JP7584080B2 - Veterinary Catheters - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Shingo Haneda presented the results of his research into a method for lavaging the cow's uterus using the animal catheter invented by Shingo Haneda on pages 2-6 of the December 2019 issue (published December 2, 2019) of "Clinical Veterinarian" published by Midori Shobo Co., Ltd.

The present invention relates to an animal catheter used to cleanse the uterus of an animal.

Uterine irrigation has been known as a method of treating uterine diseases in animals, particularly cattle. To perform this uterine irrigation, special devices such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been used, as well as a general balloon catheter. The uterine irrigation method using a balloon catheter involves inserting a catheter into the cow's uterus and repeatedly injecting and withdrawing irrigation fluid while the balloon is placed at the base of the uterine horn.

According to this type of uterine irrigation method, as shown in Figure 7, the irrigation fluid that has accumulated in the uterus is discharged from near the tip of the catheter, but in cows, the tip of the catheter is placed at the base of the uterine horn, which is the most dorsal part (i.e. the upper part) of the uterus (see Figure 7(a)). Therefore, in this position, only the irrigation fluid around the tip of the catheter can be discharged. Therefore, it was necessary to lift the uterus over the rectum so that the tip of the catheter would come into contact with the irrigation fluid (see Figure 7(b)).

In addition, in the even-toed ungulate order, which includes cows, there are two internal cavities within the uterus, and in the case of a cow's uterus, it is divided into left and right uterine horns (cavities) immediately after the uterine body, which is a few centimeters long. Therefore, after washing one uterine horn, it was necessary to reinsert the balloon catheter into the other uterine horn and repeat the same washing method.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 189840/1983 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-277995

The uterine irrigation method using a balloon catheter described above does not require the use of expensive and special equipment, but during uterine irrigation of a cow, the uterus must be continuously lifted through the rectum, making the work complicated and tedious. In addition, only one of the two uterine horns can be washed at a time, and the same operation must be repeated, making the work even more complicated and tedious.

The present invention was made in response to the problems inherent in the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide an animal catheter with a simple structure that allows for easy uterine irrigation with simple operations.

The gist of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object resides in the following inventions.
[1] A catheter for animals (10) for use in irrigating the uterus of an animal, comprising:
A tube body (11) that is elongated and flexible and is inserted into the uterus to inject and collect a cleaning solution;
and an inflatable balloon (20) provided midway along the tube body (11) and retained at a suitable position within the uterus.
The tube body (11) is branched at a distal end side of the balloon (20) to correspond to two internal cavities in the uterus, and each of the branched branched parts (15) has a length such that a distal end of each of the branched parts reaches each of the internal cavities .
An inlet channel (12) for injecting a cleaning liquid and an outlet channel (13) for recovering the cleaning liquid are provided separately inside the tube body (11);
A supply port (12b) for a cleaning liquid from the inflow channel (12) is opened on the base end side of each of the branched portions (15),
The animal catheter (10) is characterized in that a recovery port (13b) for the washing liquid to the outflow path (13) is opened at the tip side of each of the branched portions (15) .

[2] The animal catheter (10) described in [1] above, characterized in that a check valve (52) is provided midway through the external path connected to the outflow path (13).

[3] The animal catheter (10) described in [1] or [2], characterized in that when the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, a stylet (1) is combined with the tube body (11) to be inserted into the inside of the tube body (11), including the tip side of each branching portion ( 15 ).

[4] The lengths of the branched portions (15a, 15b) are different from each other, and a loop (16) is attached to the tip side of the shorter branched portion (15b);
When inserting the tube body (11) into the uterus, the stylet (1) is inserted into the longer branched portion (15a) and the stylet (1) is passed through the loop (16) led to the inside of the longer branched portion (15a), whereby the tube body (11) can be inserted into the uterus with the branches (15a, 15b) joined together;
The animal catheter (10A) described in [3] above, characterized in that after the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, the stylet (1) is removed, thereby making it possible to separate the tip sides of each of the branched portions (15a, 15b) into both sides.

