Disposable catheter

Abstract

A catheter formed of an elongated, hollow tube having a sealed, separate air passageway formed integrally of the tube and extending from a point near the forward end of the tube to an integral air inlet nozzle located near the rear end of the tube and extending outwardly therefrom. An inflatable barrel shaped cuff is mounted upon and encircles the tube near its forward end, there being an opening in the tube wall communicating the interior of the cuff with the air passageway for inflating and deflating the cuff. A cup shaped seal is also mounted upon the tube and is frictionally secured thereto by integral springy flanges which permit forwardly sliding the seal upon the tube but which resists rearward sliding of the seal.

Having fully described an operative embodiment of this invention I now claim: 
     
       1. A catheter comprising: an elongated hollow tube having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end being provided with a plurality of apertures to facilitate fluid delivery to a body cavity,   a first opening in the tube wall proximate the forward end thereof,   a sealing cuff mounted upon the tube over the area including the first opening, the sealing cuff comprising a thin walled, air impervious, resilient rubber-like material,   the tube extending through the cuff and the cuff end portion being sealed to the tube such that the cuff may be inflated to an enlarged ring-shape co-axial with the tube for sealing a body cavity within which the tube is inserted;   a second opening in the tube wall near the rearward end thereof;   means disposed within the tube for interconnecting the first and second openings,   a rearwardly and outwardly curved shield mounted below the cuff for sealing the body cavity, the shield including a central opening and having a rearwardly directed hub portion through which the tube is fitted,   a plurality of fingers integrally formed with the hub and extending rearwardly therefrom, the fingers permitting forward sliding of the shield while resisting rearward movement of the shield,   means for mounting the shield on the tube, the mounting means including an elongated slot provided through the shield and a coupling means for closing the slot,   positive stop positioning means formed on the exterior of the tube, the means comprising at least one forwardly directed bead tapering outwardly from the tube, and wherein   the openings and the means for interconnecting the openings cooperate to define an air inlet for flowing pressurized air into and for discharging air from the cuff to inflate and deflate, respectively, the cuff after the tube is inserted into the body cavity. .Iadd.   
     
     
       2.  A catheter comprising: an elongated hollow tube having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end being provided with a plurality of apertures to facilitate fluid delivery to a body cavity;   a first opening in the tube wall proximate the forward end thereof;   a sealing cuff mounted upon the tube over the area including the first opening, the sealing cuff comprising a thin walled, air impervious, resilient rubber-like material;   the tube extending through the cuff and the cuff end portion being sealed to the tube such that the cuff may be inflated to an enlarged ring-shape co-axial with the tube for sealing a body cavity within which the tube is inserted;   a second opening in the tube wall near the rearward end thereof;   means disposed within the tube for interconnecting the first and second openings;   said sealing cuff comprising a cuff central portion with integral, co-axially aligned, short, opposite cylindrically-shaped cuff end portions;   upon deflation of said sealing cuff, the circumference of said cuff central portion of said sealing cuff is only slightly greater than the circumference of the major portion of said elongated hollow tube;   said sealing cuff has at least one fold therein which inverts when said sealing cuff is inflated to permit the relatively small diameter uninflated sealing cuff to expand to a substantial inflated diameter;   a rearwardly and outwardly curved shield mounted below the cuff for sealing the body cavity, the shield including a central opening and having a hub portion through which the tube is fitted;   means for mounting the shield on the tube, the mounting means including an elongated slot provided through the shield and a coupling means for closing the slot; and wherein   the openings and the means for interconnecting the openings cooperate to define an air inlet for flowing pressurized air into and for discharging air from the cuff to inflate and deflate, respectively, the cuff after the tube is inserted into the body cavity. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       3.  A catheter according to claim 2, wherein: said shield is disposed between said sealing cuff and said second opening in said tube wall; and   said shield has an outer surface which faces said sealing cuff and which has substantially the shape of a surface of revolution. .Iaddend.