Luer receiving vascular access system

• US 6,485,473 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence A. Lynn
• Original Assignee: Lawrence A. Lynn
• Inventors: Lynn, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US09/636,761
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 604/256, 604/122, 604/126, 604/167.01, 604/167.02, 604/167.03, 604/168.01, 604/900, 604/905
• US Class Current: 604/256
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3206 Needle or needle hub disconnecting devices forming part of or being attached to the hub or syringe body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0606 "Over-the-needle" catheter assemblies, e.g. I.V. catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0693 Flashback chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/045 pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0606 without means for adjusting the seal opening or pressure A61M39/0693 takes precedence

Abstract

A catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and a fluid system that has a luer lock connector including a luer tip. The catheter system includes a catheter having a hub having an open end sealed with an elastomeric septum. The hub defines a female luer sized to be received into and locked to the connector of the fluid system when the luer tip is advanced into the septum. A needle extends through at least a portion of the septum, the needle having a tip projecting adjacent the catheter tip and a needle hub disposed adjacent the outer face of the septum. The needle is removable from the catheter and septum after the catheter is advanced into a blood vessel. The elastomeric septum seals subsequent to withdrawal of the hollow needle to provide a sealed outer face for engaging and receiving the luer tip.

Claims

1. A luer receiving catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and an external fluid system, the fluid system having a luer lock connector including a luer tip, the catheter system comprising:

a catheter sized to be inserted into a blood vessel said catheter having a distal tip and a catheter hub fixedly secured to a proximal end of said catheter, the catheter hub defining a housing having an open end,

a luer tip receiving elastomeric septum mounted adjacent said end of said housing to seal said end, said septum having an outer face and a sealed slit sized to receive said luer tip of said fluid system luer lock connector, said housing defining a female luer sized to be received into and lockingly engaged with said luer lock connector of said fluid system when said luer tip is advanced into said septum; and

a hollow needle mounted within and extending through at least a portion of said septum, said needle having a tip projecting adjacent said catheter tip and a needle hub disposed adjacent said outer face of said septum, said needle being removable from said catheter and said septum after said catheter has been advanced into a blood vessel, said elastomeric septum being sized and configured so that said septum seals subsequent to withdrawal of said hollow needle from said outer face to provide a sealed outer face for engaging and receiving said luer tip into said slit of said fluid system luer lock connector.

2. The catheter system of claim 1 further including a filter occluding the proximal end of said needle hub for venting air from said needle after the catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

3. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein said needle projects through said slit of said septum said septum being configured to seal said slit upon withdrawal of said needle.

4. The catheter system of claim 1 further comprising a flexible conduit fixedly secured to and disposed intermediate said catheter hub and said catheter, said flexible conduit reducing transmission of torsion force from said housing and said luer receiving septum, after said needle has been withdrawn and when said luer lock connector is threaded onto said housing.

5. The catheter system of claim 1 further including a needle retractor for retracting said needle out of said septum after said catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

6. The catheter system of claim 1, wherein said catheter hub is secured directly to said catheter.

7. The catheter system of claim 1, wherein said septum is sized to be received into said luer lock connector.

8. The catheter system of claim 1 wherein said hollow needle includes a narrow region adjacent said hub, said narrow region extending at least partially within said septum when said needle projects at least partially through said septum, said narrow region reducing the displacing force induced by said needle within said septum to thereby increase the sealing force of said septum upon removal of said needle from said septum.

9. A luer receiving catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and an external fluid system, the fluid system having a luer lock connector including a luer tip, the catheter system comprising:

a catheter sized to be inserted into a blood vessel said catheter having a tip and a catheter hub, the catheter hub defining a housing with an open end,

a luer receiving elastomeric septum mounted adjacent said end to seal said end, said septum having an outer face and being sized to receive said luer tip, said septum including a sealed slit sized to receive said luer tip, said housing and said septum being sized to be received into a luer lock connector when said luer tip is advanced into said septum;

a hollow needle mounted within and extending through at least a portion of said septum, said needle having a tip projecting adjacent said catheter tip and a needle hub mounted adjacent said outer face, said needle projecting through said septum, said needle being removable from said catheter and said septum after said catheter has been advanced into a blood vessel, said elastomeric septum being sized and configured so that said septum seals subsequent to withdrawal of said hollow needle from said outer face to provide a sealed outer face for engaging and receiving said luer tip into said slit, and

further including a needle retractor for retracting said needle out of said septum after said catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

10. A luer receiving catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and an external fluid system, the fluid system having a luer lock connector including a luer tip, the catheter system comprising:

a catheter sized to be inserted into a blood vessel, said catheter having a distal tip,

a first hub fixedly secured to said catheter, a passage defined through the first hub being sealed by a septum, the first hub being sized and configured to be received into and lockingly engaged by said luer lock connector of said fluid system when said luer tip is advanced into said septum,

a second hub selectively disposed adjacent said first hub,

a hollow needle defining an internal lumen and a sharp needle tip, said needle being connected with said second hub such that said internal lumen is in fluid connection with said second hub but is isolated from fluid connection with said first hub, said needle projecting through said septum and through said catheter so that said needle tip projects beyond said catheter distal tip, said first hub and said second hub being sized and configured such that the application of retraction force against said second hub can displace said second hub away from said first hub to retract said needle out of said septum after said catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

11. The catheter system of claim 10 further comprising a flexible conduit fixedly secured intermediate said first hub and said catheter, said conduit reducing transmission of torsion force from said housing and said luer receiving septum, after said needle has been withdrawn and when said luer lock connector is threaded onto said housing.