[5] The animal catheter (10) described in [1] or [2], characterized in that when the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, an outer tube (2) is attached to the outside of the tube body (11), including the tip side of each branching portion ( 15 ).

[6] The animal is a cow,
The two internal cavities within the uterus are the uterine horns;
The appropriate location in the uterus where the balloon (20) is placed is the uterine body,
The animal catheter (10, 10A) according to the above [1], [2], [3], [4] or [5], characterized in that a tip of the branched portion (15) reaches the uterine horn .

Next, the operation based on the above-mentioned solution will be described.
In the animal catheter (10) described in [1] above, the distal end of the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus of an animal, and the balloon (20) is inflated to leave it in the appropriate position within the uterus. In this state, a cleaning solution is injected to clean the uterus, and then the cleaning solution is collected from the uterus. The distal end of the tube body (11) from the balloon (20) branches into two internal cavities within the uterus of a cow or the like, and the distal end of each of the branched portions reaches each internal cavity .

As a result, the animal catheter (10) makes it possible to simultaneously clean two internal cavities in the uterus, eliminating the need to repeat the same procedure for each internal cavity and significantly shortening the time required for the procedure. Furthermore, compared to conventional procedures in which the tip of the tube body (11) did not come into contact with the cleaning solution deep inside the cavity, the animal catheter (10) also eliminates the need to lift the uterus, simplifying the procedure and making cleaning easier. Furthermore, by positioning the lower end of the external path through which the cleaning solution is discharged from the tube body (11) lower than the branched portion of the tube body (11), the cleaning solution can be easily discharged using the siphon principle.

In addition, according to the animal catheter (10), an inflow path (12) for injecting a cleaning solution and an outflow path (13) for recovering the cleaning solution are provided separately inside the tube body (11). This makes it possible to prevent the recovered cleaning solution from flowing back into the uterus, which occurs when the cleaning solution is injected and recovered through a single path.

Furthermore, in the animal catheter (10), a supply port (12b) for the cleaning liquid from the inflow path (12) is provided at the base end side of each of the branching portions (15), and a recovery port (13b) for the cleaning liquid to the outflow path (13) is provided at the tip end side of each of the branching portions (15).

As a result, the cleaning fluid flows from the supply port (12b) from the entrance side of the cavity in the uterus toward the back, washing the surroundings, and once cleaning is complete, the cleaning fluid is collected from the back of the cavity through the collection port (13b), improving cleaning efficiency.

According to the animal catheter (10) described in [2] above, a check valve (52) is provided in the middle of the external path connected to the outflow path (13). This makes it possible to prevent the phenomenon of air being sucked in from the external path even when the pressure inside the uterus becomes negative.

According to the animal catheter (10) described in [3] above, when the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, the stylet (1) is inserted into the inside of the tube body (11) including the tip side of each branch (15). This makes it possible to easily and quickly insert the tube body even if the inside of the uterus is narrow and has a complex structure.

According to the animal catheter (10A) described in [4] above, when the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, the stylet (1) is inserted into the longer branch (15a), and the stylet (1) is passed through the loop (16) of the shorter branch (15b) that is led into the longer branch (15a).

This allows the tube body (11) to be smoothly inserted into the uterus with each branch (15a, 15b) combined into one. After the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, the tip side of each branch (15a, 15b) can be separated into two sides by removing the stylet (1).

According to the animal catheter (10) described in [5] above, when the tube body (11) is inserted into the uterus, the outer cylinder (2) is attached to the outside of the tube body (11) including the tip side of each branching part (15). In this case, too, even if the inside of the uterus is narrow and has a complex structure, the tube body can be easily and quickly inserted.

As described above in [6] , the animal catheter (10) described above is optimally applicable when the animal to be used is, for example, a cow, the two internal cavities in the uterus are the uterine horns, the appropriate location in the uterus to place the balloon (20) is the uterine body, and the tip of the bifurcation portion (15) is intended to reach the uterine horns .

