| abstract |
A catheter assembly includes a flexible tubular catheter body having a lumen open at a distal end, a negative pressure generating unit adapted to aspirate the lumen of the catheter body, and a puncture wire capable of insertion into the lumen of the catheter body. The puncture wire has at its distal end a needle with a sharp needlepoint. The needle is bent in its natural state such that the needlepoint points in a direction different from the direction of insertion of the puncture wire into the lumen. |