Patent ID: 7381190

Claim:
A method for direct, on-line monitoring of the intra-abdominal pressure of a medical patient, the method comprising: a) installing into said medical patient an apparatus comprising: an elongate urinary catheter comprising: a first lumen adapted for fluid communication with a retention balloon carried at a distal end of the elongate urinary catheter, a second lumen adapted for uninterrupted draining of urine from the medical patient's bladder, and a third lumen adapted for open fluid communication through proximal and distal ends of the elongate urinary catheter to permit instilling of a pressure transmitting medium into the medical patient's bladder allowing drainage of the pressure transmitting medium through the second lumen and to permit the transmission of change of the pressure through the third lumen via the pressure transmitting medium, without interrupting urine flow from the elongate urinary catheter; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the pressure transmitting medium; and removable coupling structure comprising an adapter that can be affixed to a proximal end of the third lumen and operable to place the pressure sensor into fluid communication with the pressure transmitting medium; b) irrigating said third lumen thereof with a pressure transmitting medium; and c) monitoring the pressure of said pressure transmitting medium without interruption of urine discharge from said patient so as to determine the intra-abdominal pressure of the medical patient with said apparatus.