Patent ID: 7780638

Claim:
A catheter for the uniform delivery of fluid throughout an anatomical region, comprising: an elongated support constructed from a first material; a tubular, non-porous membrane that is wrapped around an entire circumference of a proximal portion of said support, wherein said non-porous membrane is a separate member from said support; a tubular, porous membrane that is wrapped around an entire circumference of said support, wherein said porous membrane covers a portion of the support distal of said non-porous membrane, wherein said porous membrane is a separate member from said non-porous membrane and said support and is constructed from a second material that is different from said first material, and wherein said non-porous membrane and said porous membrane have a substantially similar outer size and shape; said support being configured so that at least one lumen is formed between said support and said non-porous and porous membranes, wherein a proximal end of said at least one lumen is open such that fluid introduced into a proximal end of said catheter enters said at least one lumen, wherein said fluid first flows toward a distal end of said catheter and saturates said second material of said porous membrane along an entire length of said porous membrane, wherein the fluid then exits said catheter through said porous membrane at a rate determined by a rate of diffusion of said fluid through said porous membrane, said rate of fluid exit being substantially uniform along said entire length of said porous membrane.