Flexible urethral catheter tip

Abstract

A flexible catheter tip for a urethral catheter assembly includes a core having a proximal core end and a distal core end. The core includes a support extending between the proximal and distal core ends, a plurality of spaced-apart discs along the support, and a rounded tip at the proximal core end. The catheter tip also includes a coating layer disposed over the core. The core is configured to be coupled to the catheter tube of a urethral catheter assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to urethral catheter assemblies, and more particularly to urethral catheter assemblies having a flexible catheter tip extending from the proximal end of a catheter member.

Background Art

[0002] Intermittent catheter insertion is an appropriate intervention for some users whose bladders do not completely empty. Urethral catheters used for intermittent catheter insertion are typically provided as disposable, individually packaged articles and may include a gel lubricant or a hydrophilic coating to reduce friction during insertion into the urethra. The advent of intermittent urethral catheters has enabled users with urinary system disorders to easily perform self-catheter insertion to urinate from the bladder. Users suffering from urinary incontinence may perform self-catheter insertion several times a day.

[0003] Self-catheter insertion involves removing the catheter assembly from its package and inserting and advancing the catheter tube into the urethra. Some catheter assemblies include an introducer tip, and the insertion end (introduction end) of the catheter tube is initially housed in the introducer tip to assist in inserting the catheter tube into the urethra. The leading end of the catheter tube is sent through the introducer tip and advanced until it is inserted into the bladder through the urethra.

[0004] The catheter tube has a rigidity or stiffness high enough to avoid undesirable deformation when advancing the catheter tube within the urethra. Such deformation may cause discomfort to the user and / or may prevent further advancement of the catheter tube within the urethra. Further, the catheter tube may not be able to deflect or curve when hitting a stricture of the urethra. Thus, further advancement of the catheter tube may be hindered and / or the user may feel discomfort during an attempt to cross the stricture.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a urethral catheter assembly for intermittent catheter insertion having a relatively flexible, pliable catheter tip in order to improve comfort when advancing the catheter tube within the urethra during self-catheter insertion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] There are several aspects of the subject matter of this invention.

[0007] In one embodiment, a flexible catheter tip for a urethral catheter assembly includes a core having a proximal core end and a distal core end. The core includes a support extending between the proximal and distal core ends, a plurality of spaced-apart discs along the support, and a rounded tip at the proximal core end. The catheter tip also includes a coating layer disposed over the core. The core is configured to be coupled to the catheter tube of a urethral catheter assembly.

[0008] In another embodiment, the urethral catheter assembly includes a grip having an internal passage, and a catheter member having a proximal and distal catheter end, configured to move within the internal passage relative to the grip, and comprising a tubular wall surrounding a hollow interior, and one or more openings in the tubular wall adjacent to the proximal catheter end. The hollow interior is configured to receive body fluid through one or more openings. The urethral catheter assembly also includes a flexible catheter tip extending from the proximal catheter end, the flexible catheter tip comprising a core having a proximal and distal core end, and a coating layer disposed covering the core. The core comprises a support extending between the proximal and distal core ends, a plurality of spaced-apart discs along the support, and a rounded tip at the proximal core end. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]This is a perspective view showing an example of a flexible catheter tip and catheter component. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the tip of a flexible catheter. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing another example of a flexible catheter tip and catheter component. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing an example of a urethral catheter assembly with the catheter tip curved. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the tip of a flexible catheter. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a flexible catheter tip. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments disclosed herein are intended to provide an explanation of the subject matter of the invention, and it should be understood that the subject matter of the invention can be carried out in various other forms and combinations not described in detail. Accordingly, the specific embodiments and features disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting the subject matter as defined in the appended claims.

[0011] Referring to Figure 1, the urethral catheter assembly 10 according to this embodiment generally includes a catheter member 20 and a flexible catheter tip 22. The catheter member 20 may be implemented as a catheter tube having a proximal catheter end 24 and a distal catheter end 26 opposite to the proximal catheter end 24. The proximal catheter end 24 is the leading or insertion end of the catheter member 20 and is configured to be inserted into the urethra and bladder and advanced. The catheter tip 22 may be formed separately from the catheter member 20 and later attached to the proximal catheter end 24. In this way, the catheter tip 22 may be formed with selected characteristics adapted to the end user. For example, a flexible catheter tip 22 may be formed with flexible characteristics adapted to the end user in terms of ease of use and comfort during catheter insertion.