The animal catheter of the present invention has a simple configuration and allows for easy uterine irrigation with simple procedures.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the animal catheter of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the animal catheter of the present embodiment at a position before the balloon. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the position of the balloon of the animal catheter of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a branched portion at a distal end of the balloon of the animal catheter of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the animal catheter of the present embodiment is used. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the animal catheter of the present embodiment in use. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a conventional animal catheter is used. FIG. 11 is a front view showing another example of an animal catheter according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing an outer cylinder of an animal catheter according to another example of the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of an animal catheter according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, a representative embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 6, 8 and 9 show an embodiment of the present invention.
The animal catheter 10 according to this embodiment is used for washing the uterus of an animal. The following describes an example in which the animal catheter 10 is used for washing the uterus of an animal such as an even-toed ungulate, which has two uterine horns (lumens) in its uterus, particularly a cow.

<Overview of Animal Catheter 10>
As shown in Fig. 1, the animal catheter 10 has a long, flexible tube body 11 that is inserted into the uterus of a cow to inject and collect a cleaning solution. An expandable balloon 20 is provided midway along the tube body 11 to be placed at an appropriate location in the uterus. In the case of a cow, the appropriate location in the uterus is the uterine body a4 just before the uterine horn base a3 that continues to the cervix a1, as shown in Fig. 5. Beyond the uterine horn base a3, the uterus is divided into left and right uterine horns a2.

The balloon 20 is provided midway on the tip side (left side in FIG. 1) which is forward in the direction of entry of the tube body 11. A catheter head 30 is provided on the base end side (right side in FIG. 1) which is rearward in the direction of entry of the tube body 11. In addition, the animal catheter 10 is connected to a cleaning fluid supply tube 40 for supplying cleaning fluid to the tube body 11, and a recovery fluid discharge tube 50 for directing the cleaning fluid discharged from the tube body 11 to the outside, as described below.

<Tube body 11>
As shown in Fig. 1, the tube body 11 is formed in a long, flexible, elongated tubular shape and can be bent freely. Suitable materials for the tube body 11 include soft synthetic resins such as silicone rubber, polyurethane, and soft polyvinyl chloride. The tube body 11 has an inner cavity extending in the axial direction. The inner cavity is separated into a plurality of paths, and includes an inflow path 12 through which the cleaning liquid flows in, an outflow path 13 through which the cleaning liquid flows out, and a supply/discharge path 14 for inflating the balloon 20, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the inflow channel 12 is for introducing a cleaning liquid. The inflow channel 12 is formed as a thin tube (lumen) extending in the axial direction at a position eccentric from the axis of the tube body 11. The tip side of the inflow channel 12 is opened to the outside as a plurality of supply ports 12b at the base end side of a branching portion 15 that branches off just beyond the tip side of the balloon 20 described below. The base end side of the inflow channel 12 is connected to the inside of the catheter head 30 described below. Specifically, physiological saline or Ringer's solution is suitable as the cleaning liquid.

The outflow path 13 is for discharging the cleaning fluid after cleaning the inside of the uterus. The outflow path 13 is formed as a main duct (lumen) extending around the axis of the tube body 11. The tip side of the outflow path 13 is opened to the outside as a plurality of recovery ports 13b at the tip side of each branch section 15. The base end side of the outflow path 13 is connected to the inside of the catheter head 30 described below. The cleaning fluid discharged from the uterus is also referred to as "recovery fluid" in the following explanation.

The supply and discharge path 14 allows the passage of a fluid (e.g., air, sterile distilled water, etc.) that inflates the balloon 20 described later. The supply and discharge path 14 is formed as a thin tube (lumen) extending in the axial direction at a position eccentric to the axis of the tube body 11 (opposite the inlet path 12). The tip side of the supply and discharge path 14 is sealed, and the intermediate portion before that opens from the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 11 and communicates with the inside of the balloon 20. The base end side of the supply and discharge path 14 communicates with the inside of the catheter head 30 described later.

