Ureteral stent with small bladder tail

摘要

This invention is a ureteral stent (100) for assisting movement of urine along a patient's ureter and into the patient's bladder. The stent (100) includes an elongated tubular segment (130) extending toward the bladder from a kidney end region for placement in the renal cavity to a bladder end region. A central lumen (260) connects at least one opening (127) at the first end region to at least one opening in the bladder end region. At least one flexible tail (110) is attached to the bladder end region of the tubular segment (130) at a point outside the bladder so as to receive urine from the opening in the bladder end region of the tubular segment (130) and to transport urine from there across the ureter/bladder junction and into the bladder. The tail (110) includes an elongated external urine transport surface sized and configured to transport urine along the ureter. The urine transporting surface is sized and configured to extend along at least part of the ureter, across the ureter/bladder junction, and from there into the bladder.