Patent ID: 7322953

Claim:
A medical catheter, which comprises: an elongated body adapted for insertion within a blood vessel, the elongated body including an outer wall defining a longitudinal axis and having leading and trailing end portions, and with at least one longitudinal lumen within the outer wall for passage of fluid, the leading end portion including an outer wall portion defining a peripheral arc segment and with a fluid port in fluid communication with the at least one longitudinal lumen, the peripheral arc segment defining opposed ridges, the ridges generally extending along the longitudinal axis, each ridge having an outer ridge surface dimensioned and positioned to engage interior wall portions of the blood vessel in supporting relation therewith to substantially minimize collapse of the vessel and occlusion of the fluid port, the outer ridge surface of at least one of the ridges defining a plurality of lateral channels therein, the lateral channels being longitudinally spaced relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.