<<Tip side of tube body 11>>
As shown in Fig. 1, the tube body 11 is branched at the tip side of the balloon 20 to correspond to two uterine horns a2 (see Fig. 5) in the cow's uterus. The length of each of the two branched parts 15 is set so that the tip of each of the branched parts reaches the location where the cleaning fluid is accumulated deep inside each uterine horn a2. The outside diameter of each branched part 15 is preferably set to about half the standard outside diameter of the tube body 11.

The location where the cleaning solution accumulates deep inside the uterine horn a2 is the deepest part of the uterine horn a2 as shown in Figures 5 and 6, but it is not necessarily the deepest part, and is usually the most ventral part (i.e. the lower part) within the uterine horn a2. Therefore, as will be described later, when the balloon 20 is placed in the uterine body a4, the tip of the branch part 15 is placed in the middle of the uterine horn a2, that is, in the location on the ventral side when viewed from the entire uterus. Note that although only one side of the branch part 15 is shown in Figures 5 and 6, this is for convenience of drawing, and in reality, the branch part 15 is inserted into each of the two uterine horns a2.

More specifically, the branch section 15 is configured by bonding two tubes forming the branch section 15 from the end face of a single tube body 11 at a location on the tube body 11 just distal to the balloon 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the tubes constituting the branch section 15 are a combination of a semicircular cross section that becomes circular when joined together, and a smaller diameter tube with a circular cross section that is bonded along one end of the semicircular cross section.

As shown in Figure 4(a), the circular small-diameter tube of the branch 15 ends just at the base end of the entire branch 15 (see Figure 1), and its inside forms a small-diameter inlet 12a that is directly connected to the inlet 12. Here, the inlet 12a opens as a supply port 12b just at the base end of the branch 15. The number and shape of the supply ports 12b are not particularly limited and are design items that can be determined as appropriate.

As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the tube with a semicircular cross section of the branching portion 15 extends over the entire branching portion 15, and its interior forms an outflow path 13a that is directly connected to the outflow path 13. Here, the outflow path 13a extends in the axial direction from the base end side to the tip side of the branching portion 15, and opens directly at the tip side as a recovery port 13b, and also opens at multiple locations before that as recovery ports 13b. The number and shape of the recovery ports 13b are not particularly limited and are design items that can be determined as appropriate.

<<Proximal End Side of Tube Body 11>>
As shown in Fig. 1, a catheter head 30 is provided on the base end side of the tube body 11. The catheter head 30 is formed in a three-pronged funnel shape that communicates with the inflow path 12, the outflow path 13, and the supply/discharge path 14. The catheter head 30 is suitably made of a synthetic resin that is harder than the material of the tube body 11. Of the catheter head 30, a main pipe portion extending in the same axial direction as the tube body 11 serves as a connector 31 that communicates with the outflow path 13 to discharge the cleaning liquid.

One of the tubes branching off from the tip of the connector 31 is the connector 32, which communicates with the inflow path 12 and injects a cleaning fluid, and the other tube is the connector 33, which communicates with the supply and discharge path 14 and passes a fluid that inflates the balloon 20. The connector 33 is integrally provided with a balloon expansion valve 33a. A check valve is provided inside the balloon expansion valve 33a, and the supply and discharge path 14 is configured to communicate with the outside only when a syringe (not shown) for injecting fluid is inserted.

<Balloon 20>
1, the balloon 20 is disposed midway on the distal end side of the tube body 11, and is inflatable so as to cover the outer circumferential surface of that portion in the entire circumferential direction. More specifically, the balloon 20 is formed in a substantially cylindrical, stretchable bag shape, and the distal and proximal edges of the balloon 20 are each fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the tube body 11 with a predetermined adhesive margin. The supply and discharge path 14 opens midway through the tube body 11 located inside the balloon 20.

