GB2284158A

GB2284158A - Injection catheter

Info

Publication number: GB2284158A
Application number: GB9422660A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Samir Morris Henalla
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-11-24
Filing date: 1994-11-10
Publication date: 1995-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-10
Also published as: GB9324185D0; GB2284158B; GB9422660D0

Abstract

The catheter, which is used to treat human bladder neck weakness particularly in women, comprises an outer sheath closed at one end with at least one aperture for inflow of urine at or towards the closed end, needle means located within the outer sheath and axially movable relative thereto, a communicating passage between the aperture and the open end of the sheath and at least one exit hole in the sheath for emergence therethrough of at least one end section of the needle means. Three or four end sections may be equally spaced around the needle means with a corresponding number of exit holes so that simultaneous injection of a required injectant may be effected at a number of sites around the bladder neck. <IMAGE>

Description

CATHETER This invention relates to catheters.

With such as the human bladder, it is normally so that the muscles grouped around the relatively narrow bladder neck are such as to maintain control over the bladder to close the neck to allow urine to gather in the bladder, and to open the neck as and when is required or is convenient for the discharge of urine.

As a consequence of disease or of infirmity caused by illness or advancing years, there can be a widening of the bladder neck and/or a weakening of the surrounding muscles to such an extent that urine incontinence is caused, where there is continuous, or uncontrolled, leakage from the bladder, resulting from the inability to hold the bladder neck closed, a most disconcerting condition.

There have been recent developments where this condition has successfully been overcome, by injecting one or other of a number of possible injectants, such as, for example, silicones, into the tissue of the bladder neck to increase the bulk of the tissue to reduce the diameter of the bladder neck, and to allow closure of the neck even when the muscles surrounding the neck are weakened. The operation to permit this has involved the use of a cystoscope inserted into the patient to enable the surgeon to guide a separately inserted needle and to inject the patient at several sites around the bladder neck.

It is a relatively prolonged and complex procedure requiring considerable skill, and which, ordinarily, requires the patient to be fully anaesthetised and kept hospitalised at least overnight, following the operation.

The object of the invention is to provide a catheter that permits the accurate injection of a required injectant of notable simplicity and which avoids those complexities mentioned above.

According to the present invention, a catheter comprises an outer sheath closed at one end, at least one aperture in the outer sheath at or towards its closed end, a needle means located in and axially movable with relation to the outer sheath, passageway means communicating the open end of the catheter with the aperture towards the closed end, at least one end section to said needle means and at least one exit hole in the sheath for the emergence therethrough of the at least one end section of the needle means.

Thus, in its basic form of construction, an outer sheath of an appropriate, -e.g. plastics, material is provided, within which is located a needle means that may be flexible over its length or which may be provided with a flexible end section or an end section pivotally secured to a main section.

At the outset, the needle means is positioned such that the end section is held within the sheath and in close proximity to the exit hole, and the sheath inserted into the patient.

As insertion continues, a position is reached where the aperture in the sheath clears the neck of the bladder, resulting in urine entering the sheath and emerging from the open end of the sheath, at which point, the sheath is retracted to a prescribed degree to position the exit hole in the sheath where required in the neck of the bladder, following which the needle means is urged along the sheath to cause its end section to pass through the exit hole and into the tissue of the neck of the bladder adjacent the exit hole, to enable injectant to be injected where required.

To inject into several sites around the neck of the bladder, it would be a case of retracting the needle means, rotating the outer sheath and advancing the needle means.

Consequently, and for the greater convenience of the patient, more than one end section to the needle means may be provided, such as two opposed end sections, or three/four end sections equally spaced around the needle means, with a corresponding number of exit holes in the outer sheath, and whereby with one insertion of. the outer sheath and one advance of the needle means simultaneous injection of a required injectant at a multiple number of sites around the bladder neck, can be effected simultaneously Further preferably, a - graduated scale is provided along the outer surface of the sheath. Thus, following insertion of the sheath to the point where urine is detected emerging from the open. end of the sheath, retraction of the sheath can be accurately controlled to the required or predetermined degree by observing the scale on the sheath.

The needle means may be a relatively conventional flexible needle, and sufficiently flexible to enable its end section to be pushed through the exit hole. With multiple end sections, it may be more desirable to have a relatively rigid main section of such as an appropriate plastics material with a requisite number of end sections that may be of plastics material or of an appropriate metal, flexibly or pivotally located on the carrier.

Claims

l 1) An injection catheter consisting of an outer sheath closed at one end with at least one aperture towards its closed end, a needle means located inside the outer sheath and axially movable with relation to the outer sheath and exit holes in the outer sheath for the emergence of between 1-4 of the end section of the needle means.
2) An injection catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer sheath is graduated in centimetres for the purpose of correctly locating the catheter in relation to the bladder neck.
3) An injection catheter as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a passageway means is communicating the open end of the catheter with the aperture(s) towards the closed end for the purpose of locating the catheter in relation to the bladder neck.
4) An injection catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein exit holes in the outer sheath are situated at a reasonable distance (0.5 to 1.5 cm) from the outer sheath aperture(s).
5) An injection catheter as claimed in claim 1 and claim 4 wherein the end sections of the needle means are emerging through the exit holes in the outer sheath at time of injection at approximately 45 degrees from the outer sheath.
6) An injection catheter as claimed in claim 1 and claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the end sections of the needle means is completely retracted inside the outer sheath at the time of introducing or removing the catheter.
7) An injection catheter as described herein with reference to Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawing.