Catheters for use with ozone therapy can make insufflations much easier and more comfortable when using an ozone generator. In this article, we will discuss the materials, connections, sizing and maintenance required to use ozone catheters as well as some extra supporting information. This may serve as your beginner’s guide to using ozone catheters and can be shared with anyone interested in trying ozone insufflations.

Materials: PVC vs. Silicone?

Promolife offers two materials for our catheters, silicone and PVC. Both materials are ozone resistant. Which material is better? The answer has more to do with the customer’s preference, but there are a couple of things to note about each material.

While PVC is ozone resistant and has a smooth texture for easy insertion, it is limited in the number of times the catheter can be reused. This is usually somewhere around 10-15 times or more. Also, the flexibility of the PVC catheter is slightly stiffer than the silicone catheter, which some users prefer.

The silicone catheter is slightly more ozone resistant than the PVC catheter and can be reused 20-30 times or more. Silicone has a very flexible, slide-resistant balloon texture, which is soft and can be better for those who have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or other inflammation.

The material you choose should directly correlate to the level of comfort you want to achieve when doing rectal or vaginal insufflations. Regardless of the material chosen, it is highly recommended to use a non-petroleum lubricant like vegetable oil or ozonated oil on both the catheter and the area surrounding the insertion point.

Connectors: What about my connection?

There are two options for catheter connections, whether you are connecting your catheter directly to your silicone hose tubing, insufflation bag, or a syringe. Our standard catheter connection is a female luer lock that’s attaches easily to insufflation bags and 200ml plastic syringes, which have male luer locks. The other type of connection is a flanged opening connection that fits over a catheter adapter where it plugs into the catheter itself. Luer lock catheters are more popular because they’re so easy to connect to the widest range of Promolife products.

Length: How long is my catheter?

Our PVC and silicone Luer lock catheters are both 12″ long. Twelve inches allow for plenty of space to comfortably and easily hold the catheter while inserting it up to four inches into the rectum or vagina.

Diameter: What size do I need?

Catheters are sized using the French system, which was invented by a surgical instrument manufacturer, Joseph-Frédéric-Benoît Charrière, in 1842. It’s a very simple method that requires a bit of math. To find the outer diameter of the catheter in millimeters, simply divide the French size by 3. For example, if you have a catheter size of 14F, simply divide the number 14 by 3 to arrive at 4.67mm.

The larger the French size, the larger the outer diameter of the catheter. Below is a chart showing the outer diameter measurements of our catheters, in both millimeters and inches.

The same formula goes for all French sizes:

F / 3 = OD mm, where F = French size and OD = Outer Diameter

Usage: Are there any tips for performing ozone insufflations?

A great way to prepare for your rectal insufflation is with an ozonated water enema to help open pathways for ozone to flow through.

Once the optimal amount of ozone has been insufflated, we recommend holding it in for as long as you can. Work your way up to eventually holding the ozone gas in for five minutes as you progress with your insufflations.

When using a catheter, it’s important to note how far you are inserting the catheter into the rectum. Pushing it too far can be uncomfortable, while not pushing it far enough can result in less ozone effectively reaching your whole system and more ozone escaping into the room. This is why we recommend inserting your ozone catheter just 3-4 inches into the rectum for optimal effectiveness. You can insert it further for vaginal insufflations depending on where you want the ozone to go.

Maintenance: How do I clean my catheters for reuse?

As it is always important to practice good hygiene, it’s especially important when cleaning your catheters for reuse. Always wash your hands before and after handling your catheter. If you are planning to reuse your catheter, be sure to clean it thoroughly. Start by filling up a luer lock syringe with warm water. Next, attach the syringe to the catheter by twisting them together using the luer lock. Then, push the plunger of the syringe slowly to release the water from the syringe into the catheter until all of the water has passed through. Once you’ve cleared any fecal matter from the catheter, continue using one of these two methods:

A. Fill up a luer lock syringe with hydrogen peroxide. Next, attach the syringe to the catheter like you did above. Then, push the plunger of the syringe slowly to release the hydrogen peroxide from the syringe to the catheter until all the solution has passed through the catheter. It can be useful to follow up this process by rinsing with water again.

B. For even better results, use ozonated water to clean your catheters. Fill up a luer lock syringe with fully ozonated water. Attach the syringe to the catheter again as you did above. Then, push the plunger of the syringe slowly to release the ozonated water from the syringe to the catheter until all of the water has passed through the catheter.

NOTE: It is very important to also wipe down the outside of your catheter with hydrogen peroxide and allow it to fully evaporate following either of these methods to ensure proper cleanliness of your catheter prior to reuse.

Hopefully you feel more confident now about your knowledge of ozone catheters.