The balloon 20 expands or contracts around the tube body 11 by pressurizing or depressurizing the balloon with fluid through the supply and discharge path 14. That is, the balloon 20 expands, for example, into a spherical shape with the front and back slightly crushed around the tube body 11 by pressurizing the balloon with fluid introduced through the supply and discharge path 14 (see FIG. 1), and contracts so as to adhere closely to the outer circumferential surface of the tube body 11 by depressurizing the balloon with fluid discharged from the supply and discharge path 14. The material of the balloon 20 may be any material that is flexible and capable of elastic deformation, and silicone rubber, for example, is suitable.

<Additional configuration>
As shown in Fig. 1, when the tube body 11 is inserted into the uterus, a stylet 1 is combined with the tube body 11, which is inserted into the interior of the tube body 11, including the tip side of each branching portion 15. The stylet 1 is inserted into the interior of the tube body 11 to serve as an inner core. The tip side of the stylet 1 branches to match the two branching portions 15. A suitable material for the stylet 1 is a metal such as stainless steel. Instead of the stylet 1, an outer cylinder 2 (see Fig. 8) that is attached to the outside of the tube body 11 may be combined. The outer cylinder 2 will be described in detail later.

When the tube body 11 is in use, a cleaning liquid supply tube 40 is connected to the connector 32 of the catheter head 30 to supply cleaning liquid from a cleaning liquid supply section 41 to the inlet channel 12 of the tube body 11. The supply section 41 is a cylindrical case capable of storing a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid, and is connected to a cleaning liquid bag (not shown) via a tubular cleaning liquid inlet 41a provided at the top of the case. The cleaning liquid bag may be, for example, a saline bag.

The cleaning liquid supply tube 40 may be provided with a three-way stopcock 42 and a clamp 43, in that order, from the tip side connected to the connector 32 of the catheter head 30. The three-way stopcock 42 and the clamp 43 are each intended to adjust the flow rate of the cleaning liquid flowing through the cleaning liquid supply tube 40.

When the tube body 11 is in use, the recovery liquid discharge tube 50 is connected to the connector 31 of the catheter head 30 via a three-way stopcock 51. The three-way stopcock 51 opens and closes the recovery liquid discharge tube 50 to switch the flow path. A check valve 52 is provided midway along the recovery liquid discharge tube 50.

The outlet (tip side) of the recovery liquid discharge tube 50 is disposed in a recovery section such as a bucket. As will be described in detail later, the vertical positional relationship between the outlet of the recovery liquid discharge tube 50 and each branch section 15 of the tube body 11 allows the cleaning liquid to be recovered using the siphon principle without using the power of a pump or the like.

<Function of the animal catheter 10>
Next, the operation of the animal catheter 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
Uterine irrigation of cows is a necessary means of infertility treatment for breeding management, and especially after a cow gives birth, if any contents remaining in the uterus as remnants of the fetal membrane and placenta still remain, it is necessary to expel them. Therefore, when uterine irrigation of cows is performed using this animal catheter 10, first, in FIG. 1, a irrigation liquid supply tube 40 is connected to the connector 32 of the catheter head 30, and the inlet 12 of the tube body 11 is filled with irrigation liquid.

Then, the stylet 1 for insertion is inserted into the outflow passage 13 of the tube body 11. The branched parts on the tip side of the stylet 1 are also inserted into each branch 15 on the tip side of the tube body 11 to form an inner core. In this state, the animal catheter 10 is introduced into the cow's uterus. That is, the tip side of the tube body 11 is pushed through the cow's cervical canal a1 together with the stylet 1 as shown in Figure 5. Then, each branch 15 is inserted into the uterine horn a2, and the stylet 1 is removed.

