Claims
- 1. A catheter for delivering a fluid to an anatomical region, comprising:
an elongated, proximal tube defining a lumen; an elongated, distal tube constructed from a bio-absorbable material, said distal tube defining a lumen communicating with said lumen of said proximal tube, at least a portion of said distal tube permitting communication of said fluid from within said lumen to external of said distal tube thereby defining an infusion section of said catheter; wherein a proximal end portion of said distal tube and a distal end portion of said proximal tube overlap, said proximal end portion of said distal tube being bonded to said distal end portion of said proximal tube with a bio-compatible adhesive to create a substantially fluid-tight joint therebetween, a length of an overlapping portion of said proximal tube and said distal tube being at least about 0.02 inches.
- 2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said overlapping portion is at least about 0.03 inches.
- 3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein a tip closes a distal end of said lumen of said distal tube.
- 4. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said bio-absorbable material is configured to dissolve sufficiently within 5 to 7 days of being disposed within a patient such that said proximal tube is removable from said distal tube.
- 5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said infusion section of said catheter comprises a plurality of distinct holes extending through a side wall of said distal tube.
- 6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said proximal tube has an outer diameter of about 0.035 inches and said distal tube has an outer diameter of about 0.042 inches.
- 7. A catheter for delivering a fluid to an anatomical region, comprising:
an elongated, proximal tube defining a lumen; an elongated, distal tube having a closed end, said distal tube being constructed from a bio-absorbable material and defining a lumen communicating with said lumen of said proximal tube; wherein at least a portion of said distal tube defines a porous side wall permitting fluid within said lumen to pass through said portion of said distal tube.
- 8. The catheter of claim 7, wherein an entirety of said distal tube defines a porous side wall.
- 9. The catheter of claim 7, wherein said proximal tube has an outer diameter of about 0.035 inches and said distal tube has an outer diameter of about 0.042 inches.
- 10. The catheter of claim 7, wherein said porous side wall has a pore diameter of between about 0.1 microns and 0.5 microns.
- 11. The catheter of claim 7, additionally comprising a support within said distal tube, said support being constructed from a bio-absorbable material and being configured to divide said lumen of said distal tube into a plurality of lumens.
- 12. The catheter of claim 11, wherein said support extends generally an entire length of said distal tube.
- 13. A method for delivering a fluid throughout an anatomical region of a patient, comprising:
inserting an elongate, tubular member into an incision of said patient, said tubular member having a proximal portion attached to a distal portion at a joint, said distal portion comprising a bio-absorbable material, at least a portion of a side wall of said distal portion defining a porous membrane adapted to permit fluid within said tubular member to pass through said side wall; positioning said tubular member such that said joint is within said patient; closing said incision; and introducing fluid into an open proximal end of said tubular member.
- 14. The method of claim 13, additionally comprising utilizing bio-absorbable sutures to secure said distal portion in a desired position within said patient.
- 15. The method of claim 13, wherein said positioning of said tubular member comprises positioning said joint within between about 0.1 and 4 inches of said incision.
- 16. The method of claim 13, wherein said positioning of said tubular member comprises positioning said joint within between about 0.1 and 0.5 inches of said incision.
- 17. The method of claim 15, wherein said bio-absorbable material is configured to dissolve sufficiently within 5-7 days after said insertion within said patient so as to permit release of said proximal portion from said distal portion, the method additionally comprising removing said proximal portion from said patient without opening said incision or creating a new incision.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/031,913, filed May 21, 2002, which is a U.S. National Phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/US00/19746, filed Jul. 19, 2000, which is a continuation-in-part U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/363,228, filed Jul. 19, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,253, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10031913 |
May 2002 |
US |
Child |
10436457 |
May 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09363228 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
Child |
10031913 |
May 2002 |
US |