The present invention is a self-cleaning catheter designed to impede the development of biofilm within the catheter and provide a mechanism for removing biofilm within the catheter during use by a patient. The self-cleaning catheter includes an outer shell enclosing a urine lumen. The urine lumen has the ability to be opened and closed with a urine lumen closure device and is formed with a plurality of micro ports and a plurality of macro wash ports. At least one antimicrobial lumen is affixed to the exterior of and in fluid communication with the urine lumen at the plurality of micro ports. Similarly, at least one wash lumen is affixed to the exterior of and in fluid communication with the urine lumen at the plurality of macro wash ports. Antimicrobial solutions and wash solutions are introduced into the urine lumen by the antimicrobial lumen and wash lumen respectively, even during use.

When inserting a catheter or other medical equipment into a child or adolescent or other paediatric patient, ECG signals may be recorded from the catheter and the location of the catheter determined by analysing the ECG signals. A signal processor and user interface may receive recorded signals in real-time from the catheter while the catheter is inserted into the paediatric patient. The signal processor may analyse the ECG signals to determine the location of the catheter in the paediatric patient. The user interface may display the location of the catheter and other pertinent information to a user while the user is inserting the catheter. One method for determining the location may include determining R-wave and P-wave peaks of the ECG signal and determining the location from an average location of the R-wave and P-wave peaks in the ECG signal.

A female urinary catheter deployment device includes a housing, an inner tip, an outer tip, a catheter, and an actuator. The outer tip is moved into the vicinity of the urethral opening of a female urethra. The outer tip is then moved from a closed condition to an open condition so as to expose a proximal end of the inner tip and position the proximal end of the inner tip within the urethra. The actuator is then moved with respect to the housing so as to proximally advance a proximal end of the catheter through and out of the proximal end of the inner tip and into the urethra. The proximal end of the catheter is further advanced through the urethra and into the bladder so as to drain urine from the bladder, through the catheter, and out of the housing.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to catheter assemblies, that include an inner tube component, an outer tube component that fits over the inner tube component, and a disposable layer of film that isolates the otherwise fluid-exposed portions of the catheter from the fluid it drains. This disposable film can be removed at regular intervals and obviates the need for catheter exchanges as the isolating disposable film, rather than the catheter itself, is removed. The principal characteristic of the disposable film is that it is relatively impermeable to fluid, for example, bodily fluids.

A urinary catheter may include a catheter shaft and a connector coupled with the proximal end of the catheter shaft. The connector may have a first arm ending in a fluid outlet configured to allow urine to flow out of the urinary catheter and a second arm with an aperture and ending in an inflation inlet used for introducing inflation fluid into the urinary catheter. The catheter may further include a primary lumen, an inflation lumen, a retention balloon mounted to the catheter shaft proximal to a fluid inlet and over a distal filling hole, and a pilot balloon mounted on the second arm of the connector over the aperture. The pilot balloon inflates at an inflation pressure that is higher than the inflation pressure of the retention balloon and lower than a predetermined pressure threshold.

A closed-system urinary catheter with a low viscosity gel lubrication is disclosed. The system has an uncoated catheter, but a hydrophilic coated catheter could be used. The low viscosity lubricating gel within the sachet uniformly coats the catheter when the sachet is ruptured just prior to use. A low viscosity lubrication gel could alternatively be place in the area inside the sheath and external to the catheter. Therefore, the variability that occurs with a hydrophilic catheter or the areas of a non-lubricated catheter with the higher viscosity gel catheters is avoided.

A method to manage flushing of a catheter assembly may include providing a clamp for a fluid tube configured to be coupled to the catheter assembly. The clamp may include a sensor configured to detect the clamp is closed. The method may include starting a timer in response to the sensor detecting the clamp is closed. The method may include providing an alert in response to the timer reaching a predetermined duration of time. The alert may indicate to a clinician that the catheter assembly should be opened and flushed, which may prevent occlusion of the catheter assembly.

This invention relates methods of using a non-fucosylated anti-CD40 antibody for treatment of cancer and chronic infectious diseases.

A catheter having a shaft made from polyvinyl alcohol where in the shaft has a varying stiffness along the length of the shaft.

Catheters including an improved structure for effectively draining fluids from the urethra, that assist in reducing the likelihood of UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) by flushing the urethra during catheterization.