Fluid (e.g., air or sterile distilled water) is injected into the balloon 20 through the balloon expansion valve 33a. If the pressure exerted by the syringe when injecting the fluid is strong, the balloon 20 is inside the cervical canal a1, so the tube body 11 is pushed further forward to expand it. In this way, the balloon 20 is placed at the position of the uterine body a4. The tip side of each branch 15 then reaches the location deep inside the uterine horn a2 where the cleaning fluid is stored.

Then, the cleaning fluid supply section 41 is connected to the connection connector 32, which serves as the cleaning fluid inlet, via the cleaning fluid supply tube 40, and the cleaning fluid is supplied into the uterus from the inlet 12 of the tube body 11. While the cleaning fluid is being supplied, the outlet 13 of the tube body 11 is closed by the three-way stopcock 51. The flow rate of the cleaning fluid is adjusted as necessary by the three-way stopcock 42 and clamp 43 located midway along the cleaning fluid supply tube 40.

The cleaning fluid is discharged from the supply port 12b at the base end side of each branch 15 just beyond the balloon 20. The inside of the uterus is cleaned with the cleaning fluid, and the cleaning fluid after cleaning accumulates in the uterine horn a2. When the cleaning fluid has accumulated throughout the uterus, the inlet path 12 is closed and the outlet path 13 is opened to discharge the cleaning fluid after cleaning to the outside. In the uterine horn a2, the cleaning fluid is collected from the collection port 13b at the tip side of each branch 15, passes through the outlet path 13 of the tube body 11, and is led to the collected fluid discharge tube 50 via the three-way stopcock 51 from the connector 33 of the catheter head 30.

At this time, if the outlet of the recovery liquid discharge tube 50 is placed in a bucket or the like for receiving the recovery liquid that is placed at a position lower than the uterine horn a2, the cleaning liquid after washing can be easily collected by the siphon principle. Note that if a sufficient amount of cleaning liquid is supplied to the uterus but is not discharged, it may be that highly viscous residue has clogged it. In such a case, the contents can be aspirated by connecting a syringe to the connector 31 of the catheter head 30 and applying negative pressure.

When the recovery liquid is ready to flow smoothly, close the outflow path 13 while opening the inflow path 12 to supply the cleaning liquid into the uterus. When a certain amount of cleaning liquid has flowed in or the flow of the cleaning liquid by natural fall has stopped, close the inflow path 12 while opening the outflow path 13 to discharge the cleaning liquid to the outside. This operation is repeated until the collected cleaning liquid is sufficiently clean (transparent), and the cleaning is terminated when the turbidity of the cleaning liquid is determined.

In the animal catheter 10 of this embodiment, the tip side of the balloon 20 of the tube body 11 branches to correspond to the two uterine horns a2 inside the cow's uterus, and the tip of each branch 15 reaches a place deep inside each uterine horn a2 where the cleaning liquid accumulates. This makes it possible to simultaneously clean the two uterine horns a2 inside the uterus, and there is no need to repeat the same procedure for each uterine horn a2, significantly shortening the work time.

In addition, with the animal catheter 10 of this embodiment, compared to conventional catheters in which the tip of the tube body 11 did not come into contact with the cleaning fluid deep inside the uterine horn a2, there is no need to lift the uterus, and the work itself is simplified and cleaning can be performed easily. Furthermore, by positioning the lower end of the recovery fluid discharge tube 50, which discharges the cleaning fluid from the tube body 11, lower than each branch 15 of the tube body 11, it becomes possible to easily discharge the cleaning fluid by the siphon principle without using power such as a pump.

In addition, according to the animal catheter 10 of this embodiment, the inflow path 12 for injecting the cleaning fluid and the outflow path 13 for recovering the cleaning fluid are provided completely separately inside the tube body 11. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning fluid that has been partially recovered from being pushed back into the uterus and flowing backwards, which occurs when a single path is used for both injecting and recovering the cleaning fluid as in the conventional case.

