Spiral epidural catheter

Abstract

The present invention relates to a spiral epidural catheter. The spiral epidural catheter comprises: a catheter body having a passage formed therein and an inlet / outlet hole formed at a tip of a distal end part thereof, wherein a procedure tool is insertable into the passage, the distal end part faces a lesion target, the inlet / outlet hole communicates with the passage and allows the procedure tool to enter and exit therethrough, and the distal end part is tapered with a cross-sectional area gradually reduced toward the inlet / outlet hole; and a spiral part protruding or recessed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the distal end part of the catheter body.

Description

spiral epidural catheter

[0001] The present invention relates to a spiral epidural catheter.

[0002] In general, a catheter is a percutaneous device, that is, a medical device that is inserted into the human body through the skin.

[0003] For example, epidural neurolysis performed by catheter is a procedure in which a catheter is inserted percutaneously into the body to access the painful area and a drug is administered through the catheter to relieve pain in the affected area.

[0004] This type of epidural neurolysis can be applied to a variety of patients, including patients who complain of pain due to inflammation, adhesions, or recurrence after undergoing lumbar disc surgery, patients with lumbago and spinal stenosis, patients with back pain due to nerve adhesions, and patients with sciatica.

[0005] As a prior art of such an epidural catheter, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2451560 is disclosed.

[0006] The catheter of the disclosed prior art has a blocked tip, making it difficult to move the catheter to the lesion site using a guide wire, making it difficult to insert the catheter.

[0007] In addition, the tip of the catheter has a coil spring structure, making it difficult to transmit force when inserting the catheter into the lesion site, making it difficult to perform the procedure.

[0008] In addition, since conventional epidural catheters can only be inserted into the tailbone area, it is difficult to insert them into the spine, for example, the front part of the disc, which requires skilled medical skills.

[0009] Accordingly, the applicant has developed a spiral epidural catheter that can be easily performed even by unskilled practitioners.

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a spiral epidural catheter that can perform epidural adhesion release and stricture expansion and shaping procedures easily without applying excessive force and minimizing tissue damage, and that does not require long-term skill and can shorten the procedure time.

[0011] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a spiral epidural catheter capable of effectively drug treating a treatment site.

[0012] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0013] The object of the present invention can be achieved by a spiral epidural catheter comprising: a catheter body having a passage formed therein into which a surgical tool is inserted, a tip of a tip portion facing a lesion target having an inlet hole formed to communicate with the passage and through which the surgical tool is withdrawn and drawn, the tip portion having a cross-sectional area gradually reduced and tapered toward the inlet hole; and a spiral portion formed in a spiral shape protruding or recessed on an outer surface of the tip portion of the catheter body.

[0014] The catheter body may further include one or more drug injection holes formed through the tip of the catheter body and communicating with the passage to inject drugs into the lesion target.

[0015] The tip of the above-mentioned leading edge can be formed to be round and curved.

[0016] The inner diameter of the above-mentioned withdrawal hole may be larger than the outer diameter of the surgical tool inserted into the above-mentioned passage.

[0017] The inner diameter of the above-mentioned withdrawal hole may have a size of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to perform epidural adhesion release and stenotic expansion and shaping procedures with minimal tissue damage without applying excessive force, without requiring extensive skill, and with a shortened procedure time.

[0019] Additionally, drugs can be effectively administered to the treatment area.

[0020] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1;

[0023] Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Figure 1;

[0024] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 3.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a lesion target for treatment with a spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a state in which a spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention moves along a guide wire to the lesion target of FIG. 5;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention enters the lesion target of FIG. 5 and a drug is injected around the lesion target.

[0028] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below, along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention.

[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components in addition to the mentioned components. The same reference numerals refer to the same components throughout the specification, and "and / or" includes each and every combination of one or more of the mentioned components.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in their common sense to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0031] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0032] FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate a spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As shown in these drawings, a spiral epidural catheter (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a catheter body (10) and a spiral portion (40).

