Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A dual-lumen catheter comprising: an elongated cylindrical tube made of a soft, elastic material and having an internal septum extending along the length thereof to form a pair of longitudinal lumens, and a reinforcing member located inside said tube and extending along the length of said tube, said reinforcing member being made of a material which is substantially stiffer than the material of said tube so that the catheter can be advanced against a resistance by the application of force to the proximal end of the catheter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 wherein said septum is flat so that said lumens have D-shaped cross sections.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 which includes a hollow conical tip on the distal end of said tube, the outside surface of said conical tip merging smoothly with the outside surface of said tube, and the inside surface of said conical tip merging smoothly with the inside surface of one of said lumens, the distal end of the other of said lumens being longitudinally spaced from the distal end of said tip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 3 wherein said conical tip forms a solid connection from the distal end of said septum and other lumen to the distal end of said tip, and the distal end of said reinforcing member engages said solid connection so that forces applied to the proximal end of said tube are transmitted to said tip via said reinforcing member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 wherein said septum comprises a pair of transversely spaced longitudinal webs formed as integral parts of said tube, and said reinforcing member comprises a flat strip of stiff material inserted longitudinally between said webs and bonded thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 5 wherein the transverse dimension of said reinforcing strip, in the direction parallel to said webs, is greater than the inside diameter of said tube so that said strip extends partially into the walls of the tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing member comprises an elongated tubular member embedded in the wall of one of said lumens.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 7 wherein both said one lumen and said tubular reinforcing member have D-shaped transverse cross sections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 7 wherein the inside walls of said one lumen are formed by coating the inside walls of said tubular reinforcing member with the same material that forms said tube.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing member is made of nylon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing member and a portion of said tube at the distal end thereof are interlocked.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
70 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 wherein said septum is flat so that said lumens have D-shaped cross sections, and said reinforcing member is a flat strip of stiff material extending longitudinally through said septum, the distal end of said strip being connected to the distal end of said tube and having apertures therein, portions of said tube extending transversely through said apertures to interlock said strip and said tube.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 1 which includes a kink-resisting spiral of reinforcing material wound around a substantial length of said tube.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 13 wherein said spiral is embedded in the cylindrical wall of said tube.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 3 wherein said conical tip is molded directly onto the end of said tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 3 wherein the distal end of one of said lumens and said septum are connected to said conical tip by solid material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The dual-lumen catheter of claim 3 wherein said conical tip is preformed and bonded to the end of said tube, a portion of said preformed tip extending into said tube to form the terminus of one of said lumens.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
119 words
A method of introducing a dual-lumen catheter into a femoral vein of a patient for long-term use, said method comprising the steps of making a subcutaneous tunnel on the abdomen of the patient, beginning above the inguinal ligament and extending downwardly to a point on the thigh that is proximate the femoral vein, passing a dual-lumen catheter downwardly through said tunnel, and then bending the catheter and inserting it upwardly into said femoral vein, in the direction of blood flow within said vein, said catheter being bent in a generally U-shaped configuration between the lower end of the tunnel and the point of access to said femoral vein, said U-bend being reinforced by a spiral winding of reinforcing material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
120 words
A multiple-lumen catheter comprising: an elongated cylindrical tube made of silicone and having an internal septum extending along the length thereof form a pair of longitudinal lumens, a hollow conical tip on the distal end of said tube, the outside surface of said conical tip merging smoothly with the outside surface of said tube, and the inside surface of said conical tip merging smoothly with the inside surface of one of said lumens, at least one aperture in the side wall of said tube opening into the other of said lumens, and a reinforcing member extending along the full length of one of said lumens for transmitting forces applied to the proximal end of said tube to said conical tip.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The multiple-lumen catheter of claim 19 wherein said reinforcing member is removable from said tube so that said reinforcing member can be withdrawn from said tube after the catheter has been inserted into a patient.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
116 words
A multiple-lumen catheter comprising: an elongated cylindrical tube made of silicone and having a pair of orthogonal flat internal dividers extending along the interior of said tube for dividing said interior into three lumens extending along the length of said tube, one of said lumens having a D-shaped transverse cross section, a hollow conical tip on the distal end of said tube, the outside surface of said conical tip merging smoothly with the outside surface of said tube, and the inside surface of said conical tip merging smoothly with the inside surface of one of said lumens, and at least one aperture in the side wall of said tube opening into each of the other lumens.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The multiple-lumen catheter of claim 21 wherein one of said dividers extends diametrically across the interior of said tube, and the other of said dividers extends from one side of said one divider to the opposed inside wall of said tube.