Enhanced systems, processes and apparatus for facilitating intranasal treatment of a patient and products thereby

Abstract

Systems are disclosed for facilitating intranasal treatment of a patient's sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess. Likewise the instant system is effective for addressing acute pain conditions, and is refined enough to be performed by physician's assistants, nurses, and other well-trained practitioners. Apparatus involved includes a sheath hub, a catheter hub, an arresting element, and an engagement element in embodiments. Engagement between the arresting element and the engagement element prevents rotation of the sheath hub with respect to the catheter hub.

1 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for facilitating intranasal treatment of a patient's sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess, the apparatus comprising:
 a sheath hub having an exterior surface opposing an interior surface, wherein the interior surface defines a catheter hub receiving space;   a catheter hub positioned longitudinally adjacent to the sheath hub and partially received within the catheter hub receiving space of the sheath hub, the catheter hub comprising:
 (i) a manipulation portion, the manipulation portion defining a stopping surface of the catheter hub for contacting an adjoining end of the adjacent sheath hub to arrest further insertion of the catheter hub within the catheter hub receiving space; and 
 (ii) an insertion portion, the insertion portion extending from the stopping surface defined by the manipulation portion and slideably received within the catheter hub receiving space; 
   a sheath coupled to and extending from a distal end portion of the sheath hub, and a catheter coupled to and extending from a distal end portion of the catheter hub, wherein:
 (i) an insertion end of the catheter has an intrinsic curvature; 
 (ii) the sheath straightens the intrinsic curvature of the catheter when the catheter hub is positioned in an extended position; 
 (iii) the catheter is traversed within the sheath when the insertion portion of the catheter hub is advanced into the catheter hub receiving space of the sheath hub from the extended position; 
 (iv) the intrinsic curvature of the catheter is maintained in a straightened form until the insertion end of the catheter exits from an introduction end of the sheath; and 
 (v) an outer diameter of the introduction end of the sheath is tapered and rotationally symmetric around a longitudinal axis of the sheath such that the introduction end of the sheath slopes to a vertex, the vertex aligning with a beginning of a curve of a tip of the insertion end of the catheter to form a continuous transition between the vertex and the beginning of the curve when the catheter hub is positioned in the extended position. 
   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising a rotational orientation indicator, the rotational orientation indicator identifying a rotational orientation of the intrinsic curvature of the catheter. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the rotational orientation indicator comprises a raised ridge extending longitudinally along at least one of the sheath hub and the catheter hub. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the catheter hub is positionable between the extended position and an inserted position. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the tip of the insertion end of the catheter is curved such that the tip is rounded. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the transition between the vertex and the beginning of the curve of the rounded tip of the catheter is continuous when the catheter hub is positioned in the extended position. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the tip of the insertion end of the catheter is bulbous. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising an arresting element extending perpendicularly from a distal end of the insertion portion of the catheter hub. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , further comprising an engagement element configured to engage the arresting element when the catheter hub is received in the catheter hub receiving space. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein engagement between the arresting element and the engagement element prevents rotation of the sheath hub with respect to the catheter hub. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the engagement element comprises a recess extending longitudinally along the interior surface of the sheath hub, and wherein the arresting element is positioned within and travels along the recess when the catheter hub is repositioned along the longitudinal axis of the sheath hub. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the engagement element comprises a stopping element, and wherein the stopping element engages the arresting element to prevent the catheter hub from being removed from the catheter hub receiving space of the sheath hub. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the catheter hub comprises at least one depth indicator that indicates a position of the insertion end of the catheter relative to the introduction end of the sheath. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the sheath comprises at least one depth indicator that indicates a position of the sheath within a patient's nasal cavity. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one depth indicator is provided along an exterior surface of the sheath. 
     
     
         42 . A method of facilitating intranasal treatment within a patient's sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess, the method comprising:
 providing an apparatus comprising a sheath hub, a catheter hub, a sheath and a catheter having an intrinsic curvature, the sheath coupled to and extending from a distal end portion of the sheath hub, and the catheter coupled to and extending from a distal end portion of the catheter hub, wherein the catheter hub is constructed to be slidably received within the sheath hub to retract and advance the catheter in a lateral direction;   repositioning the catheter hub into an extended position relative to the sheath hub, wherein the intrinsic curvature of the catheter is straightened within the sheath when the catheter hub is in the extended position;   inserting an introduction end of the sheath into the patient's naval cavity;   advancing the introduction end of the sheath to an anatomical location of the patient's naval cavity proximal to a target tissue site within a sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess;   repositioning the catheter hub into an inserted position relative to the sheath hub, wherein the intrinsic curvature of the catheter is revealed when the catheter hub is in the inserted position, and wherein the intrinsic curvature of the catheter provides access to the target tissue site within the sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess; and   delivering a medical treatment via the catheter to the target tissue site within the sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine recess.