[0012] The catheter member 20 may be formed as an elongated hollow member having a tubular wall portion 28 surrounding a hollow interior 30. One or more openings 32 (also called “drainage eyes”) may be provided through the tubular wall portion 28 at or adjacent to the proximal end 24 of the catheter. In this way, when the catheter member 20 is inserted into the bladder, bodily fluids from the bladder can be received into the hollow interior 30 through one or more openings 32 and drained from the bladder.

[0013] Referring again to Figure 1, and further to Figure 2, the catheter tip 22 generally includes a core 34 and a coating layer 36 disposed over the core 34. The core 34 includes a proximal end 38 and a distal end 40 opposite to the proximal end 38. The core 34 is made from a suitable flexible material, which may be selected from a plurality of suitable flexible materials at the time of manufacture to provide the desired flexibility properties. The core 34 includes a support 42 extending between the proximal end 38 and the distal end 40. In one example, the support 42 extends coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the core 34 and the catheter member 20. In some embodiments, the core 34 further includes a plurality of disks 44 spaced apart along the support 42 and a rounded tip 46 at the proximal end 38. The illustrated disks generally have a rounded shape, but they may also have other shapes, such as polygonal or non-polygonal.

[0014] In one example, the core 34 is manufactured as a single, integrated part, and the support 42, disk 44, and rounded tip 46 are formed as separate pieces from the same flexible material. For example, the core 34 may be formed as a molded part. However, this description is not limited to such examples. In other examples, the support 42 may be made from a flexible material selected at the time of manufacture to provide the desired flexibility properties. The disk 44 and / or rounded tip 46 may be formed on the support 42 in a separate step, or they may be bonded to the support 42. In such examples, the rounded tip 46 and / or disk 44 may be formed from the same flexible material as the support, or from different suitable materials and bonded to the support 42. In yet another example, the support 42 may be formed as a separate piece together with one of the rounded tip 46 and disk 44, and the other of the rounded tip 46 and disk 44 may be formed individually on the support 42 or bonded to the support 42. Furthermore, disk 44 may differ in shape and size from adjacent disks.

[0015] The coating layer 36 may cover the rounded tip 46 of the proximal end 38 of the core and extend along the length of the core 34, so that the core 34 is substantially or completely covered by the coating layer 36. The coating layer 36 may be made from a flexible material that is flexible for user comfort when the catheter tip 22 is advanced through the urethra. The coating layer 36 may also contain a hydrophilic material. The hydrophilic material may be coated on the base material of the coating layer 36, or the entire coating layer 36 may be formed from a hydrophilic material.

[0016] The coating layer 36 may be provided as an overmolded layer on the core 34. In some examples, the coating layer 36 extends beyond the distal end 40 of the core. A portion of the coating layer 36 may overlap with the tubular wall portion 28 of the catheter member 20 and may be bonded to the tubular wall portion 28.

[0017] The catheter tip 22 may be attached to the catheter member 20 so as to extend further proximal D1 from the catheter proximal end 24, and the catheter tip 22 is inserted into the urethra ahead of the catheter member 20 and advances. In one example, the catheter tip 22 includes a connecting surface 48, at which it is coupled to the catheter member 20.

[0018] A connecting surface 48 may be provided at the distal end 40 of the core, and the catheter tip 22 may be coupled to the proximal end 24 of the catheter member 20. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the core 34 may further include a plug 50 at the distal end 40 of the core. The connecting surface 48 may be provided on the radially outward-facing surface of the plug 50, i.e., on the outer circumference of the plug 50. The plug 50, together with the connecting surface 48, is configured to be disposed in the hollow interior 30 of the catheter member 20 at the proximal end 24. A known and suitable coupling procedure may form a connection between the connecting surface 48 of the plug 50 and the inner surface 52 of the tubular wall portion 28 to couple the catheter tip 22 to the catheter member 20. In this example, a portion of the catheter member 20 overlaps with a portion of the catheter tip 22 (i.e., the plug 50) in the longitudinal direction of the assembly 10.

