Baxter International Inc.

Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.

Mark A Konno

Clement E Lieber

Miriam H Taimisto

David L Swendson

Lawrence J Busse

Robert Skidmore

John A Ripley

A catheter with several independent lumens extending longitudinally through the catheter for accepting probes and for introducing fluid through the catheter and into a body cavity is disclosed. The catheter outer body has a cross-sectional maximum outer dimension. The first lumen is circular in cross-section, and has a cross-sectional dimension of approximately half the maximum outer dimension of the catheter body. The first lumen is capable of accepting various probes, as well as allowing simultaneous fluid flow through the lumen. The second lumen is crescent-shaped in cross-section and occupies at least a quarter of an arc around the cross-section of the catheter body. The large cross-section of the second lumen allows for a high fluid flow rate through the lumen. The third lumen allows for inflation of an inflation balloon (when present), and the fourth lumen allows for the passing of a portion of an instrument along the length of the lumen.

Method of use of a transport catheter

A catheter with several independent lumens extending longitudinally through the catheter for accepting probes and for introducing fluid through the catheter and into a body cavity is disclosed. The cathater outer body has a cross-sectional maximum outer dimension. The first lumen is circular in cross-section, and has a cross-sectional dimension of approximately half the maximum outer dimension of the catheter body. The first lumen is capable of accepting various probes, as well as allowing simultaneous fluid flow through the lumen. The second lumen is crescent-shaped in cross-section and occupies at least a quarter of an arc around the cross-section of the catheter body. The large cross-section of the second lumen allows for a high fluid flow rate through the lumen. The third lumen allows for inflation of an inflation balloon (when present), and the fourth lumen allows for the passing of a portion of an instrument along the length of the lumen.

Transport catheter

A probe for use within a catheter is disclosed. The probe transducer portion is constructed of a crystal hollow cylinder with an inside lead attached to the inner surface of the crystal cylinder. One end of the outside lead is positioned close to the outer surface, in a plane tangential to the outer surface, and is coupled to the outer surface of the crystal cylinder by a thin sputtered layer of conductive material. The probe transducer also includes a layer of acoustically absorbing material on the proximal end of the crystal, and layer of acoustically coupling material on the distal end of the crystal cylinder. The transducer element simultaneously generates an axially oriented signal beam at one frequency and a radially oriented signal beam at 2 different frequency. The signal beams are analyzed to calculate the blood flow area and the blood flow velocity, the product of which is the blood flow rate.

Ultrasound probe for use with transport catheter and method of making

A method of sequentially analyzing various body conditions with a plurality of probes is disclosed. Also disclosed, is a catheter which can be used to practice the method. The catheter has several independent lumens extending longitudinally therethrough for accepting probes and for introducing fluid therethrough and into a body cavity. The catheter outer body has a cross-sectional maximum outer dimension. The first lumen is circular in cross-section, and has a cross-sectional dimension of approximately half the maximum outer dimension of the catheter body. The first lumen is capable of accepting various probes, as well as allowing simultaneous fluid flow through the lumen. The second lumen is crescent-shaped in cross-section and occupies at least a quarter of an arc around the cross-section of the catheter body. The large cross-section of the second lumen allows for a high fluid flow rate through the lumen. The third lumen allows for inflation of an inflation balloon (when present), and the fourth lumen allows for the passing of a portion of an instrument along the length of the lumen.

Transport catheter and multiple probe analysis method

A method and apparatus for determining right heart ejection fraction by injecting a cold indicator into the right ventricle or locations in the heart upstream thereof during an injection period and allowing the indicator to be diluted with blood and flow to the pulmonary artery whereby the temperature of the fluid in the pulmonary artery falls and then rises, measuring the temperature of the fluid in the pulmonary artery at least during the time that the temperature in the pulmonary artery is rising, measuring a prebolus temperature of the blood in the pulmonary artery prior to the time that the cold indicator reaches the pulmonary artery, establishing a post bolus baseline temperature which is lower than said prebolus baseline temperature, comparing at least some of the measured temperatures during the time that the temperatures of the fluid in the pulmonary artery are rising to the post bolus baseline temperature to establish temperature differentials, and using at least some of the temperature differentials to determine ejection fraction.

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Costa Mesa, CA, United States of America

Mark A Konno