Importance

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Abstract

A catheter having a tube and a depth control flange to prevent the catheter tube from being over inserted. The preferred embodiment is a retrograde coronary sinus cardioplegia solution administration catheter. A depth control flange is coupled to the tube at a predetermined distance from the catheter tip. The flange is a disc made of soft plastic material which prevents over-insertion of the catheter tip when the flange abuts the wall of the atrium. The catheter tube further includes an inflatable balloon located between the flange and the catheter tip. After insertion into the coronary sinus, the balloon is inflated thus pinching the atrium wall between the flange and the balloon to prevent cardioplegia solution from flowing back from the coronary sinus into the atrium. A semi-rigid introducer tube surrounds a portion of the catheter tube and is axially movable with respect thereto. One end of the introducer tube includes a receptacle in which the flange is stored in a collapsed position. The compact apparatus is inserted into the atrium through a purse string opening in the atrium and then the introducer tube is held steady while the catheter tube is pushed toward the coronary sinus. The flange exits from the receptical and opens like an umbrella and engages the wall of the atrium, thus preventing over-insertion of the catheter in the coronary sinus. The catheter tube includes an air passageway used to inflate the balloon, and a fluid passageway used to provide the cardioplegia solution to the coronary sinus.

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First Claim