[0019] Figure 3 shows another example of a urethral catheter assembly 110 in which a flexible catheter tip 22 is attached to a catheter member 20. It should be understood that parts of the catheter tip 22 and catheter member 20 that are the same or substantially the same as those described above with respect to Figures 1 and 2 may be referred to hereafter using the same terms and reference numbers. Furthermore, unless the following example differs from the above example, further descriptions of the same or substantially the same parts may be omitted hereafter.

[0020] Referring to Figure 3, the core 34 of the catheter tip 22 may include a distal core face 140 oriented axially at the distal end 40 of the core. In this example, the distal core face 140 is oriented distally D2 along the longitudinal axis L. A connecting surface 148 may be provided on the distal core face 140.

[0021] The tubular wall portion 28 of the catheter member 20 may further include an axially facing wall proximal end face 124 at the catheter proximal end 24. In this example, the wall proximal end face 124 faces in the proximal direction D1 along the longitudinal axis L.

[0022] Known suitable coupling procedures can form a connection between the connection surface 148 of the core distal end face 140 and the wall proximal end face 124 to couple the catheter tip portion 22 to the catheter member 20. In this example, the catheter member 20 and the catheter tube 22 are arranged in series along the longitudinal axis L of the assembly 110.

[0023] In this example, the flexible catheter tip portion 22 can be coupled to the catheter member 20 at a position spaced from the one or more openings 32 in the proximal direction D1. That is, the one or more openings 32 are disposed in the distal direction with respect to the connection surfaces 48, 148 of the flexible catheter tip portion 22. By doing so, the flexible catheter tip portion 22 can avoid interference with the one or more openings 132, and thus can avoid interference with the discharge of body fluid from the bladder through the one or more openings 32.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1-3 and further to FIG. 5, in this example, the support 42 has a support length 60 between the core proximal end 38 and the core distal end 40, and a support diameter or width 62. Further, each disk 44 of the plurality of disks 44 has a disk diameter or width 64 and a disk thickness 66, and is spaced apart along the length of the support 42 by a disk spacing 68, that is, the distance between adjacent disks 44. Further, the rounded tip 46 has a tip curvature radius 70 and a tip diameter or width 72 that form the profile of the catheter tip portion 22 at the core proximal end 38. The tip diameter 72 can be the diameter of the rounded tip 46 at the position of the maximum diameter or maximum width of the rounded tip 46.

[0025] Referring next to Figure 4, the urethral catheter assembly 10 in this example may further include a grip 80 having an internal passage 82. In some examples, the grip 80 may include an introduction tip 84 at the proximal or insertion end 86. Before catheter insertion, the catheter member 20 and the catheter tip 22 may be positioned within the internal passage 82 and the introduction tip 84 may be closed. The catheter member 20 is generally configured to move within the internal passage 82 relative to the grip 80 along its longitudinal axis L.

[0026] During catheter insertion, the tip of the guide body 84 can be inserted into the urethra. The catheter member 20 (and catheter tip 22) can be advanced proximally or in the insertion direction D1 through the tip of the guide body 84. The tip of the guide body 84 can be opened, and the catheter member 20 and catheter tip 22 can extend proximally or in the insertion direction D1 from the tip of the guide body 84 and advance further into the urethra toward the bladder. The catheter member 20 can advance into the bladder by a distance sufficient to position one or more openings 32 that communicate fluidly with the bladder, thereby allowing body fluids to be discharged from the bladder through one or more openings 32 and through the hollow interior 30 of the catheter member 20.

[0027] The initial or resting configuration of the flexible catheter tip 22 may be straight, or it may have a slight curve or bend. The flexible catheter tip 22 is configured to curve or bend to advance over a narrowing of the urethra and / or follow the contour of the urethra, for example, as shown in Figure 4. For example, the flexible catheter tip 22 may bend due to a reaction force from the narrowing, thereby guiding the catheter tip 22 to a less narrowed path within the urethra. Thus, the catheter tip 22 and catheter member 20 can advance over the narrowing and limit the force applied to the narrowing by the advance of the catheter member 20. Limiting the force applied to the narrowing of the urethra can reduce or limit the discomfort experienced by the user.

