Sleeve valve catheters

Abstract

A catheter body includes an exit port over which a pressure responsive sleeve is formed that allows material to exit a lumen of the catheter body at a given pressure. In one embodiment, a surface of the sleeve is approximately flush with a surface of the catheter body.

1 . A medical device comprising: 
 a catheter body including an interior surface defining a lumen and an exterior surface;    an exit port formed within the catheter body to allow material to exit the lumen of the catheter body;    a pressure responsive sleeve fitting around the exterior surface and covering the exit port, an outer surface of the sleeve is substantially flush with the first outer diameter of the catheter body; and    an anti-blocking interface between the sleeve and the catheter body.    
   
   
       2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a substantially uniform thickness.  
   
   
       3 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-blocking interface comprises one of graphite and talc.  
   
   
       4 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a substantially straight edge.  
   
   
       5 . The medical device of  claim 4 , wherein the sleeve has a length that ranges from about 0.1 to about 0.9 inches.  
   
   
       6 . The medical device of  claim 4 , wherein the blocking interface extends from about an entire length of sleeve to about half the sleeve length.  
   
   
       7 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a plurality of sleeves and the exit port includes a plurality of exit ports.  
   
   
       8 . The medical device of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of sleeves is constructed to allow material to exit the lumen of the catheter body at a different pressure level.  
   
   
       9 . The medical device of  claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of sleeves, located more proximate to a distal end of the catheter body, is constructed to allow the material to exit the lumen at a lower pressure differential than one of the sleeves located farther from the distal end.  
   
   
       10 . The medical device of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of exit ports is a different size to allow material to exit the lumen of the catheter body at different pressure levels.  
   
   
       11 . The medical device of  claim 7 , wherein the catheter body further comprises a first and second branch and a first of the plurality of exit ports is formed in the first branch and a second of the plurality of exit ports is formed in the second branch.  
   
   
       12 . The medical device of  claim 7 , wherein the lumen comprises a plurality of lumens and a first exit port corresponds with a first of the plurality of lumens and a second exit port corresponds with a second of the plurality of lumens.  
   
   
       13 . A medical device comprising: 
 a catheter body including an interior surface defining a lumen and an exterior surface;    an exit port formed in the catheter body to allow material to exit the lumen of the catheter body;    a pressure responsive sleeve formed from molded liquid silicone rubber having a wall thickness between approximately 0.002 inch and approximately 0.010 inch wherein the sleeve surrounds a portion of the exterior surface of the catheter body and covers the exit port; and    an anti-blocking interface between the sleeve and the catheter body.    
   
   
       14 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the liquid silicone rubber has a durometer between approximately 30 and approximately 70 on a shore A scale.  
   
   
       15 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the sleeve has a uniform thickness.  
   
   
       16 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the sleeve includes a plurality of sleeves and the exit port includes a plurality of exit ports covered by the plurality of sleeves.