Integral catheter and blood tester
First Claim
1. For use in testing a blood sample, an integral catheter and blood tester comprising:
- a catheter having a hollow tube;
a needle unit having a needle unit housing partially removably received within said catheter, said needle unit housing defining an interior chamber and having a needle extending from said chamber terminating in a piercing end and removably received within said hollow tube;
a blood tester having a blood tester housing removably couple to said needle unit, and said blood tester further comprising a test strip supported by said blood tester housing and supporting a test patch having a test surface, said test patch extending into said interior chamber when said blood tester housing is coupled to said needle unit;
valve means supported by said needle unit for receiving said test strip and for wiping blood from said test surface when said blood tester housing and said needle unit are separated; and
shield means, supported by said blood tester housing, for shielding and partially surrounding said test strip and test patch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integral catheter and blood tester includes a needle unit which is receivable within a conventional catheter intravenous tube and housing. The catheter supports a piercing needle and interior chamber. A transparent tester housing is coupled to the needle unit and supports a test strip and test patch which extends into the flash chamber of the catheter needle. A constricting valve surrounds the test strip to maintain closure of the flash chamber. Once the catheter and needle have been inserted into the desired blood vessel, a quantity of blood is introduced into the flash chamber so as to wet the test patch. The test patch may, for example, include conventional litmus material used to test the pH of the test sample. Once the flash process is complete, the needle and tester housing are withdrawn from the catheter to permit conventional intravenous coupling to the catheter. Thereafter, the tester housing is separable from the needle unit to permit discarding of the needle unit. The separation process causes the test strip to be wiped substantially clean of excess blood by the constricting valve. The tester housing provides a protective clear shield about the contaminated test patch which facilitates visual examination thereof while precluding inadvertent contact with the blood contaminated test patch.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. For use in testing a blood sample, an integral catheter and blood tester comprising:
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a catheter having a hollow tube; a needle unit having a needle unit housing partially removably received within said catheter, said needle unit housing defining an interior chamber and having a needle extending from said chamber terminating in a piercing end and removably received within said hollow tube; a blood tester having a blood tester housing removably couple to said needle unit, and said blood tester further comprising a test strip supported by said blood tester housing and supporting a test patch having a test surface, said test patch extending into said interior chamber when said blood tester housing is coupled to said needle unit; valve means supported by said needle unit for receiving said test strip and for wiping blood from said test surface when said blood tester housing and said needle unit are separated; and shield means, supported by said blood tester housing, for shielding and partially surrounding said test strip and test patch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. For use by a user in testing a blood sample, a method of blood testing comprising the steps of:
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inserting a removable needle and an intravenous tube of a combination catheter and blood tester having an interior flash chamber and a test patch supported within said interior flash chamber into a blood vessel; flashing a quantity of blood into said flash chamber to wet said test patch; withdrawing said catheter needle and said blood tester from said intravenous tube; separating said catheter needle from said blood tester and said test patch; wiping excess blood from said wetted test patch during said separating step; shielding said test patch from inadvertent contact with the user following separation; and visually observing said wiped test patch to evaluate said blood.
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12. A blood tester for use in combination with a catheter, said blood tester comprising:
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a blood tester housing defining an interior chamber and means formed in said blood tester housing for coupling said blood tester housing to the catheter; a test strip having a test patch supported upon said test strip; support means for supporting said test strip within said interior chamber and for exposing said test patch to said interior chamber and withdrawing it from said interior chamber; and wiping means for wiping said test patch when it is withdrawn from said interior chamber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification