Catheter assembly with interlocking telescoping needle shield

• US 5,772,636 A
• Filed: 12/02/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Steinman, Christopher P., Brimhall, Greg L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Racunas, Robert V.
• Application Number:
  US08/756,924
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/117, 604/164, 604/165, 604/171, 604/192, 604/198, 604/263, 604/264, 604/280
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0631 having means for fully covering the needle after its withdrawal, e.g. needle being withdrawn inside the handle or a cover being advanced over the needle

Abstract

A catheter and introducer needle assembly is provided wherein the catheter includes a side port and a plug located in the catheter hub, the needle is notched and is securely mounted to a shield housing with a plurality of telescoped tubes concentrically surrounding the needle. One of the telescoped tubes is securely connected to the shield housing. The other tubes in the assembly may be slid with respect to one another and distally away from the shield housing. The tubes have combined lengths to enable complete shielding of the needle when the tubes are telescopingly extended. The tubes include interlocking mechanisms to prevent separation of the tubes and to prevent collapse of the tubes once they have been fully extended. The distal-most tube, when the tubes are telescopingly extended, engages a catheter hub to prevent withdrawal of the needle from the shield assembly until the tubes are fully telescopingly extended. After the needle is fully shielded, the shielded needle is separated from the catheter hub.

Claims

1. A catheter and introducer needle assembly, comprising:

a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter hub in fluid communication with the catheter and having a proximal end and a distal end connected to the proximal end of the catheter and a side port in fluid communication with the catheter hub;

a needle disposed in the catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;

a shield housing securely connected to the proximal end of the needle;

a plurality of nested tubes in sliding telescoping relation with one another where one of the tubes has a proximal end secured to the shield housing and another of the tubes has a distal end releasably engaged with the catheter hub;

a lock associated with each tube to prevent relative movement between adjacent tubes once the adjacent tubes are locked in a fully extended position; and

a plug affixed to the catheter hub and located proximal of the side port.

2. The catheter introducer set of claim 1 wherein each lock comprises a radially inwardly extending protrusion at a proximal portion of one tube and an outwardly extending flange at a distal portion of an adjacent tube.

3. The catheter introducer set of claim 2 wherein the coupling tube includes a plurality of fingers along a distal portion thereon that engage the catheter hub.

4. The catheter introducer set of claim 3 wherein the catheter hub further includes a circumferential groove therein to engage the plurality of fingers.

5. The catheter introducer set of claim 3, further comprising a needle tip guard mounted in the coupling tube and being slidable along the needle as the plurality of nested tubes are extended with respect to one another, the tip guard being biased to move over the distal end of the needle when the plurality of nested tubes are in a fully extended condition.

6. A catheter and introducer needle assembly comprising:

a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter hub in fluid communication with the catheter and having a proximal and a distal end connected to the proximal end of the catheter and a side port in fluid communication with the catheter hub;

a needle disposed in the catheter having a sharp distal tip and a proximal end with at least one notch located in the needle to allow fluid flow therethrough;

a shield housing connected to the proximal end of the needle; and

a plurality of tubes operatively connected to the shield housing wherein the plurality of tubes include means for preventing separation of the tubes and means for preventing collapse of the tubes once the tubes have been extended.

7. The needle shield assembly of claim 6 further comprising a means associated with the plurality of tubes for releasably connected the needle shield assembly to a catheter hub.

8. The needle shield assembly of claim 7 further comprising a means for covering the sharp distal tip of the needle when the plurality of nested tubes have been extended.

9. The needle shield assembly of claim 6 further comprising a means for covering the sharp distal tip of the needle when the plurality of nested tubes have been extended.

10. A catheter and introducer needle assembly, comprising:

a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;

a catheter hub in fluid communication with the catheter and having a proximal and a distal end connected to the proximal end of the catheter and a side port in fluid communication with the catheter hub;

a needle disposed in the catheter having a sharp distal tip and a proximal end with at least one notch located in the needle to allow fluid flow therethrough;

a shield housing connected to the proximal end of the needle;

an anchor tube having a proximal end and a distal end disposed about the needle and having its proximal end connected to the shield housing and an outwardly extending flange adjacent the distal end;

at least one intermediate tube disposed about the anchor tube and having a proximal end with an inwardly extending flange and a distal end with an outwardly extending flange and wherein at least one inwardly biased protrusion extends from a proximal portion of the intermediate tube;

a coupler tube disposed about the intermediate tube and having a proximal end with an inwardly extending flange and at least one inwardly biased protrusion; and

a plug affixed to the catheter hub and located proximal of the side port and the notch.

11. The needle shield assembly of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of fingers extending from the distal end of the coupler tube and being adapted to removably engage a catheter hub.

12. The needle shield assembly of claim 11 further comprising a tip guard connected to the coupler tube and being slidable along the needle as the coupler tube, intermediate tube and anchor tube are extended with respect to one another, the tip guard being biased to move over the sharp distal tip of the needle once the coupler tube, intermediate tube and anchor tube have been fully extended with respect to one another.

13. The needle shield assembly of claim 10 further comprising a tip guard connected to the coupler tube and being slidable along the needle as the coupler tube, intermediate tube and anchor tube are extended with respect to one another, the tip guard being biased to move over the sharp distal tip of the needle once the coupler tube, intermediate tube and anchor tube have been fully extended with respect to one another.