This invention relates to catheters, and more particularly to Foley, indwelling or self-retaining catheters. Disclosed are particular drainage port positions along the catheter and anchor shapes that facilitate complete drainage of a hollow organ or bladder in which the catheter is inserted. Methods described herein may prevent the pathological expansion of a balloon anchor member portion of an indwelling catheter from being deployed and expanded prior to advancing in the bladder and beyond the urethra.

Irrigation devices, methods, and systems are disclosed. The system comprises a catheter with one or more lumens and an expandable portion. One or more pumps are used to supply a mixture of contrasting and dilating agents in an interior kidney volume and flush a portion of the mixture out of the interior kidney volume. The method comprises placing a catheter into the interior kidney volume through a ureter, occluding a portion of the ureter with a distal end of the catheter, forming an exit port through an exterior kidney surface, flowing the contrasting and dilating agents through the one or more lumens to supply the mixture in the interior kidney volume, and flushing a portion of the mixture out of the exit port.

A balloon-manipulating device for a balloon catheter includes, in some embodiments, a tubular body, a longitudinal hole through a least a portion of the tubular body, one or more balloon-compressing pieces of a sidewall of the tubular body, and one or more balloon-letting through holes through the sidewall. The longitudinal hole extends from an opened proximal end of the tubular body to at least a distal end portion of the tubular body. The longitudinal hole is configured for inserting a balloon-catheter shaft in the longitudinal hole. Each balloon-compressing piece is configured for compressing a different portion of an inflated balloon-catheter balloon when the balloon-manipulating device is disposed over the balloon. Each balloon-letting through hole is configured for allowing therethrough a different portion of an inflated balloon-catheter balloon when the balloon-manipulating device is disposed over the balloon. Also disclosed is a balloon catheter assembly and methods of the foregoing.

A catheter has a double-action retention mechanism with (a) one retention mechanism having a reinforced retention body transformable into a deployed flower-like configuration when the catheter is inserted in the bodily cavity, and (b) a stabilizer securing the catheter to a patient's body to maintain a stable position. The retention mechanism for securing the catheter in the bodily cavity is configured with a thickened or reinforced wall portions of the retention body. The inner channel of the catheter body is wider than conventional catheters, thus attaining better drainage and better fluid flow. Due to the reinforced flower configuration, an inadvertent removal of the catheter with the flower configuration fully deployed will afflict no significant damage. When the catheter is to be removed, the catheter's body is disengaged from the stabilizer and the flower configuration of the retention mechanism retention body controllably collapses, thus transforming the catheter to a configuration suitable for removal of the catheter from the bodily cavity. The improved Catheter is simple in operation, safe, prevents from CAUTI, and provides a non-residual urine drainage and high flow rate.

A urinary bladder irrigation device includes: a first pipe, a second pipe, a third pipe, a liquid supply member, a liquid collection member, a detection member, and an elevation member. The first pipe has a first opening at one end thereof. The second pipe has a second opening at one end thereof. The third pipe has an end connected to another end of the first pipe and another end of the second pipe and has a third opening at another end thereof. The liquid supply member is connected to the first opening. The liquid collection member is connected to the second opening. The detection member is positioned in the second pipe. The elevation member accommodates the detection member.

Systems and methods are configured for combined fluorescence imaging and white light imaging of tissue such as during surgical endoscopic procedures. A chip-on-tip type endoscope can be equipped with both white light and blue light LEDs. A single camera or dual cameras are configured with backside illuminated CMOS image sensor(s) to receive and process the white light and fluorescence images. The light sources, image sensors and image processing circuitry are configured to synchronously emit light and record pixels for visible white light and fluorescence frames alternately. Global or quasi-global shuttering can be used on the image sensor(s). A modified color filter array and other filters can be provided to enhance fluorescence imaging capabilities. Insufflating gas clears debris from the camera field of view and aids in moving he cannula distally through a body passageway.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating strictures in body lumens and methods of using the same. A drug-coated balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site of a body lumen stricture includes an elongated balloon having a main diameter. The balloon catheter includes a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon. The coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent.

A medical device for providing direct port-like endoscopic access to the urinary bladder, or other orifice, of a patient and a method of utilizing and inserting the medical device. The medical device can include a hollow tube with a main channel and a separate channel, a cap with an inflation port and a hollow flexible stem fluidly connecting the inflation port and the separate channel. A method can include inserting a needle above the pubic symphysis of a mammal, threading a guide wire through the needle, removing the needle and inserting the medical device. The method can optionally include determining measuring the depth between the skin surface of the patient's suprapubic region and urinary bladder.

A system and device for intelligent bladder irrigation, including an irrigation sensor structured to detect the presence of blood in an effluent liquid exiting a bladder during irrigation, a discrepancy mechanism structured to measure a difference between an inflow of an irrigant to a patient's bladder and an outflow of the effluent from the patient's bladder, and a flow varying mechanism for adjusting the inflow rate of the irrigant. The system also includes a control device structured to receive data from the irrigation sensor and the flow discrepancy mechanism, and generate a control signal in response.

The present invention proposes a method of transforming a traditional, single-use medical tube to a novel one with add-on endoscopic capabilities. A tiny, transparent shell is added at the distal end of the medical tube for containing lighting sources inside, and the lighting source can be any small-size LED, OLED, or LED device. Moreover, the tube has one additional lumen for installing power wires of the lighting sources, and another isolated lumen for inserting a flexible endoscope (video/image camera system) to observe targets inside human body. For minimizing outer diameter and cost, this endoscope does not include any built-in lighting source. While in use, the endoscope is first inserted into the medical tube through its specific lumen, and the lighting source at the tip is on. Secondly, the whole medical tube is safely inserted into human body for diagnosis or treatment with the help of endoscopic videos. In general, the medical tube is disposable, and the endoscope can be reused after proper sterilization procedures.