Intravenous infusion assembly
First Claim
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1. An infusion assembly comprising:
- a needle assembly comprising a hollow needle and a needle hub rigidly connected to said needle;
an over-the-needle catheter assembly comprising a catheter, and a catheter hub fixedly connected to said catheter;
a gripping assembly comprising a pair of wings flexibly connected to said catheter assembly having a relaxed condition wherein they extend generally transversely to the longitudinal axis of said catheter assembly, said wings and their connection to said catheter assembly being sufficiently flexible that they may be gripped by the thumb and forefinger and brought into face-to-face engagement with one another without substantial distortion of said catheter;
releasable locking means comprising a pair of clamp arms fixed to said needle hub by pivot means, said clamp arms being on opposite sides of an upwardly directed plane containing the longitudinal axis of said needle and including engaging members on said clamp arms for engging parts fixed to said catheter hub and thereby connecting and preventing relative axial movement between said needle assembly and said catheter assembly with said needle extending through said catheter so that one may, by gripping said wings, move said catheter assembly and said needle assembly together for insertion of said needle and said catheter into a vein, said locking means being releasable without relative movement between said catheter assembly and said needle assembly, so that one may, following such insertion and upon release of said locking means, retract said needle assembly from said catheter assembly and the vein so that only said catheter remains in the vein;
interfitting means on said needle hub and said catheter hub preventing relative rotation therebetween when said needle assembly and said catheter assembly are connected by said locking means, said interfitting means establishing an alignment between said catheter assembly and said needle assembly such that upwardly facing surfaces of said wings face the same direction as the upwardly facing surfaces of said needle so that said wings are on opposite sides of said upwardly directed plane containing the longitudinal axis of said needle; and
said needle hub comprising a body having a distally facing surface abutting the proximal end of said catheter hub when said needle assembly and said catheter assembly are connected together.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible, winged, over-the-needle catheter assembly and a needle assembly are releasably locked together at their distal ends to prevent relative axial movement therebetween during insertion into a vein. After insertion, the needle assembly can be easily unlocked and then retracted from the catheter assembly. Relative rotation between the catheter and the needle assemblies is prevented by interfitting surfaces thereon, and the direction that the needle bevel faces is indicated by indicia on the catheter wings.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An infusion assembly comprising:
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a needle assembly comprising a hollow needle and a needle hub rigidly connected to said needle; an over-the-needle catheter assembly comprising a catheter, and a catheter hub fixedly connected to said catheter; a gripping assembly comprising a pair of wings flexibly connected to said catheter assembly having a relaxed condition wherein they extend generally transversely to the longitudinal axis of said catheter assembly, said wings and their connection to said catheter assembly being sufficiently flexible that they may be gripped by the thumb and forefinger and brought into face-to-face engagement with one another without substantial distortion of said catheter; releasable locking means comprising a pair of clamp arms fixed to said needle hub by pivot means, said clamp arms being on opposite sides of an upwardly directed plane containing the longitudinal axis of said needle and including engaging members on said clamp arms for engging parts fixed to said catheter hub and thereby connecting and preventing relative axial movement between said needle assembly and said catheter assembly with said needle extending through said catheter so that one may, by gripping said wings, move said catheter assembly and said needle assembly together for insertion of said needle and said catheter into a vein, said locking means being releasable without relative movement between said catheter assembly and said needle assembly, so that one may, following such insertion and upon release of said locking means, retract said needle assembly from said catheter assembly and the vein so that only said catheter remains in the vein; interfitting means on said needle hub and said catheter hub preventing relative rotation therebetween when said needle assembly and said catheter assembly are connected by said locking means, said interfitting means establishing an alignment between said catheter assembly and said needle assembly such that upwardly facing surfaces of said wings face the same direction as the upwardly facing surfaces of said needle so that said wings are on opposite sides of said upwardly directed plane containing the longitudinal axis of said needle; and said needle hub comprising a body having a distally facing surface abutting the proximal end of said catheter hub when said needle assembly and said catheter assembly are connected together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification