Peritoneal catheter

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
A peritoneal catheter for introducing into and withdrawing fluid from an abdominal cavity comprising a length of tubing having an intra-abdominal portion, a body portion, and an external body portion, said intra-abdominal portion having a distal end port and further having a plurality of ingress and egress ports positioned about its circumference and along its length, said ingress and egress ports of graded diameter, the smallest positioned closest to said distal end port and the largest positioned closest to said body portion, said distal end port having a diameter less than the inner diameter of said tubing, said body portion formed into at least a one-half helical turn a selected distance above the position of said ports that transform the flow into a flow with a radial component.
2.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least the intra-abdominal portion has a coating thereon of ultra low temperature isotropic carbon.
3.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the helical turn has a diameter on the order of 2.
8 cm.
4.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pitch of the helical turn is on the order of 1.
3 cm.
5.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catheter is formed from silicone rubber.
6.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the catheter is formed of polymeric material.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention resides in the field of catheters implantable within the human body and more particularly, relates to peritoneal catheters.
Peritoneal catheters are used in a method of treatment for kidney disease or failure known as peritoneal dialysis.
The purpose of the treatment is the same as hemodialysis, that is, to remove the waste products or toxins from the blood by solute and fluid diffusion out of circulation.
In hemodialysis, this is accomplished by circulating the blood outside the body through an artificial kidney in which toxins and excess fluids migrate through specific permselective membranes.
In peritoneal dialysis, a solution or dialysate is introduced into the space between the abdominal wall and the thin membrane known as the peritoneum which covers the entire abdominal cavity and visceral organs