Closed system over-the-needle I.V. catheter

• US 4,966,586 A
• Filed: 12/12/1989
• Issued: 10/30/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vincent L. Vaillancourt
• Original Assignee: Vincent L. Vaillancourt
• Inventors: Vaillancourt, Vincent L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/453,043
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 604/164, 604/166-169, 604/129, 604/190, 604/122, 604/125, 604/297, 604/201, 604/165
• US Class Current: 604/167.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0606 "Over-the-needle" catheter assemblies, e.g. I.V. catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0606 without means for adjusting the seal opening or pressure A61M39/0693 takes precedence

Abstract

An over-the-needle I.V. catheter is depicted for attachment to an I.V. fluid supply. This product is primed prior to puncture of a patient'"'"'s blood vessel. This product includes a catheter hub with an attached flexible catheter having its forward end tapered to provide penetration capability. This hub has a connection to I.V. fluid supply. The catheter is sized to accept a needle which in mounted condition has its sharpened tip extending from the entering end of the catheter. Venting is provided. The needle when and as withdrawn leaves a hole in a seal which in this product utilizes a resilient disc which may or may not be slit. Two washers are employed to assist in sealing of this needle withdrawal hole. A threaded cap is rotated just prior to use to bring this resilient disc under compression. Alternate means is provided by a bayonet-type of force actuation and lock.

Claims

1. A closed system over-the-needle I.V. catheter product which is attached to an I.V. fluid delivery means and primed prior to puncture of a blood vessel and retention of said catheter in a patient, said I.V. catheter product including:

a catheter hub having an opening adapted to received fluid from an I.V. fluid supply, this opening being flow-connected to a longitudinal passage formed therein and with this catheter hub having a front end flow-connected to this passage an with this catheter hub having an open rear end;

a bacteria-retentive filter serially connected to said I.V. fluid delivery means, with said retained filter adapted to pass I.V. fluid and to exclude any bacteria present in said delivered fluid supply to said catheter hub;

a needle with holder attached thereto so that when and as the needle makes a puncture of a blood vessel in a patient, blood flows through the needle to the holder;

a flexible catheter positioned at the front end of the catheter hub and flow-connected to said longitudinal passage, said catheter having an entering end with a contour providing a tight fit to and on said needle, this catheter sized to provide a small conducting passageway alongside the placed needle;

a small passage means provided at or near the distal end of the flexible catheter, this small flow-passage means providing for the expelling of air from a localized area at or in this contoured entering end, this expulsion occurring as fluid is advanced through the system; and

means arrayed at the open rear end of the catheter hub for closing this rear end and sealing off the needle passage as and when the needle is removed from the catheter and catheter hub said means includes forming said open rear end with an exterior male thread and with a shouldered recess in said end and utilizing a compressible, pierced resilient disc to close the passageway by the withdrawal of the needle and a washer arrayed on each side of the resilient disc and with the resilient disc further compressed as desired by rotative manipulation of a threaded cap having female threads configured to mate with the male threads formed on the catheter hub, said cap manipulated to

2. A "closed system" catheter product as in claim 1 in which the forming of the entering end of the catheter is a taper which brings the distal end of the catheter to a very thin edge which is contiguous with the needle.

3. A "closed system" catheter product as in claim 2 in which the flexible catheter, except at the contoured end, is a tube whose inner diameter is at least one-thousandth of an inch greater than the outer diameter of the needle.

4. A "closed system" catheter product as in claim 1 which further includes providing with the needle holder and in flow communication with the needle, an indicator device showing blood flow when and as the patient'"'"'s blood vessel is penetrated.

5. A "closed system" catheter product as in claim 1 in which the small flow-passage means provided in the tip end of the catheter is made as a very small slit and produced by a very sharp and thin member such as a razor blade.

6. A "closed system" catheter product as in claim 1 in which the small flow-passage means provided in the tip end of the catheter is made as a very small puncture as by a sharpened end of a small needle and the like.

7. An over-the-needle catheter comprising

a hub;

a hollow catheter extending from said hub;

a sealing disc within said hub, said disc having a thickness less than a cross-sectional dimension thereof and in a range of from 0.045 inches to 0.125 inches;

a hollow needle extending through said catheter and through said disc in sealed relation;

a needle holder connected to said needle and having a flashback chamber in communication with said needle for receiving an indication of blood therein; and

means for selectively compressing said disc longitudinally to impose a compressive force on said disc sufficient to seal said disc against said needle during venipuncture and to close any opening therein after withdrawal of said needle from said disc, said means being movable between an initial release position with said disc in an uncompressed state and a clamping position to impose said compressive force on said disc.

8. A catheter as set force in claim 7 wherein said means includes a member mounted on said hub for movement between said release position and said clamping position relative to said hub to impose said compressive force on said disc in said clamping position.

9. A catheter as set force in claim 8 wherein said member is threadably mounted on said hub for relative rotation between said positions.

10. A catheter as set force in claim 8 wherein said member is slidably mounted on said hub for longitudinal movement between said positions.

11. A catheter as set force in claim 7 wherein said disc has a preformed slit for penetration of said needle therethrough. said compressive force on said rings to compress said disc therebetween in said clamping position.

12. A catheter as set force in claim 7 wherein said means includes a coil spring coaxially abutting said disc and a member mounted on said hub for movement between a release position and a clamping position relative to said hub to impose said compressive force on said spring to compress said disc in said clamping position.

13. A catheter as set force in claim 7 which further comprises a hollow side arm extending laterally from said hub in sealed relation to communicate with said catheter and adapted to be connected to an administration set.

14. A catheter as set force in claim 7 wherein said disc is made of resilient material.

15. A catheter as set force in claim 7 wherein said means includes a compressible tubular member abutting said disc and a member mounted on said hub for movement between said release position and said clamping position relative to said hub to impose said compressive force on said tubular member to compress said disc in said clamping position.

16. A catheter as set force in claim 7 wherein said catheter has a tapered distal end contiguous with said needle.

17. A catheter as set force in claim 16 wherein said catheter has an inner diameter at least one-thousandth of an inch greater than an outer diameter of said needle.

18. An over-the-needle catheter comprising

a hub;

a hollow catheter extending from said hub;

a sealing disc within said hub;

a hollow needle extending through said catheter and through said disc in sealed relation;

a needle holder connected to said needle and having a flashback chamber in communication with said needle for receiving an indication of blood therein; and

means for selectively compressing said disc longitudinally to impose a compressive force on said disc sufficient to seal said disc against said needle during venipuncture and to close any opening therein after withdrawal of said needle from said disc, said means including a pair of rings having said disc therebetween and a member mounted on said hub for movement between a release position and a clamping position relative to said hub to impose said compressive force on said rings to compress said disc therebetween in said clamping position.

19. An over-the-needle catheter comprising

a hub;

a hollow catheter extending from said hub;

a sealing disc within said hub;

a hollow needle extending through said catheter and through said disc in sealed relation, said catheter and said needle being disposed in sealed relation to each other at distal ends thereof;

a needle holder connected to said needle and having a flashback chamber in communication with said needle for receiving an indication of blood therein;

means at said distal end of one of said catheter and said needle for venting air from between said catheter and said needle; and

means for selectively compressing said disc longitudinally to impose a compressive force on said disc sufficient to seal said disc against said needle during venipuncture and to close any opening therein after withdrawal of said needle from said disc.