In addition, according to the animal catheter 10 of this embodiment, the supply port 12b for the cleaning fluid from the inflow path 12 is opened at the base end side of each branch 15, and the recovery port 13b for the cleaning fluid to the outflow path 13 is opened at the tip end side of each branch 15. As a result, the cleaning fluid flows from the supply port 12b from the entrance side of the uterine horn a2 inside the uterus toward the back while washing the surroundings, and the cleaning fluid that has finished washing is collected from the recovery port 13b from the back side of the uterine horn a2. This improves the cleaning efficiency and makes automatic cleaning possible with the inflow path 12 and outflow path 13 open.

In addition, in the animal catheter 10 of this embodiment, a check valve 52 is provided in the middle of the recovered liquid discharge tube 50 connected to the outflow path 13. When such a check valve 52 is provided, it is possible to prevent air from being sucked in through the recovered liquid discharge tube 50 even when negative pressure is created inside the uterus.

Furthermore, according to the animal catheter 10 of this embodiment, when the tube body 11 is inserted into the uterus, the stylet 1 is inserted into the inside of the tube body 11, including the tip side of each branching section 15, to form an inner core. This makes it possible to easily and quickly insert the tube body 11 even in cases where the cervical canal a1 is narrow and has a complex structure, such as the uterus of a cow.

<<Regarding the outer cylinder 2>>
In the above embodiment, the stylet 1 is used as the inner core when inserting the tube body 11 into the uterus, but the outer cylinder 2 shown in Fig. 8 may be used instead of this inner core. More specifically, the outer cylinder 2 is set to a length that at least extends from the balloon 20 to the tip side of the branching portion 15. A suitable material for the outer cylinder 2 is a metal such as stainless steel. Specifically, for example, a metal tubular instrument for collecting fertilized eggs or injecting semen may be used as is as the outer cylinder 2.

By attaching such an outer cylinder 2 to the outside of the tube body 11, including each branching section 15, it becomes possible to easily and quickly insert the tube body 11 even if the inside of the uterus is narrow and has a complex structure. When inserting the tube body 11 into the uterus, the outer cylinder 2 is pushed through the cervical canal a1 with the outer cylinder 2 still attached and temporarily fixed in place, and then the tube body 11 alone is inserted into each branching section 15 into the uterine horn a2 until the balloon 20 emerges from the tip opening of the outer cylinder 2.

When the tube body 11 is inserted into the uterus, the outer cylinder 2 is attached to the outside of the tube body 11 in such a way that the tip of each branch 15 protrudes slightly from the tip opening of the outer cylinder 2. As shown in FIG. 9(a), the tip of each branch 15 is formed to have a smooth spherical crown shape without corners when overlapped into one. The outer cylinder 2 is prevented from coming off by the balloon 20 arranged inside the base end side.

In addition, when each branch 15 is protruded from the tip opening of the outer tube 2, the tips of the branch 15 need to be separated from each other and spread out to the left and right. Therefore, it is advisable to form each branch 15 in a state in which the tips are originally curved and spread out to the left and right. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9(b), it is also possible to apply force to the joint of the tips of each branch 15 protruding from the tip opening of the outer tube 2 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they spread out to the left and right, so that the tips of each branch 15 spread out to the left and right.

<Modifications of the animal catheter 10>
Next, an animal catheter 10A according to a modified example of this embodiment will be described.
In the animal catheter 10A according to this modification, the branches 15a, 15b are different in length so that the left and right can be distinguished inside the uterus. As shown in Fig. 10(a), a stylet 1 that serves as an inner core is inserted into the longer branch 15a (see arrow (1) in the figure). A loop 16 is attached to the tip side of the shorter branch 15b. The loop 16 is annular with a certain degree of hardness and elastic deformation, and may be formed, for example, from fishing line.

