SINGLE LUMEN BALLOON CATHETER APPARATUS

摘要

A catheter useful for non-surgical entry into the cervical canal of a uterus to dispense a diagnostic fluid therein. The catheter includes a tubular body having a lumen extending from a first end thereof to a second end thereof. The lumen includes a first aperture at or adjacent to the first end for dispensing a diagnostic fluid into the interior of a subject uterus, and a balloon disposed marginally adjacent to the first end of the body for fluid sealing the interior of the subject uterus. The lumen further includes a second aperture in fluid communication with the interior of the balloon for inflation thereof with the diagnostic fluid. The area of the first aperture is less than the area of the second aperture to provide a backpressure that inflates the balloon when a diagnostic fluid is injected through the catheter. In most applications, the catheter can be combined with a syringe to form a catheter apparatus.