Catheter Innovations, Inc.

Other

C. R. Bard, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Navilyst Medical, Inc.

H Robert Moorehead

Marcia A Wise

Thomas A Wiita

Brian J Bergeron

Apparatus and methodology are disclosed for entrapping a used intravenous needle in a needle trap and removing the needle and the trap from a catheter tube so as to avoid risk of injury to both the patient and the medical attendant.

Trapping of intravenous needle associated with a long catheter, and related methods

A pressure activated two-way slit valve assembly is designed to be used in combination with, but not limited to, a high flow rate catheter to prevent accidental ingestion of air or loss of blood if the closure cap comes off during non-use of the catheter. In addition, the potential for occlusion of the catheter due to blood clots in the catheter and catheter related infection is substantially reduced. The pressure activated two-way slit valve assembly includes a first end, a second end, a wall defining a dumbbell shaped channel, and a flexible, thin disk having a slit and positioned within the pressure activated two-way slit valve assembly to reside within the dumbbell shaped channel. The slit and the dumbbell shaped channel are sized to enable the slit to deform in response to a predetermined pressure differential across the slit to allow fluid to pass therethrough.

Valved catheters including high flow rate catheters

Novel ports to be placed within medical patients for dispensing liquid medication and related methods are disclosed, each port comprising an interior variable volume reservoir for receiving and temporarily storing the liquid medication.

Anti-sludge medication ports and related methods

Enabled or activated closure and sealing devices in the form of closure balloons, and related methods, are disclosed, which substantially preclude entry and clotting of blood at the distal end of a lumen of an indwelling catheter tube during times when flow therein is not occurring. The closure and sealing balloon is disabled or deactivated to accommodate flow, without clotting, through the lumen of the catheter tube when flow therein is resumed.

Anti-clotting methods and apparatus for indwelling catheter tubes

An adjustable medical outdwelling, normally closed, pressure-responsive slit valve flow control for fluid (liquids and gases) and related methods wherein a diaphragm having a slit therein may be flexed both distally and proximally by respective pressure differentials across the diaphragm. One or more adjustment members are provided on one or both sides of the diaphragm to selectively adjust the amount of pressure differential required to open the slit valve.

Outdwelling slit valve and variable control for controlling opening and

The present invention is directed to novel methods and apparatus for structurally enhancing a catheter which can be employed to withstand the damaging stresses experienced by catheters implanted in bodily tissues, particularly catheters implanted in the compressed area between the clavicle and first rib of a patient. The enhanced catheter includes a nonmetallic inner tubular sleeve comprised wholly of a compliant material that is inserted in frictional engagement with the interior of the walls of the catheter. The inner sleeve has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the catheter. The structurally enhanced catheter can be manufactured by immersing a portion of a catheter in freon which causes the immersed portion to swell to have an inner diameter temporarily greater than the outer diameter of the tubular sleeve. Thereafter, the tubular sleeve is advanced site-selectively to a position within the catheter. Finally, the portions of the exposed catheter are allowed to return to their normal size around the inserted reinforcing sleeve. Alternatively, the structurally enhanced catheter can be manufactured by advancing a reinforcing sleeve site-selectively to a position within the catheter while the catheter is inflated by introducing pressurized gas. The tubular sleeve is oriented on a hollow rod connected to an air pump and moved to the open end of the catheter. This forces air ahead of and around the tubular sleeve, increasing the diameter of the catheter surrounding the reinforcing sleeve so that the reinforcing sleeve may be advanced. After the reinforcing sleeve is in position, the rod is removed and the catheter returns to its normal position frictionally engaging the exterior of the reinforcing sleeve.

Site-selective durability-enhanced catheter and methods of manufacturing

A cardiovascular outdwelling, normally closed, pressure-responsive slit valve liquid flow control and related methods wherein a diaphragm having a slit therein is flexed distally by hydrostatic pressure and proximally by negative pressure at different points in time to selectively open the slit and accommodate the flow of IV solution to a medical patient through a cannula and blood sampling from the cardiovascular system of the patient through the cannula in such a way as to prevent bleed-back and clotting of blood within the cannula.

Two-way outdwelling slit valving of medical liquid flow through a

A novel apparatus for a catheter for use in aspirating and/or infusing fluids into a patient. The catheter, having a proximal end and a distal end, comprises a plurality of valves in the walls of the catheter comprised of relatively soft material while maintaining a predetermined degree of structural integrity at the catheter tip. The plurality of valves are radially distributed in offset relation around the distal end of the catheter such that no two valves lie in any one radial plane. Similarly, the plurality of valves are longitudinally separated or offset in their placement at relatively short, but differentiated, distances from the distal end of the catheter such that no two valves lie in any one axial plane. The radial and longitudinal separation of the valves helps avoid structrual weakness in the catheter, particularly at the distal end of the catheter. The catheter may be a single-lumen catheter, or a multi-lumen catheter. The plurality of valves are comprised of a primary valve constructed to be preferably operable during infusion and/or aspiration, and at least one secondary valve which operates as a surrogate should the primary valve become partially or totally occluded. The catheter enables repeated infusion and/or aspiration over a period of time. The present invention also includes methods for using and manufacturing the catheter by following certain steps.

Growing community of inventors

Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

H Robert Moorehead