outside the lumen diameter, such that each lumen is substantially surrounded by fused material; said tube catheters comprising a higher pressure catheter and a lower pressure catheter, said higher pressure catheter being adapted to resist a greater tube catheter internal pressure than said lower pressure catheter.