[0028] Similarly, when the flexible catheter tip 22 comes into contact with the contour of the urethra, it may bend or flex due to the reaction force from the urethral wall against the catheter tip 22. Such bending or flexing of the flexible catheter tip 22 may also limit the force applied to the urethral wall during the advancement of the catheter member 20, and thus reduce or limit user discomfort.

[0029] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the flexible catheter tip 22 may be provided as a modular component to the urethral catheter assembly. Therefore, the flexible catheter tip 22 in this example may be manufactured to have different characteristics. For example, a caregiver, clinician, or user may select the flexible catheter tip 22 according to their personal preferences and requirements. For instance, a user with a known stricture in the urethra may select a flexible catheter tip 22 with relatively high flexibility to advance over the stricture. Conversely, other users may prefer a catheter tip 22 with relatively low flexibility, which may allow for faster insertion and removal of the catheter member 20.

[0030] The flexibility of the catheter tip 22 can be altered by changing the flexibility of the core 34. The flexibility of the core may be based on a flexibility coefficient, and the flexibility can be altered by changing one or more of the flexibility coefficients. In a non-limiting example, the flexibility coefficient may include one or more of the following: connection surfaces 48, 148; flexible material of the support 42; support length 60; support diameter or width 62; disk diameter or width 64; disk thickness 66; disk spacing 68 along the support 42; tip radius of curvature of the round tip 46 70; and tip diameter or width 72 of the round tip 46. It should be understood that various levels of flexibility can be obtained by changing a single flexibility coefficient or by changing various combinations and / or numbers of flexibility coefficients.

[0031] Furthermore, it should be understood that the "flexibility" of a particular component in this example, for example, the flexibility of core 34, may also represent bending resistance and / or degree of bending. Bending resistance represents the amount of force required to initiate bending. Therefore, in this example, core 34 with relatively high flexibility may have relatively low bending resistance. Conversely, core 34 with relatively low flexibility may have relatively high bending resistance. The degree of bending represents the amount of bending that is allowed before reaching the limit where bending is no longer permissible. Therefore, in this example, core 34 with relatively high flexibility may have a relatively high degree of bending, and core 34 with relatively low flexibility may have a relatively low degree of bending.

[0032] The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not exhaustive. Unless otherwise noted, only one of the flexibility coefficients is changed in these examples, while the others remain fixed. However, as mentioned above, it is important to understand that multiple flexibility coefficients can be changed, including various combinations of flexibility coefficients.

[0033] In one example, as shown in the example in Figure 3, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by providing a connection surface 148 to the distal end face 140 of the core and connecting the catheter tip 22 to the proximal end face 124 of the wall. Conversely, as shown in the examples in Figures 1 and 2, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by providing a connection surface 48 to the plug 50 and connecting the catheter tip 22 to the inner surface 52 of the tubular wall portion 28.

[0034] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by forming the support 42 with a relatively flexible material that has low bending resistance. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by forming the support 42 with a relatively rigid material that has high bending resistance.

[0035] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by creating a support 42 with a relatively long support length 60. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by creating a support 42 with a relatively short support length 60.

[0036] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by creating a support 42 with a relatively small support diameter or width 62. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by creating a support 42 with a relatively large support diameter or width 62. It should be understood that the support diameter or width 62 can vary along the support length 60.

[0037] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by creating each disk 44 with a relatively small disk diameter or width 64. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by creating each disk 44 with a relatively large disk diameter or width 64. It should be understood that the disk diameter 64 of the disk 44 can vary along the support length 60, as will be discussed further below with reference to Figure 6.

[0038] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by creating each disk 44 with a relatively small thickness 66. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by creating each disk 44 with a relatively large thickness 66. It should be understood that the disk thickness 66 can vary from disk 44 to disk along the support length 60.

[0039] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by forming disks 44 along the support 42 with a relatively large disk spacing 68. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by forming disks 44 along the support 42 with a relatively small disk spacing 68. It should be understood that the disk spacing 68 can vary along the support length 60.

[0040] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by creating a rounded tip 46 with a relatively small tip radius of curvature 70. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by creating a rounded tip 46 with a relatively large tip radius of curvature 70. It should be understood that the tip radius of curvature, or radius 70, can vary along the rounded tip 46.

