MEDICAL CATHETER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A BALLOON BOLSTER

摘要

A medical catheter assembly including either a reinforced balloon bolster or the combination of a balloon bolster and a wire-basket bolster. According to one embodiment, the medical catheter assembly is a low-profile replacement PEG device that comprises a feeding tube, an external bolster, an end cap and a reinforced balloon bolster. The feeding tube has a larger, feeding lumen and a smaller, inflation lumen, the two lumina extending longitudinally in a parallel fashion. The external bolster is fixed to the external end of the feeding tube and has a feeding lumen aligned with that of the tube and an inflation lumen aligned with that of the tube. The end cap is mounted on the internal end of the feeding tube, the end cap having an end wall that seals the internal end of the inflation lumen and having an opening that is aligned with the feeding lumen. The reinforced balloon bolster is mounted over the feeding tube and comprises a flexible sleeve and a plurality of linear reinforcing stays embedded within the sleeve. An intermediate portion of the sleeve lies over an aperture that is in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the tube.