Foldable urinary catheter

Abstract

A foldable urinary catheter is provided for draining the human bladder defining an internal flow path for the urine, with a catheter tube for insertion into the urethra, the catheter tube comprising at least one hinge which is conceived to bring the catheter in a folded, compact storage condition and an unfolded, straight ready-for-use condition as well as to a foldable urinary catheter kit. A foldable urinary catheter and a foldable urinary catheter kit are provided which are very small and compact in a transport or storage condition and which provide a long insertable length of the catheter tube. Therefore, the at least one hinge in the catheter tube is provided in the insertable length of the catheter tube and is configured for stabilizing the ready-for-use condition. The kit comprises the foldable urinary catheter and a catheter package which tightly surrounds the folded catheter.

1 . A foldable urinary catheter for draining the human bladder defining an internal flow path for the urine, with a catheter tube for insertion into the urethra, the catheter tube comprising at least one hinge which is configured to bring the catheter in a folded, compact storage condition and an unfolded, straight, ready-for-use condition, wherein the at least one hinge is provided in an insertable length of the catheter tube and comprises means for stabilizing the ready-for-use condition,
 wherein the at least one hinge interrupts the internal flow path in the catheter tube in the folded, compact storage condition.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable urinary catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one hinge is composed of at least two components each associated to one of the parts of the catheter tube which are connected via the hinge and wherein one of the components comprises a protrusion which engages the other one of the components in the unfolded, straight ready-for-use condition. 
     
     
         3 . The foldable urinary catheter according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one hinge comprises a connection means which keeps the parts of the catheter tube together in the folded, compact storage condition. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable urinary catheter according to  claim 3 , wherein the connection means is integrated in the two components. 
     
     
         5 . The foldable urinary catheter according to  claim 4 , wherein the connection means is a flexible strip connecting the two components. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable urinary catheter according to  claim 3 , wherein the connection means is integrated in the catheter tube.