[0041] For example, a core 34 with higher relative flexibility can be formed by creating a rounded tip 46 with a relatively small tip diameter or width 72. Conversely, a core 34 with lower relative flexibility can be formed by creating a rounded tip 46 with a relatively large tip diameter or width 72.

[0042] It should be understood that by changing one or more flexibility coefficients, further deformation forms of the flexible catheter tip 22 can be produced. For example, by increasing the disk spacing 68 while maintaining the disk thickness 66 and support length 60, a catheter tip 22 with fewer disks 44 can be produced. Conversely, by decreasing the disk spacing 68 while maintaining the disk thickness 66 and support length 60, a catheter tip 22 with more disks 44 can be produced.

[0043] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the disk diameter 64 can be varied along the support length 60. It should be understood that the disk diameter 64 can be varied in any desired manner to achieve appropriate flexibility. In the illustrated example, the disk 44 is provided as a first disk section 244 having disks 44 whose disk diameter 64 decreases along the support length 60 in the proximal direction D1, and a second disk section 344 having disks 44 whose disk diameter 64 increases along the support length 60 in the proximal direction D1. In this example, the second disk section 344 is located proximal to the first disk section 244. In some examples, the disks 44 of the first disk section 244 are arranged continuously with decreasing disk diameters 64, and the disks 44 of the second disk section 344 are arranged continuously with increasing disk diameters 64.

[0044] Disks 44 of different diameters may also be provided in other arrangements. For example, one of the first disk sections 244 or disk sections 344 may contain a disk 44 having a constant disk diameter 64, and / or one or more additional disk sections (e.g., a third disk section) may be provided with disks of increasing, decreasing, or constant diameters. In other examples, disk 44 may be arranged as a single disk section having disks of increasing or decreasing diameters.

[0045] In the illustrated example, the disks 44 of the first disk section 244 and the second disk section 344 are arranged to provide a disk profile 200 having curvature and depth based on the disk diameter. Different disk profiles may be associated with different bending or flexibility characteristics of the core 34.

[0046] In other examples, one or more disks of different diameters may be arranged intermittently along the support length 60. For example, disks with a relatively large diameter 64 may be arranged alternately with disks with a relatively small diameter 64. Other suitable arrangements are similarly conceivable.

[0047] In some cases, the degree of bending of the core 34 may be limited in part based on the disk diameter or width 64. For example, depending on other flexibility coefficients, the core 34 may bend until one disk 44 contacts an adjacent disk 44, thereby limiting or preventing further movement of one disk 44 due to interference between the disks, and consequently limiting or preventing further bending of the core 34. In such a state, the core 34 may be considered fully curved or having reached its bending limit.

[0048] In further examples, the rounded tip 46 may be formed with a diameter or width 72 that is greater than, the same as, or smaller than the diameter "x" of the catheter member 20, depending on the desired flexibility characteristics. The maximum disk diameter 64 of the disk 44 may also be provided based on the diameter or width of the rounded tip 46. For example, the maximum disk diameter may be provided so as not to exceed the diameter or width 72 of the rounded tip 46.

[0049] The flexible catheter tips 22 and urethral catheter assemblies having the flexible catheter tips 22 described herein may help facilitate the insertion of the catheter member 20 by allowing the clinician to select the catheter tip 22 best suited for advancing through the user's urethra. Furthermore, the varying levels of flexibility of the catheter tips 22 in these examples may help the user overcome urethral narrowing.

[0050] It should be understood that the embodiments described above illustrate some of the applications of the principles of the subject matter of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications, including combinations of features individually disclosed or claimed in this application, without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. For these reasons, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description, but is as described in the following claims, and the claims may cover the features of the present invention, including those as combinations of features individually disclosed or claimed in this application.

Claims

1. A flexible catheter tip for a urethral catheter assembly, A core having a proximal end and a distal end, A support extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the core, A plurality of disks spaced apart along the support, The rounded tip at the proximal end of the core and A core equipped with, The coating layer disposed to cover the core and Equipped with, The core is configured to be coupled to the catheter tube of the urethral catheter assembly, Flexible catheter tip.

