CATHETER FOR DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING AND THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES

摘要

A catheter for use in introducing fluid into a vessel or other bodily structure. The catheter comprises a stem and a restrictor. The stem has approximate a distal end thereof a porous section that defines microholes distributed thereabout, which are inclined by a predetermined angle in the proximal direction. Affixed to the stem, the restrictor includes a conic ally-shaped valve with an apex thereof defining an opening and pointing in the proximal direction. The opening generally decreases in size as the conically-shaped valve flattens out distally as the pressure of the fluid within the tip increases. The forces of the fluid flowing out of the opening of the restrictor and out of the microholes of the stem substantially balance thereby substantially eliminating both recoil and whipping of the catheter, thus enabling its position to remain exceptionally stable while the fluid is finely dispersed therefrom in a cloud-like form.