Patent attributes
A catheter suitable for use in performing peritoneal dialysis. The catheter is a dual lumen catheter which allows for continuous flow peritoneal dialysis. Dialysate flows through the catheter into the patient via one lumen and simultaneously flows through the catheter out of the patient via the second lumen. The dual lumen dialysis catheter has a flexible tube which has an implantable portion extending from an external patient portion. Both of the lumens have openings in the external patient portion for connecting to a supply and drain of dialysate, respectively. The implantable portion has a preformed curved segment which has an outlet for the first lumen to flow dialysate into the patient's peritoneal cavity. The implantable portion has an opening for the second lumen at the distal end to flow dialysate out of the peritoneal cavity and removal from the patient. The catheter facilitates mixing of fresh and spent dialysate inside the peritoneal cavity by inflowing fresh dialysate into the cavity at a location substantially separated from the cavity outflow location, and by directing the inflow of dialysate into the cavity opposite the cavity outflow location.
