Barrier catheter

1. A method of transporting fluid between a treatment site of a patient and a location outside of the patient, the method comprising:

providing a catheter having a connection end locatable outside of the patient, an elongated fluid conduit, and a terminal end locatable at the treatment site, the conduit defining a fluid path between the connection end and the terminal end, the terminal end comprising, a first fluid exchange portion having a wall defining an outer surface and an inner lumen in fluid communication with the elongated fluid conduit, the first fluid exchange portion having at least one opening communicating between the inner lumen and the outer surface of the wall, and a barrier connected to and extending from the first fluid exchange portion;

placing the terminal end from a location outside of the patient, through a tissue opening, to a location inside of the patient, at the treatment site;

positioning the barrier to bias fluid flow at the treatment site in a preferential direction or to impede fluid flow in a non-preferential direction; and

extracting the terminal end through the tissue opening to transition the barrier from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

2. A method of delivering fluid to a treatment site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a catheter having a connection end locatable outside of the patient, an elongated fluid conduit, and a terminal end locatable at the treatment site, the elongated fluid conduit defining a fluid path between the connection end and the terminal end, the terminal end comprising, a first fluid exchange portion having a wall defining an outer surface and an inner lumen in fluid communication with the elongated fluid conduit, the first fluid exchange portion having at least one opening communicating between the inner lumen and the outer surface of the wall, and a barrier connected to and extending from the first fluid exchange portion;

placing the terminal end from a location outside of the patient, through a tissue opening, to a location inside of the patient, at the treatment site with the at least one opening directed to deliver fluid to a target location;

positioning the barrier to shield non-target locations from the fluid; and

extracting the terminal end through the tissue opening to transition the barrier from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

3. A method of removing fluid from a treatment site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a catheter having a connection end locatable outside of the patient, an elongated fluid conduit, and a terminal end locatable at the treatment site, the elongated fluid conduit defining a fluid path between the connection end and the terminal end, the terminal end comprising, a first fluid exchange portion having a wall defining an outer surface and an inner lumen in fluid communication with the elongated fluid conduit, the first fluid exchange portion having at least one opening communicating between the inner lumen and the outer surface of the wall, and a barrier connected to and extending from the first fluid exchange portion;

placing the terminal end at the treatment site with the at least one opening directed to remove fluid from a target location;

positioning the barrier from a location outside of the patient, through a tissue opening, to a location inside of the patient, to shield non-target locations from fluid removal; and

extracting the terminal end through the tissue opening to transition the barrier from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

4. A method of delivering anesthetic to body tissue adjacent a nerve and simultaneously draining body fluids at a treatment site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a first anesthetic infusion catheter having a fluid delivery end;

providing a second drainage catheter having a terminal end, the terminal end comprising a fluid exchange portion having a wall defining an outer surface and an inner lumen, the fluid exchange portion having at least one opening communicating between the inner lumen and the outer surface of the wall, and a barrier connected to and extending from the fluid exchange portion;

placing the terminal end of the first anesthetic infusion catheter at the treatment site adjacent the body tissue;

placing the terminal end of the second drainage catheter from a location outside of the patient, through a tissue opening, to a location inside of the patient, at the treatment site with the at least one opening directed toward the nerve and the barrier between the body tissues undergoing treatment and the nerve;

delivering anesthetic to the body tissue via the first catheter;

impeding a flow of anesthetic toward the nerve with the barrier;

draining body fluid from the treatment site through the at least one opening; and

extracting the terminal end through the tissue opening to transition the barrier from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

5. A method of removing fluid from a treatment site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a catheter having a terminal end including a fluid exchange portion having an elongated tubular wall defining an outer surface and an inner lumen, the fluid exchange portion having at least one opening communicating between the inner lumen and the outer surface of the elongated tubular wall; and a planar member connected to the elongated tubular wall and extending outwardly on opposing sides of the elongated wall;

positioning the planar member from a location outside of the patient, through a tissue opening, to a location inside of the patient, between tissue layers at the treatment site;

conducting fluid from the treatment site along the surface of the member to the fluid exchange portion;

removing fluid from the treatment site through the fluid exchange portion; and

extracting the terminal end through the tissue opening to transition the planar member from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

6. A method of delivering fluid to a treatment site of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a catheter having a terminal end including a fluid exchange portion having an elongated tubular wall defining an outer surface and an inner lumen, the fluid exchange portion having at least one opening communicating between the inner lumen and the outer surface of the elongated tubular wall, a planar member connected to the elongated tubular wall and extending outwardly on opposing sides of the elongated tubular wall;

positioning the planar member from a location outside of the patient, through a tissue opening, to a location inside of the patient, between tissue layers at the treatment site;

delivering fluid through the fluid exchange portion to the planar member;

dispersing the fluid at the treatment with the member; and

extracting the terminal end through the tissue opening to transition the planar member from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.