Injection tube for catheter devices

1. A medical device system comprising:

an elongate shaft having opposite proximal and distal ends defining a shaft length;

a passageway extending through at least a portion of the shaft and generally circumferentially defined by a shaft wall, wherein the shaft comprises a coupling region extending between a distal end passageway opening and a proximal passageway opening; and

a flexible tube having a tube lumen, with a distal portion of the flexible tube disposed removably within the passageway laterally through at least a portion of the coupling region and with a proximal portion of the flexible tube accessible from outside the elongate shaft;

wherein the flexible tube is disposed through a significant length of the passageway such that it extends at least more than halfway down the shaft length and the tube lumen provides a patent fluid communication passage to a distal portion of the elongate shaft;

wherein at least a portion of the shaft wall in the coupling region is configured to be split laterally by a lateral force of the flexible tube or a combination thereof with a wire guide, disposed within the lumen when the flexible tube is pulled laterally out of the elongate shaft directly through the shaft wall along the splittable portion of the coupling region.

2. The medical device system of claim 1 , further comprising a wire guide disposed through the tube lumen of the flexible tube.

3. The medical device system of claim 1 , further comprising a second passageway extending through at least a portion of the elongate shaft.

4. The medical device system of claim 3 , wherein the second passageway is configured for concurrent passage of a wire guide and a fluid.

5. The medical device system of claim 1 , further comprising a handle operably attached to a distally disposed cutting wire such that the medical device system is configured to function as a sphincterotome.

6. The medical device system of claim 1 , wherein the tube lumen extends through a length of the flexible tube and is configured to allow concurrent passage of a wire guide and a fluid therethrough.

7. The medical device system of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket structure configured to hold a portion of the flexible tube in external proximity with the elongate shaft.

8. The medical device system of claim 7 , wherein the bracket structure comprises at least one access port to the tube lumen.

9. The medical device system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one access port includes a sealing connecting structure configured for introduction of a liquid into the tube lumen.

10. The medical device system of claim 9 , wherein the sealing connecting structure comprises a Luer-lock port.

11. The medical device system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one access port is configured for introduction of a wire guide into the tube lumen.

12. The medical device system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one access port includes a connecting structure configured for introduction of a liquid and a wire guide into the tube lumen.

13. The medical device system of claim 12 , wherein the connecting structure comprises a Luer port.

14. The medical device system of claim 1 , wherein the splittable portion of the shaft wall comprises a pre-formed groove between an exterior shaft wall surface and the passageway.

15. The medical device system of claim 1 , wherein the splittable portion of the shaft wall comprises a shaft wall portion that is structurally weaker than a non-splittable portion of the shaft wall.

16. The medical device system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft wall comprises a first material and a second material, and the splittable portion of the shaft wall comprises the first material, said first material being more splittable than the second material.

17. The medical device system of claim 1 , wherein the splittable portion of the shaft wall comprises a shaft wall portion circumferentially surrounding the passageway, said splittable shaft wall portion being configured to split away from a non-splittable portion of the shaft wall.

18. A method of providing for patent fluid flow through a splittable catheter device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a medical device comprising:

an elongate shaft extending between a distal shaft end and a proximal shaft end; and

a shaft lumen extending through at least a portion of the shaft and generally circumferentially defined by a shaft wall, wherein the shaft comprises a coupling region extending between a distal end lumen opening and a proximal lumen opening; and

at least a portion of the shaft wall in the coupling region is splittable;

providing an elongate flexible tube having a distal tube end and a tube lumen extending through at least a portion of the elongate flexible tube;

directing the distal tube end into the proximal lumen opening, such that the elongate flexible tube is disposed through a significant length of the shaft lumen such that the flexible tube extends at least more than halfway down the coupling region of the shaft lumen, wherein the shaft lumen is configured such that the flexible tube is removable by being pulled laterally directly through the splittable portion of the shaft wall.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of directing the distal tube end comprises directing the distal tube end to a location in the shaft lumen that is nearer the distal shaft end than the proximal shaft end.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of directing the distal tube end further comprises providing a patent path of fluid communication through at least a portion of the elongate flexible tube and extending through at least a portion of the elongate shaft.

21. A medical device comprising:

an elongate shaft including a passageway therethrough extending from a distal end of the shaft, wherein the passageway is defined by a shaft wall and at least a distal portion of the shaft wall is splittable and

a fluid-patent flexible tube removably disposed through a significant length of the passageway such that the tube extends at least more than halfway down a shaft length, wherein the fluid-patent flexible tube is configured to receive a wire guide; and

wherein the fluid-patent tube is configured to be laterally removable from the passageway directly through the splittable shaft wall portion, and the shaft is configured to split therealong, allowing the tube to be separated laterally from the shaft through the splittable shaft wall portion.

22. The medical device system of claim 21 , further comprising a wire guide disposed through a tube lumen of the flexible tube.

23. The medical device system of claim 21 , configured as a sphincterotome including an actuatable handle, a cutting wire disposed through a longitudinal cutting wire lumen of the elongate shaft, and a connection configured for providing an electrical current to the cutting wire.