Indwelling urinary catheter

1. A urinary catheter comprising:

a core lumen insertable into a urethra, the core lumen defining an inlet end having a single inlet and an outlet end opposite the inlet end;

a bladder retention mechanism coupled to the inlet end of the core lumen for hingedly moving between a release position and a retention position;

a stent coaxially mounted on the core lumen adjacent the bladder retention mechanism, the stent defining a stent inlet in fluid communication with the single inlet of the core lumen and configured to transport a fluid from a bladder,

and a stent outlet configured to discharge the fluid around an external surface of the core lumen and into contact with the urethra;

wherein the core lumen defines a first outermost diameter, wherein the stent defines a second outermost diameter, and wherein the second outermost diameter is greater than the first outermost diameter;

wherein the stent tapers at its bottom from the second outermost diameter towards the first outermost diameter.

2. The urinary catheter of claim 1 , further comprising an outlet sheath coupled to the outlet end of the core lumen, wherein the outlet sheath is configured to receive the fluid, and wherein the outlet sheath includes at least one conduit to discharge the fluid.

3. The urinary catheter of claim 2 , wherein the outlet sheath includes a first conduit and a second conduit branching from the first conduit for removably coupling to a reservoir.

4. The urinary catheter of claim 3 , wherein the first and second conduits define an acute angle.

5. The urinary catheter of claim 2 , wherein the outlet sheath is coupled to a bellows to adjust a distance from the bladder retention mechanism to the outlet end of the core lumen.

6. The urinary catheter of claim 1 , wherein the core lumen defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a leg extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis when the bladder retention mechanism is in the release position.

7. The urinary catheter of claim 1 , wherein the inlet end of the core lumen is coupled to a plug, wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a socket formed therein, the socket having first and second inner surfaces, the first inner surface being closer to the outlet end of the core lumen than the second inner surface, wherein the plug is insertable into the socket, and wherein the plug abuts the second inner surface when the bladder retention mechanism is in the release position.

8. The urinary catheter of claim 7 , wherein a projection extends from the plug toward the outlet end of the core lumen, wherein the stent defines a reduced-diameter portion, and wherein the projection is matingly receivable into the reduced-diameter portion.

9. The urinary catheter of claim 1 , wherein the core lumen defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a leg extending from the longitudinal axis when the bladder retention mechanism is in the retention position.

10. The urinary catheter of claim 1 , wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a socket formed therein, the socket having first and second inner surfaces, the first inner surface being closer to the outlet end than the second inner surface, wherein the inlet end of the core lumen defines an abutment stop, and wherein the abutment stop engages the first inner surface when the bladder retention mechanism is in the retention position.

11. The urinary catheter of claim 10 , wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a leg having a retention area in contact with the bladder, and wherein moving the abutment stop toward the first inner surface increases the retention area.

12. The urinary catheter of claim 10 , wherein the inlet end of the core lumen is coupled to a plug, and wherein the inlet end of the core lumen is configured to be released from the plug when a predetermined force is applied on the core lumen in a direction from the inlet end toward the outlet end.

13. The urinary catheter of claim 1 , wherein the stent sheath is dimensioned to matingly receive the stent.

14. A method for catheterization, the method comprising:

advancing a core lumen through a urethra of a patient into a bladder, wherein the core lumen defines an inlet end having a single inlet and an outlet end opposite the inlet end, wherein a bladder retention mechanism is coupled to the inlet end in a release position, wherein a stent is coaxially mounted on the core lumen adjacent the bladder retention mechanism, and wherein the stent defines a stent inlet in fluid communication with the single inlet of the core lumen and configured to receive a fluid from the bladder, and a stent outlet configured to discharge the fluid around an external surface of the core lumen and into contact with the urethra; and

moving the core lumen in a direction from the inlet end toward the outlet end,

whereupon the bladder retention mechanism hingedly moves from the release position to a retention position;

wherein the core lumen defines a first outermost diameter, wherein the stent defines a second outermost diameter, and wherein the second outermost diameter is greater than the first outermost diameter;

wherein the stent tapers at its bottom from the second outermost diameter towards the first outermost diameter.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising coupling an outlet sheath to the outlet end, wherein the outlet sheath is configured to receive the fluid, and wherein the outlet sheath includes at least one conduit to discharge the fluid.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the outlet sheath includes a first conduit and a second conduit branching from the first conduit, wherein the method further comprises removably coupling a reservoir of fluid to the first conduit, and injecting the fluid into the first conduit.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the core lumen defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a leg, and wherein moving the core lumen in a direction from the inlet end toward the outlet end moves the leg from a position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis to a position extending away from the longitudinal axis.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a leg having a retention area in contact with the bladder, and wherein moving the core lumen in a direction from the inlet end toward the outlet end increases the retention area.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein a stent sheath is slidably coupled to the stent, and wherein the stent sheath is slidably removed from the stent when the bladder retention mechanism is in the retention position.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inlet end of the core lumen is coupled to a plug, wherein the bladder retention mechanism includes a socket formed therein, the socket having first and second inner surfaces, the first inner surface being closer to the outlet end than the second inner surface, wherein the plug is insertable into the socket, and wherein the plug is positioned closer to the second inner surface than the first inner surface when the bladder retention mechanism is in the retention position, and wherein the method further comprises inserting a wire through the core lumen when the bladder retention mechanism is in the retention position, and moving the plug to a position abutting the second inner surface, whereupon the bladder retention mechanism returns to the release position.

21. A urinary catheter comprising:

a core lumen insertable into a urethra, the core lumen defining an inlet end having a single inlet and an outlet end opposite the inlet end, the inlet end of the core lumen being attached to a plug;

a bladder retention mechanism for hingedly moving between a release position and a retention position, the bladder retention mechanism having a socket formed therein into which the plug is fitted; and

a stent coaxially mounted on the core lumen adjacent the bladder retention mechanism, the stent defining a stent inlet in fluid communication with the single inlet of the core lumen and configured to receive a fluid from a bladder, and a stent outlet configured to discharge the fluid around an external surface of the core lumen and into contact with the urethra,

wherein a pulling force applied to the core lumen removes the plug from the socket such that the bladder retention mechanism is in the release position;

wherein the core lumen defines a first outermost diameter, wherein the stent defines a second outermost diameter, and wherein the second outermost diameter is greater than the first outermost diameter;

wherein the stent tapers at its bottom from the second outermost diameter towards the first outermost diameter.

22. The urinary catheter of claim 21 , further comprising a fluid channel in fluid communication with the inlet end of the core lumen to provide one of fluid sampling and fluid injection to one of a bladder and a urethra.

23. The urinary catheter of claim 22 , wherein the fluid channel is adjacent to one of the stent and the bladder retention mechanism.