As shown in FIG. 10(b), the loop 16 in the shorter branch 15b is inserted into the recovery port 13b of the longer branch 15a (see arrow (2) in the figure). Then, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the stylet 1 inserted into the longer branch 15a is moved toward the tip (see arrow (3)-1 in the figure) and passed through the loop 16 inside the recovery port 13b. In this state, the tube body 11 is inserted deep into the uterus and passed through the cervical canal (see arrow (3)-2 in the figure). This allows the branches 15a, 15b to be combined into one when inserted into the uterus, and also prevents the tips of the branches 15a, 15b from shifting from each other.

As shown in FIG. 10(d), after the distal end of each branch 15a, 15b has passed through the cervical canal, the stylet 1 is removed, and the catheter body 11 is advanced further inward, pushing each branch 15a, 15b into each of the uterine horns. The balloon 20 is then inflated and fixed in place in the uterine body. The cleaning procedure described above is then carried out. In this way, the branches 15a, 15b are smoothly passed through the narrow cervical canal together, and the stylet 1 is then removed, causing the loop 16 to come off the stylet 1, and the distal end of each branch 15a, 15b can be separated into both sides.

The animal catheters 10, 10A described above can be optimally used for, for example, uterine irrigation of cows. By performing uterine irrigation using the animal catheters 10, 10A of this embodiment, unnecessary substances are expelled from the uterus, assisting the self-cleaning function and making it possible to restore the fertility of the cow.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the present invention includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, the specific shapes and relative sizes of the branching portion 15 in the tube body 11, the balloon 20, and the catheter head 30 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. In addition, the animals to which the present invention is applied are not necessarily limited to cows, and the present invention can also be applied to other even-toed ungulates that have two uterine horns (lumens) in the uterus.

The animal catheter of the present invention can be particularly used to clean the uterus of animals such as cows.

Reference Signs List 1: Stylet 2: Outer tube 10, 10A: Animal catheter 11: Tube body 12: Inflow path 12b: Supply port 13: Outflow path 13b: Recovery port 14: Supply and discharge path 15, 15a, 15b: Branching portion 16: Loop 20: Balloon 30: Catheter head 40: Cleaning liquid supply tube 50: Recovery liquid discharge tube 52: Check valve

Claims (6)

A catheter for use in washing an animal's uterus,
A tube body that is long and flexible and is inserted into the uterus to inject and collect the cleaning solution;
An inflatable balloon is provided in the middle of the tube body and is placed in a suitable position inside the uterus.
The tube body is branched at a distal end side of the balloon to correspond to two internal cavities in the uterus, and each of the branched portions has a length such that a distal end of each of the branched portions reaches each of the internal cavities .
an inflow passage for injecting a cleaning liquid and an outflow passage for recovering the cleaning liquid are provided separately inside the tube body;
A supply port for a cleaning liquid from the inflow path is opened on a base end side of each of the branched portions,
A catheter for animals, characterized in that a recovery port for a washing liquid into the outflow path is opened at the tip end of each of the branched portions . 2. The animal catheter according to claim 1 , further comprising a check valve provided midway in the external path connected to the outflow path. 3. The animal catheter according to claim 1, wherein when the tube body is inserted into the uterus, a stylet is combined with the tube body, the stylet being inserted into the inside of the tube body including the tip sides of each of the branches. The lengths of the branches are different from each other, and a loop is attached to the tip of the shorter branch.
When inserting the tube body into the uterus, the stylet is inserted into the longer branched portion and the stylet is passed through the loop that is led into the longer branched portion, so that the tube body can be inserted into the uterus with the branches joined together;
4. The animal catheter according to claim 3 , wherein the distal end sides of the branches can be separated into two sides by removing the stylet after the tube body is inserted into the uterus. 3. The animal catheter according to claim 1, wherein an outer cylinder is attached to the outside of the tube body including the tip sides of each of the branched portions when the tube body is inserted into the uterus. the animal is a cow;
The two internal cavities within the uterus are the uterine horns;
The appropriate location in the uterus where the balloon is placed is the uterine body,
6. The animal catheter according to claim 1 , wherein a tip of the branched portion reaches the uterine horn .

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