Foley catheter

Foley catheters are flexible (usually latex) tubes that are passed into the bladder to drain urine. They are retained by means of a balloon at the tip which is inflated with 10mL of sterile water.

They were designed by Dr Frederick Foley, a surgeon working in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1930s.

His original design was adopted by C R Bard of Murray Hill, New Jersey, who manufactured the first prototypes and named them in honour of the surgeon.