A multi-lumen catheter, for insertion into and draining a body cavity, that mitigates the risk of obstruction of the drainage ports and drainage lumen of the catheter, reduces the detrimental effects caused by the suction forces of the drainage ports on the body cavity being drained, and reduces the risk of infection of the body cavity being drained by decreasing the residual volume of fluid retained in the body cavity being drained. These advantages are achieved by the novel approach of disposing a perforated filter membrane over a segmented retention element and also over the drainage ports of the drainage lumen of the catheter thereby creating internal interstitial drainage channels and internal interstitial drainage cavities.
