Intracranial catheter

Abstract

A catheter having an outer profile which is formed such that a path length along an outer surface of the catheter is greater than the corresponding length of the catheter, and to a method for determining the shape of a catheter, and wherein the elasticity and/or conductivity of the tissue into which the catheter is to be introduced is taken into account in order to determine the outer profile of the catheter.

1 . A catheter for insertion into a body or tissue, comprising an elongated portion for insertion into the body or tissue, said elongated portion having a first length in a longitudinal direction, wherein an outer surface of the elongated portion is formed such that a path length along at least a portion of the outer surface is greater than the first length.  
   
   
       2 . The catheter as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface is formed undulating or periodically varying in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       3 . The catheter as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the elongated portion remains substantially constant in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       4 . The catheter as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the catheter varies along the longitudinal direction of the catheter.  
   
   
       5 . The catheter of  claim 4 , wherein the outer surface is formed undulating or periodically varying in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       6 . The catheter as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein various cross-sections and/or shapes of the elongated portion are provided along different sections in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       7 . The catheter as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising one or more catheter openings at a distal end and/or along the outer surface of the elongated portion.  
   
   
       8 . The catheter as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said elongated portion is formed from a porous material.  
   
   
       9 . A method for determining a shape of a catheter, comprising determining an outer profile of the catheter based on at least one of elasticity of the tissue into which the catheter is to be introduced, the conductivity of the tissue into which the tissue is to be introduced, and/or infusion parameters.  
   
   
       10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the infusion parameters include a flow rate of a liquid to be administered by the catheter.  
   
   
       11 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising determining an undulation period and/or an undulation amplitude of a line running in the longitudinal direction along an outer surface of the catheter such that an intermediate space between the outer surface and the tissue is minimized when the catheter is introduced into the tissue.