A catheter assembly including a medical catheter and an internal bolster.
In a preferred embodiment, the catheter is an elongated, tubular
structure preferably made of a flexible, biocompatible material. The
catheter is shaped to include a generally cylindrical wall terminating in
a first end and in a second end, the wall coaxially surrounding and
defining a longitudinal bore preferably used to convey fluids, such as
food and/or medications, to a patient in need thereof. The internal
bolster is an elongated, semi-tubular structure preferably made of a
flexible, biocompatible material. The bolster is resiliently and
reversibly transformable between a generally planar shape, when at rest,
and a straightened shape, when forcibly unfurled. The bolster has an
inner end and an outer end, the inner end being generally centrally
located. The inner end of the bolster is insert-molded around the first
end of the catheter, with the catheter and the bolster being oriented
relative to one another so that the longitudinal axis of the catheter
extends generally perpendicularly to the plane of the bolster in its
coiled state, with the open, semi-tubular structure of the bolster facing
away from the catheter.