Patent ID: 8727983

Claim:
A catheter-based medical device comprising: a catheter configured and arranged for at least partial insertion into a patient, the catheter defining at least one lumen, the at least one lumen configured and arranged to receive a first fluid; and a conductive-fluid detector coupled to the at least one lumen, the conductive-fluid detector configured and arranged to detect when a second fluid is disposed within the at least one lumen that is more conductive than the first fluid, the conductive-fluid detector comprising a first electrode having a proximal end, a distal end, and comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, a second electrode having a proximal end, a distal end, and comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and a fluid pathway coupled to the at least one lumen of the catheter, the fluid pathway comprising a plurality of axially-separated bodies, each body having an inner surface and defining a lumen, the lumens aligned to form a shared lumen in fluid communication with the at least one lumen of the catheter, the fluid pathway configured and arranged to receive the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the fluid pathway comprises a first elongated body having a proximal end disposed over the distal end of the outer surface of the first electrode such that the distal end of the outer surface of the first electrode couples to the inner surface of the first elongated body and the inner surface of the first electrode is disposed in the shared lumen, wherein the fluid pathway comprises a second elongated body having a distal end disposed over the proximal end of the outer surface of the second electrode such that the proximal end of the outer surface of the second electrode couples to the inner surface of the second elongated body and the inner surface of the second electrode is disposed in the shared lumen, and wherein the fluid pathway comprises a connecting body having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the inner surface of the connecting body coupled to the proximal end of the outer surface of the first electrode and the proximal end of the inner surface of the connecting body coupled to the distal end of the outer surface of the second electrode such that the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically separated from one another, and the first and second elongated bodies are axially separated by the connecting body.