[0034] The catheter body (10) has a hollow tube shape of a certain length.

[0035] A passage (11) is formed inside the catheter body (10).

[0036] A passage (11) is formed along the length of the catheter body (10), and a surgical tool can be inserted.

[0037] Here, as a surgical tool, a conventional catheter with an outer diameter smaller than the withdrawal port (25) described later, or a balloon catheter with an outer diameter smaller than the withdrawal port (25), a guide wire, etc. can be applied.

[0038] One end of the catheter body (10) facing the lesion target (T, see FIG. 5), for example, the tip end (21) of the catheter body (10) has a tapered cross-sectional shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the tip (23). That is, the tip end (21) of the catheter body (10) is formed to be tapered with respect to the central axis of the catheter body (10).

[0039] In this way, by forming the tip (21) of the catheter body (10) to be tapered, the catheter (1) can be easily inserted while peeling the lesion target (T) without nerve damage.

[0040] And, the tip (23) of the front end (21) is formed in a rounded curve.

[0041] In this way, by forming the tip (23) of the distal end (21) of the catheter body (10) into a rounded shape, it is possible to introduce the catheter (1) into the lesion target (T) while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue.

[0042] Additionally, a withdrawal hole (25) is formed in the tip (23) of the tip portion (21) through which a surgical tool is withdrawn and inserted.

[0043] The withdrawal hole (25) is connected to the passage (11) and is formed on the central axis of the catheter body (10), and the inner diameter of the withdrawal hole (25) is smaller than that of the passage (11).

[0044] Additionally, the inner diameter of the withdrawal hole (25) may be larger than the outer diameter of the surgical tool inserted into the passage (11).

[0045] Here, the inner diameter of the withdrawal hole (25) can have a size of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0046] The spiral portion (40) is formed in a spiral shape along the length of the catheter body (10) on the outer surface of the tip portion (21) of the catheter body (10).

[0047] In this way, by providing a spiral portion (40) on the outer surface of the tip portion (21) of the catheter body (10), the catheter (1) moves toward the lesion target (T) in a spiral motion, and can be easily rotated without applying a large force to the catheter (1) and easily entered into the lesion target (T). In addition, physical removal of adhesions of the lesion target (T) also becomes easy.

[0048] Here, in this embodiment, the spiral portion (40) is shown as being formed protrudingly on the outer surface of the tip portion (21) of the catheter body (10), but this is not limited to this, and the spiral portion (40) may also be formed recessedly on the outer surface of the tip portion (21) of the catheter body (10).

[0049] In addition, the spiral epidural catheter (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of drug injection holes (50) for injecting drugs into the lesion target (T).

[0050] A plurality of drug injection holes (50) are formed penetrating an area of ​​the catheter body (10) and are in communication with the passage (11). Here, the plurality of drug injection holes (50) are formed between the spiral parts (40) of the tip part (21) of the catheter body (10), but this is not limited to this, and the plurality of drug injection holes (50) may be formed at intervals throughout the entire area of ​​the tip part (21).

[0051] In this way, by providing a drug injection hole (50) in the catheter body (10), it is possible to effectively administer drugs to the lesion target (T) after the procedure and perform the procedure or treatment.

[0052] One or more of these drug injection holes (50) may be provided.

[0053] Here, the reference numeral 31, which is not described, is a hub, and the hub (31) is provided on the opposite side of the tip (21) of the catheter body (10).

[0054] By this configuration, the procedure for performing a procedure using a spiral epidural catheter (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is briefly described as follows.

[0055] First, the guide wire (100) is positioned in the patient's tissue, for example, the spinal epidural lesion target (T) shown in FIG. 5.

[0056] Next, when the guide wire (100) is positioned at the lesion target (T), the catheter (1) is mounted on the guide wire (100) so that the guide wire (100) is inserted into the passage (11) of the catheter body (10) as shown in FIG. 6, and the catheter (1) is moved along the guide wire (100) toward the lesion target (T), so that the catheter (1) is advanced into the lesion target (T) as shown in FIG. 7.

