Intra-ventricular infusion and evacuation catheter for treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ich)

Abstract

A method of treating an anatomical cavity of a patient comprises introducing an infusion/aspiration catheter into the patient, such that a plurality of arms of the catheter reside within the anatomical cavity, delivering a fluid into the at least one of a connector, such that fluid exits the at least one fluid port of at least one of the arms, thereby infusing the anatomical cavity with the fluid, and aspirating the fluid into the at least one fluid port of at least one of the arms, such that the fluid exits the connector(s).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An infusion/aspiration catheter, comprising:
 an elongate catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one infusion lumen and an aspiration lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the aspiration lumen terminating in a distal fluid port at the distal end of the elongate catheter body;   a plurality of arms respectively having proximal ends affixed together at the distal end of elongate catheter body, the distal fluid port of the elongate catheter body being disposed radially inward from the proximal ends of the plurality of arms, the arms having lumens in fluid communication with the at least one infusion lumen, each of the arms having at least one fluid port in fluid communication with the lumen of the respective arm;   at least one infusion connector affixed to the proximal end of the elongate catheter body in fluid communication with the at least one infusion lumen; and   an aspiration connector affixed to the proximal end of the elongate catheter body in fluid communication with the at least one aspiration lumen.   
     
     
         2 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one infusion lumen comprises a plurality of infusion lumens with which the lumens of the plurality of arms are respectively in fluid communication in a dedicated manner, and wherein the at least one infusion connector comprises a plurality of connectors in fluid communication with the plurality of infusion lumens in a dedicated manner. 
     
     
         3 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one infusion lumen comprises a single infusion lumen with which the lumens of the plurality of arms are respectively in fluid communication, and wherein the at least one infusion connector comprises a single connector in fluid communication with the single infusion lumen. 
     
     
         4 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid port resides on an outwardly facing side of the respective arm. 
     
     
         5 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid port comprises a plurality of fluid ports extending along a length of the respective arm. 
     
     
         6 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of fluid ports extend resides on both an outwardly facing side and an inwardly facing side of the respective arm. 
     
     
         7 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the number of arms comprises at least three. 
     
     
         8 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of arms are pre-shaped to expand outward in the absence of an external force. 
     
     
         9 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising a distal hub at which distal ends of the arms are affixed together. 
     
     
         10 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 9 , further comprising an actuation wire having a distal end affixed to the distal hub and a proximal extending from the proximal end of the elongate catheter body, the actuator wire configured for being proximally displaced relative to the elongate catheter body to expand the plurality of arms outward, and for being distally displaced relative to the elongate catheter body to straighten the plurality of arms. 
     
     
         11 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one infusion connector and the aspiration connector have separate luer connections. 
     
     
         12 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising a manifold assembly comprising the at least one infusion connector and the aspiration connector. 
     
     
         13 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the aspiration lumen is a central lumen, and the at least one infusion lumen are circumferentially surrounding the central lumen. 
     
     
         14 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 13 , wherein the central lumen has a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-section area of each of the at least one infusion lumen. 
     
     
         15 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising a rigid stylet slidably disposed in the central lumen of the elongate catheter body. 
     
     
         16 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 15 , further comprising a distal hub at which distal ends of the arms are affixed together, wherein the distal hub comprises an aperture through which the rigid stylet is disposed. 
     
     
         17 . The infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate catheter body is sized to be introduced through a burr hole in the cranium of a patient. 
     
     
         18 . A catheter assembly, comprising:
 the infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 ; and   an introducer cannula having a lumen through which the infusion/aspiration catheter can be introduced into a target region of a body.   
     
     
         19 . An infusion/aspiration system, comprising:
 the infusion/aspiration catheter of  claim 1 ;   a fluid source connected to the at least one infusion connector; and   a vacuum source or drain connected to the aspiration connector.