2. The core includes a connecting surface at the distal end of the core, The core is configured to be coupled to the catheter tube at the connection surface, The support is formed from a flexible material and has a support length and a support diameter or width formed between the proximal end and the distal end of the core. Each of the aforementioned plurality of disks is formed to have a disk diameter or width and a disk thickness, and is spaced apart along the length of the support by a distance equal to the disk spacing. The aforementioned round tip portion has a tip radius of curvature and a tip diameter or width. The flexible catheter tip portion according to claim 1.

3. The core further comprises a plug at the distal end of the core, The flexible catheter tip portion according to claim 2, wherein the connection surface is formed on the radially outward surface of the plug.

4. The core has a distal end face oriented in the longitudinal direction, The flexible catheter tip portion according to claim 2, wherein the connection surface is formed on the distal end surface of the core.

5. The core is formed to have flexibility based on a flexibility coefficient, The flexible catheter tip according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the coefficient of flexibility includes one or more of the following: the connecting surface, the flexible material of the support, the length of the support, the diameter or width of the support, the diameter or width of the disk, the thickness of the disk, the spacing between disks, the radius of curvature of the tip, and the diameter or width of the tip.

6. The flexible catheter tip according to claim 5, wherein the flexibility of the core is changed by changing one or more of the flexibility coefficients.

7. The flexible catheter tip according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the core is fully curved, one of the disks contacts another disk among the disks and interferes with the movement of the other disk.

8. The flexible catheter tip according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the coating layer includes a hydrophilic material.

9. A grip with an internal passage, A catheter member having a proximal end and a distal end, configured to move within the internal passage relative to the grip, and comprising a tubular wall surrounding a hollow interior and one or more openings in the tubular wall adjacent to the proximal end of the catheter, wherein the hollow interior is configured to receive body fluid through the one or more openings, A urethral catheter assembly comprising a flexible catheter tip extending from the proximal end of the catheter, The tip of the flexible catheter comprises a core having a proximal end and a distal end, and a coating layer disposed covering the core. The aforementioned core, A support extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the core, A plurality of disks spaced apart along the support, The rounded tip at the proximal end of the core and Equipped with, Urethral catheter assembly.

10. The core includes a connection surface, The tip of the flexible catheter is configured to be connected to the catheter member at the connecting surface, The support is formed from a flexible material and has a support length and a support diameter or width formed between the proximal end and the distal end of the core. Each of the aforementioned plurality of disks is formed to have a disk diameter or width and a disk thickness, and is spaced apart along the length of the support by a distance equal to the disk spacing. The aforementioned round tip portion has a tip radius of curvature and a tip diameter or width. The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned connection surface is provided at the distal end of the core, The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the tip of the flexible catheter is coupled to the proximal end of the catheter member.

12. The core further comprises a plug at the distal end of the core, The connection surface is provided on the radially outward-facing surface of the plug, The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 11, wherein the plug is configured to be disposed inside the hollow interior of the catheter member at the proximal end of the catheter.

13. The plug is configured to be disposed inside the hollow interior of the catheter member, The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 12, wherein the tip of the flexible catheter is connected to the catheter member by a connection between the plug and the inner surface of the tubular wall.

14. The core further comprises the distal end surface of the core at the distal end of the core, The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 11, wherein the connecting surface is provided on the distal end face of the core.

15. The tubular wall portion further comprises a proximal end face, The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 14, wherein the tip of the flexible catheter is connected to the catheter member by a connection between the distal end face of the core and the proximal end face of the wall.

16. The core is formed to have flexibility based on a flexibility coefficient, The urethral catheter assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the coefficient of flexibility includes one or more of the following: the connecting surface, the flexible material of the support, the length of the support, the diameter or width of the support, the diameter or width of the disk, the thickness of the disk, the spacing between the disks, the radius of curvature of the tip, and the diameter or width of the tip.

17. The urethral catheter assembly according to claim 16, wherein the flexibility of the core is changed by changing one or more of the flexibility coefficients.

18. The urethral catheter assembly according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein the coating layer is overmolded on the core.

19. The urethral catheter assembly according to any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein the coating layer is bonded to the tubular wall portion.

20. The urethral catheter assembly according to any one of claims 9 to 19, wherein the coating layer comprises a hydrophilic material.

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