Catheter assembly including coiled internal bolster

Abstract

A catheter assembly including a medical catheter and an internal bolster. In a preferred embodiment, the catheter is an elongated, tubular structure preferably made of a flexible, biocompatible material. The catheter is shaped to include a generally cylindrical wall terminating in a first end and in a second end, the wall coaxially surrounding and defining a longitudinal bore preferably used to convey fluids, such as food and/or medications, to a patient in need thereof. The internal bolster is an elongated, semi-tubular structure preferably made of a flexible, biocompatible material. The bolster is resiliently and reversibly transformable between a generally planar shape, when at rest, and a straightened shape, when forcibly unfurled. The bolster has an inner end and an outer end, the inner end being generally centrally located. The inner end of the bolster is insert-molded around the first end of the catheter, with the catheter and the bolster being oriented relative to one another so that the longitudinal axis of the catheter extends generally perpendicularly to the plane of the bolster in its coiled state, with the open, semi-tubular structure of the bolster facing away from the catheter.