US Patent 6942635 Blood treatment catheter and method

Disclosed are various embodiments of a hemo-dialysis catheter in which the aspirating port at the end of the aspirating tube is distal of the infusion port or ports at the end of the infusion lumen. The infusion port or ports are arranged circumferentially so that the infused filtered blood is a substantially 360° jet of fluid with a substantial radial component. This jet of fluid serves to abrade the occlusive material that is composed of fibrin and other components that grows down along the outer wall of the catheter that would otherwise tend to block off the ports. Stopping occlusion growth at the zone of the infusion ports prevents further growth distally to the aspirating port and protects the aspirating port from being blocked by the growth of occlusion.