Medical device with safety flexible needle
First Claim
1. A medical device for inserting a medical instrument, comprising:
- a housing;
a flexible needle disposed in the housing and having a sharpened tip;
a sheath disposed around the flexible needle;
a needle retainer disposed in the housing;
a biasing element;
a catheter attached to the front end of the housing; and
an actuator, wherein, after the sharpened tip of the needle is inserted into a patient'"'"'s blood vessel, operation of the actuator causes relative displacement of the needle so that the sharpened tip of the needle is enclosed within the sheath, whereafter the enclosed needle, the sheath and the catheter may be curved into alignment with the blood vessel, and the needle and the sheath subsequently removed so as to provide clearance for the medical instrument to be inserted through the catheter and into the blood vessel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device is provided for inserting medical instruments, such as pacemaker leads, into a patient. The device includes a flexible needle with a sharpened tip surrounded by a sheath and catheter. A biasing element biases the needle toward a position in which the needle tip is enclosed within the sheath. A method for inserting a medical instrument, such as a pacemaker lead, is also provided, in which the needle is inserted into a patient, followed by the sheath and catheter. The needle is then retracted so that the sharpened tip is enclosed within the sheath. The needle remains in the sheath as the sheath and catheter are curved into alignment with a blood vessel and advanced through the blood vessel. The needle and sheath are then pulled out, and a pacemaker lead or other instrument is fed through the catheter and into the vessel.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A medical device for inserting a medical instrument, comprising:
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a housing;
a flexible needle disposed in the housing and having a sharpened tip;
a sheath disposed around the flexible needle;
a needle retainer disposed in the housing;
a biasing element;
a catheter attached to the front end of the housing; and
an actuator, wherein, after the sharpened tip of the needle is inserted into a patient'"'"'s blood vessel, operation of the actuator causes relative displacement of the needle so that the sharpened tip of the needle is enclosed within the sheath, whereafter the enclosed needle, the sheath and the catheter may be curved into alignment with the blood vessel, and the needle and the sheath subsequently removed so as to provide clearance for the medical instrument to be inserted through the catheter and into the blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for inserting a medical instrument into a blood vessel, comprising the steps of:
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piercing a patient'"'"'s tissue with a flexible needle having a sharpened tip;
penetrating a patient'"'"'s blood vessel with the sharpened tip;
sliding a sheath and catheter disposed around the flexible needle into the blood vessel;
retracting the flexible needle within the sheath and the catheter;
advancing the sheath, the needle and the catheter through the blood vessel;
removing the flexible needle and the sheath from the catheter; and
feeding the medical instrument through the catheter into the blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A medical device comprising:
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a flexible needle having a sharpened tip a sheath disposed around the needle, such that the sharpened tip projects forwardly from the sheath when the needle is in an extended position. a biasing element biasing the needle rearwardly toward a retracted position in which the sharpened tip is shielded within the sheath against inadvertent contact. a needle retainer releasably retaining the needle in the extended position against the rearward bias of the biasing element. wherein after retraction of the needle, the sheath and enclosed needle are laterally flexible to allow the needle and sheath to be bent after insertion into a patient. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for placing a cannula within a patient providing a flexible needle within a flexible cannula, wherein the needle has a sharpened tip;
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piercing the patient with the sharpened tip;
inserting the needle and cannula vascularly into the patient bending the needle while the needle is inserted vascularly within the patient; and
retracting the needle to shield the needle. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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24. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of bending the needle occurs after the needle is retracted.
Specification