[0057] Meanwhile, as the tip (21) of the catheter (1) is formed to be inclined and a spiral portion (40) is provided on the outer surface of the tip (21), when the catheter (1) is introduced into the lesion target (T), if the operator rotates the catheter (1) along the guide wire (100) and moves it to the lesion target (T), the catheter (1) enters the lesion target (T) while performing a spiral movement by the spiral portion (40).

[0058] Accordingly, the operator can easily rotate the catheter (1) without applying great force, and easily insert the catheter (1) into the lesion target (T) while peeling the lesion target (T) without nerve damage.

[0059] Next, when the spiral epidural catheter (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention enters the lesion target (T), the drug is injected into the passage (11) of the catheter body (10).

[0060] As shown in Fig. 7, the drug injected into the passage (11) of the catheter body (10) flows along the passage (11) and can diffuse around the lesion target (T) through the withdrawal hole (25) and multiple drug injection holes (50).

[0061] Accordingly, the screw-type epidural catheter (1) according to the present invention can directly remove adhesions of an epidural lesion target (T) while minimizing tissue damage through the spiral portion (40) and drug injection hole (50) provided at the tip portion (21) of the catheter body (11), and can also easily perform adhesiolysis by administering drugs, and can effectively treat the treatment area with drugs after the treatment.

[0062] In addition, by applying the above-described procedure, a spiral epidural catheter according to the present invention having various sizes is prepared, and while the guide wire is entered into the lesion target of the stenosis, a catheter of a smaller size to a larger size is sequentially entered into the lesion target along the guide wire and then withdrawn from the lesion target and the guide wire, thereby removing adhesions from the lesion target, and for example, by gradually increasing the size of the spiral epidural catheter and sequentially entering and withdrawing the catheter into the stenosis, the stenosis can be removed from adhesions multiple times, and thus the stenosis can be gradually expanded and shaped.

[0063] And, when a drug is injected into the passage of the catheter that has finally entered the lesion target, the drug flows along the passage and spreads around the lesion target through the withdrawal port and multiple drug injection ports, and the drug can be used to detach adhesions of the lesion target or control nerve pain.

[0064] Meanwhile, after the spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the lesion target, an auxiliary catheter having a size that can pass through the withdrawal hole as a surgical tool is inserted through the passage of the spiral epidural catheter to enter the lesion target, and then the spiral epidural catheter according to one embodiment of the present invention is separated from the lesion target, and an additional drug is injected into the passage of the auxiliary catheter placed in the lesion target, so that the drug can be administered to the lesion target through the auxiliary catheter.

[0065] In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily perform epidural adhesion release and expansion and shaping of the stenosis without applying excessive force, and the procedure time can be shortened.

[0066] In addition, the spiral epidural catheter according to the present invention can be inserted into the tailbone area as in the past, but can also be inserted into the front part of the disc.

[0067] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A catheter body having a passage formed therein into which a surgical tool is inserted, a tip of the tip facing the lesion target having a withdrawal hole formed therein that communicates with the passage and through which the surgical tool is withdrawn and withdrawn, and the tip is formed to be tapered and gradually have a reduced cross-sectional area toward the withdrawal hole; and A spiral epidural catheter comprising a spiral portion formed in a spiral shape protruding or recessed on the outer surface of the tip of the catheter body.

2. In paragraph 1, A spiral epidural catheter, which is in communication with the passage and further includes one or more drug injection holes formed through the tip of the catheter body for injecting drugs into the lesion target.

3. In paragraph 1, A spiral epidural catheter with a tip formed in a rounded shape.

4. In paragraph 1, A spiral epidural catheter, wherein the inner diameter of the above-mentioned withdrawal hole is larger than the outer diameter of the surgical tool inserted into the above-mentioned passage.

5. In paragraph 1, A spiral epidural catheter having an inner diameter of the above-mentioned withdrawal hole of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

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