Abstract: A foldable urinary catheter is provided for draining the human bladder defining an internal flow path for the urine, with a catheter tube for insertion into the urethra, the catheter tube comprising at least one hinge which is conceived to bring the catheter in a folded, compact storage condition and an unfolded, straight ready-for-use condition as well as to a foldable urinary catheter kit. A foldable urinary catheter and a foldable urinary catheter kit are provided which are very small and compact in a transport or storage condition and which provide a long insertable length of the catheter tube. Therefore, the at least one hinge in the catheter tube is provided in the insertable length of the catheter tube and is configured for stabilizing the ready-for-use condition. The kit comprises the foldable urinary catheter and a catheter package which tightly surrounds the folded catheter.

Abstract: A method of making a ready-to-use catheter assembly and a ready-to-use catheter are provided, which avoids any degradation of the catheter during sterilization. The method comprises: placing a catheter with a hydrophilic coating and a wetting fluid in a catheter package made of low moisture transmission material while the package is in a first condition wherein an insertable length of the hydrophilic coating of the catheter is not in contact with the wetting fluid, sterilizing the catheter package with the catheter and the wetting fluid by radiation sterilization while the catheter package is kept in a condition in which the insertable length is not in contact with the wetting fluid, transferring the catheter package with the catheter and the wetting fluid into a second condition, bringing the wetting fluid into contact with at least the insertable length and activating the insertable length via gravity and/or via inertia.