CATHETER INTRODUCER ASSEMBLY HAVING SAFETY SHIELDED NEEDLE

• US 20080071222A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Russelburg, Malcolm, Rhad, Edward, Stephens, Randy, Tsonton, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/164.08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/062 used with a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0618 having means for protecting only the distal tip of the needle, e.g. a needle guard
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/06 Haemostasis valves, i.e. gaskets sealing around a needle, catheter or the like, closing on removal thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3273 freely sliding on needle shaft without connection to syringe or needle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/919 Syringe, means to protect user

Abstract

An intravenous catheter introducer assembly having a safety feature to prevent accidental needle sticks. The introducer assembly includes a needle assembly having a groove disposed on its outer surface. The introducer includes a protector made of a hollow member having an open distal end and an inwardly disposed resilient flange or a clip disposed thereon. The protector is coaxially slidably disposed around the needle with the flange abutting the outer surface of the needle and adapted to engage the groove when a catheter assembly is removed from the needle.

Claims

1. An assembly to prevent accidental needle sticks comprising:

a needle assembly comprising an elongated hollow tubular needle having a proximal end attached to a needle hub, a sharp distal end extending therefrom, and a lumen running therebetween, the needle having a disruption of an outer surface thereof between the distal and proximal ends, the outer surface of the needle including a portion that is flat;

a hollow protector having open distal and proximal ends and a resilient flange, an inner surface of the protector including a portion that is flat, the protector being coaxially slidably disposed around the needle with the flange abutting the outer surface of the needle and the flat portion of the protector confronting the flat portion of the needle such that the protector and needle cannot rotate with respect to each other, the flange and disruption situated to engage and secure the protector to the needle with the open distal end of the protector being distal to the distal end of the needle.

2. The assembly of claim 1, the disruption being a notch on the outer surface.

3. The assembly of claim 2, the notch exposing the lumen.

4. The assembly of claim 1, the disruption being a groove on the outer surface.

5. The assembly of claim 1, the flat portion of the protector extending longitudinally along a length of the protector between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

6. The assembly of claim 5, the flat portion of the protector extending along the entire length of the protector between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

7. The assembly of claim 1, the flat portion of the needle extending longitudinally along a length of the needle between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

8. The assembly of claim 7, the flat portion of the needle extending along the entire length of the needle between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

9. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a catheter assembly comprising an elongated hollow tubular catheter having a proximal end attached to a catheter hub and a distal end extending therefrom, the catheter coaxially disposed about the needle.

10. The assembly of claim 1, the flange being inwardly disposed.

11. The assembly of claim 1, the flange being located between the proximal and distal ends of the protector.

12. The assembly of claim 1, the flange being defined by an integral portion of the protector.

22. The assembly of claim 12, the flat portion of the protector extending along the entire length of the protector between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

13. An assembly to prevent accidental needle sticks assembly comprising:

a needle assembly comprising an elongated hollow tubular needle having a proximal end attached to a needle hub, a sharp distal end extending therefrom, and a lumen running therebetween, the outer surface of the needle including a portion that is flat;

a hollow tubular protector having distal and proximal ends, the protector being coaxially slidably disposed around the needle for movement between a first position with the sharp distal end of the needle extending beyond the distal end of the protector and a second position with the sharp distal end inside the protector between the distal and proximal ends, the inner surface of the protector including a portion that is flat, the flat portion of the protector confronting the flat portion of the needle such that the protector and needle cannot rotate with respect to each other.

14. The assembly of claim 13, the needle including a disruption of the surface, the protector including a portion adapted to selectively engage the surface disruption of the needle in the second position.

15. The assembly of claim 14, the disruption being a notch on the outer surface.

16. The assembly of claim 15, the notch exposing the lumen.

17. The assembly of claim 14, the disruption being a groove on the outer surface.

18. The assembly of claim 13, the flat portion of the protector confronting the flat portion of the needle in the first position.

19. The assembly of claim 13, the flat portion of the protector confronting the flat portion of the needle in the second position.

20. The assembly of claim 13, the flat portion of the protector confronting the flat portion of the needle during movement between the first position and the second position.

21. The assembly of claim 13, the flat portion of the protector extending longitudinally along a length of the protector between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

23. The assembly of claim 13, the flat portion of the needle extending longitudinally along a length of needle between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

24. The assembly of claim 23, the flat portion of the needle extending along the entire length of the needle between the proximal and distal ends thereof.

25. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a catheter assembly comprising an elongated hollow tubular catheter having a proximal end attached to a catheter hub and a distal end extending therefrom, the catheter coaxially disposed about the needle.

26. An intravenous catheter introducer assembly comprising:

a catheter assembly including a catheter hub having an open proximal end and a distal end, a sidewall extending between the proximal and distal ends to define a hub space within the catheter hub, and a hollow tubular attached to the catheter hub in fluid communication with the hub space and extending distally from the hub distal end;

a needle assembly comprising an elongated hollow tubular needle having a proximal end attached to a needle hub, a sharp distal end extending therefrom, and a lumen running therebetween, the needle assembly coupled to the catheter assembly in a ready position with the needle extending through the hub space and catheter to expose the sharp distal end distally of the catheter;

a tip protector coaxially slidably disposed around the needle and within the hub space in the ready position;

a flexible retainer held within the catheter hub proximal of the tip protector in the ready position, the retainer having an opening smaller than an external dimension of the tip protector so as to limit passage of the tip protector out of the hub space, the retainer being flexible so as to flex at the opening to permit passage of the tip protector out of the hub space.

27. The assembly of claim 26, the needle including a disruption of the surface, the tip protector and needle being slidably movable to a second position with the needle removed from the catheter and the sharp distal end inside the protector between the distal and proximal ends, the tip protector including a portion adapted to selectively engage the surface disruption of the needle in the second position so as to facilitate pulling the tip protector through the retainer opening.

28. The assembly of claim 27, the disruption being a notch on the outer surface.

29. The assembly of claim 28, the notch exposing the lumen.

30. The assembly of claim 27, the disruption being a groove on the outer surface.

31. The assembly of claim 26, the retainer being comprised of an elastomeric material.

32. The assembly of claim 26, the needle hub being nested within the catheter hub in the ready position.