Urinary catheter and method with increased resistance to obstructions

Abstract

A catheter for draining urine from a bladder is made more resistant obstructions and blood clot accumulations by configurations of urine inlet openings into an interior urine drainage passageway. The inlet opening configurations include a whistle tip, a multiple opening tip, a couvelaire tip, and a beveled tip with a direct opening into the passageway. A low friction coating also resists blood clot accumulation. A single-use or multiple-use clearing device moves within the interior drainage passageway to contact, disintegrate, and facilitate movement of the accumulated clots and obstructions out of the urine inlet opening and interior passageway.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 665,742, filed Sep. 17, 2003, by the inventors hereof and assigned to the assignee hereof. The subject matter of this prior application and invention is incorporated herein by this reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to an urinary catheter and the use of an urinary catheter. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and improved catheter that reduces the incidence of obstructions in the urine flow path through the catheter, such as those arising from blood clots, and to a new and improved catheter that facilitates removing and disintegrating blood clot obstructions should they occur. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Prostate problems, such as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and malignant prostate cancer, are common occurrences among older men. The effects of these diseases are generally accompanied by swelling or enlargement of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] In general, the present invention pertains to a full-length or partial-length urinary catheter which extends from the bladder through the urinary tract to the exterior opening of the urinary canal. The catheter resists the accumulation of blood clots and obstructions within an interior urine drainage passageway of the catheter, thereby maintaining the urine drainage capability of the passageway through the catheter. The catheter is beneficial in avoiding entirely or reducing the number of instances where a medical or surgical procedure is required to remove and replace the entire catheter. The catheter also promotes better healing of the prostate gland after surgery because of the continually open urine drainage passageway which conducts the urine away from the surgically-affected area and thereby reduces the risk of infection and irritation.

[0016] These and other improvements and advantages are achieved by a catheter used to drain urine from a bladder to a location adjacent to an external urinary sphincter muscle of an urinary tract. The urinary tract includes an urinary canal extending from the external urinary sphincter muscle to an exterior opening of the urinary canal. An inlet opening is located in the distal end of the catheter and has a configuration which facilitates passing urine and blood clots from the bladder into an interior urine drainage passageway of the catheter. The configuration of the inlet opening reduces blood clot accumulation and other urine flow obstructions.

[0018] The catheter may also incorporate a clearing device within the internal urine drainage passageway of the catheter. The clearing device includes a contact element normally located in a stowed position at a distal end of the interior passageway. The contact element moves within the interior passageway from the stowed position past the inlet opening and along the interior passageway to a position downstream of the inlet opening in the urine flow path through the catheter. The movement of the contact element into contact with blood clots or other obstructions in the inlet opening and in the interior passageway disintegrates the blood clot accumulations and obstructions and facilitates passage of the clots and obstructions through the catheter with urine flow. Preferably, an activation device is connected to the contact element, and the activation device extends through the urinary canal to a position outside of the exterior opening of the urinary canal. Manipulation of the activation device at the position outside of the exterior opening of the urinary canal moves the contact element to disintegrate the blood clot accumulations and other obstructions and facilitates passage of the clots and obstructions through the interior passageway with the urine.

Problems solved by technology

Apart from the life-threatening aspects of malignant prostate cancer, the everyday symptoms and effects of these diseases are usually troublesome.

One such problem relates to the ability to control and achieve normal urine discharge.

When the prostate gland enlarges to the extent that it obstructs the prostatic urethra through the prostate gland, considerable difficulties arise in discharging urine at will.

Surgical operations offer a high probability of an excellent clinical outcome, but they are associated with a high degree of morbidity.

Thereafter, the destroyed or damaged tissue sloughs off, is absorbed in the body, and otherwise results in an enlargement of the urinary passageway through the prostate gland.

TURP and the different prostate heat treating techniques cause temporary side effects, for example inflammation and swelling of the prostate.

The tissue of the prostate gland which remains viable after a TUMT or a heat treatment is quite raw and tender, and direct contact from urine can aggravate the inflammation and increase the risk of infection.

In those cases where the diseased prostate gland cannot be treated by a TURP or a heat treatment, the obstruction may become so significant that normal urinary functions are not possible or are only possible with great difficulty.

TURP and heat treatment surgical procedures usually destroy the internal urinary sphincter muscle.

In addition to the patient lacking the ability to naturally control urine flow when using a full-length urinary catheter, the extension of the catheter out of the exterior opening of the urinary canal and the presence of the clamp valve and the reservoir cause discomfort, are awkward to deal with and may be embarrassing for the patient.

The full-length urinary catheter may create limitations from a social standpoint and almost always creates quality of life issues which must be confronted.

Sexual activity is impossible.

An increased risk of infection also results.

Either type of unintended movement may require serious medical intervention to correct.

However, the balloon cannot prevent the partial-length urinary catheter from moving out of the prostatic urethra and into the bladder.

Treatment of the prostate gland with a TUMT or a heat treatment usually causes the destruction of the bladder neck and results in blood clots which enter the bladder.

Replacement of the catheter shortly after treatment causes irritation to the treatment area, can be painful for the patient, typically prolongs of the healing time period, and creates greater medical expense if the catheter must be removed and replaced.

Another possibility of blockage of the catheter is due to obstructions from other natural body substances in the bladder or the urine.

While such risks are not as significant as those risks which arise because of blood clots after a surgical procedure, such risks are nevertheless significant for those individuals who must utilize an urinary catheter on a full-time basis, because of the continual possibility of obstruction to the urine passageway through the catheter.

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