12. The catheter system of claim 10 wherein said hollow needle includes a narrow region adjacent said hub, said narrow region extending at least partially within said septum when said needle projects at least partially through said septum, said narrow region reducing the displacing force induced by said needle within said septum to thereby increase the sealing force of said septum upon removal of said needle from said septum.

13. The catheter system of claim 10 wherein said septum includes a slit for receiving said luer tip and said needle, said septum being configured to seal said slit upon withdrawal of said needle and further to seal said slit upon withdrawal of said luer tip.

14. The catheter system of claim 10 further including a needle retractor for retracting said second hub away from said first hub and to retract said needle out of said septum after said catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

15. The catheter system of claim 10 further including a filter occluding the proximal end of said second hub for venting air from said needle after the catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

16. The catheter system of claim 10, wherein said first hub is secured directly to said catheter.

17. The catheter system of claim 10, wherein said septum is sized to be received into said luer lock connector.

18. A method of placing a patient'"'"'s vasculature in fluid connection with an external fluid system through a catheter, the catheter defining an internal lumen and a distal tip, the fluid system having a luer lock connector including a luer tip, the method comprising:

fixedly securing a first hub to said catheter, the first hub having an end and a flow passage defined therethrough,

disposing an elastomeric septum having an elastomeric outer face and a slit defined therethrough in said first hub so as to seal said flow passage, said end of said first hub being sized and configured to be received into and lockingly engaged by said luer lock connector of said fluid system when said luer tip is advanced into said slit,

inserting a sharp needle having an internal lumen and a second hub, into said septum from said outer face,

advancing said needle through said septum and through said catheter so that said needle tip projects beyond said catheter tip,

inserting said catheter tip with said projecting needle tip into said blood vessel,

flowing blood from said vessel through said lumen of said needle into said second hub, said blood being isolated from said first hub,

retracting said second hub away from said first hub to retract said needle out of said septum,

sealing said septum adjacent said outer face upon retraction of said needle out of said outer face,

inserting said luer tip of said fluid system into said slit and into fluid connection with said catheter lumen to provide fluid connection with said external fluid system and said vasculature through said luer connector and said catheter, and

threading said luer lock connector to said first hub to secure said fluid system to said first hub and said catheter fixedly secured thereto.

19. A luer receiving catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and a luer lock connector of an external fluid system, the luer lock connector including a luer tip, the catheter system comprising:

a catheter sized to be inserted into a blood vessel said catheter having a distal tip,

a first hub fixedly secured to said catheter, the first hub having and end and a flow passage defined therethrough that is sealed by a septum, the septum having a central slit, said first hub being configured to be received in and engage said luer lock connector when said luer tip is advanced against said septum,

a second hub disposed adjacent said first hub,

a hollow needle defining an internal lumen and a sharp needle tip, said needle being connected with said second hub such that said internal lumen is in fluid connection with said second hub but is isolated from fluid connection with said first hub, said needle projecting through said slit of said septum and through said catheter so that said needle tip projects beyond said catheter distal tip, said first hub and said second hub being sized and configured such that the application of retraction force against said second hub can displace said second hub away from said first hub to retract said needle out of said septum after said catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said septum and said slit are sized and configured such that said luer tip penetrates into said slit when said luer tip engages said septum.

21. The catheter system of claim 19 wherein said hollow needle includes a narrow region adjacent said hub, said narrow region extending at least partially within said septum when said needle projects at least partially through said septum, said narrow region reducing the displacing force induced by said needle within said septum to thereby increase the sealing force of said septum upon removal of said needle from said septum.

22. A blunt cannula receiving catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and an external fluid system, the fluid system having a connector including a blunt cannula, the catheter system comprising:

a catheter sized to be inserted into a blood vessel said catheter having a distal tip,

a first hub fixedly secured to said catheter, the first hub having and end and defining a flow passage sealed by an elastomeric septum, the septum including a slit, the first hub being sized and configured to be received into said connector of said fluid system when said blunt cannula is inserted at least partially through said septum,

a second hub disposed adjacent said first hub,

a hollow needle defining an internal lumen and a sharp needle tip, said needle being connected with said second hub such that said internal lumen is in fluid connection with said second hub but is isolated from fluid connection with said first hub, said needle projecting through said septum and through said catheter so that said needle tip projects beyond said catheter tip, said first hub and said second hub being sized and configured such that the application retraction force against said second hub can displace said second hub away from said first hub to retract said needle out of said septum after said catheter has been inserted into said blood vessel.

23. The catheter system of claim 22 wherein said hollow needle includes a narrow region adjacent said hub, said narrow region extending at least partially within said septum when said needle projects at least partially through said septum, said narrow region reducing the displacing force induced by said needle within said septum to thereby increase the sealing force of said septum upon removal of said needle from said septum.

24. A needle for use within a catheter having a tip, the needle defining an axis and having a sharp tip and a hub and a shaft extending from said tip to said hub, said shaft defining a diameter, said needle further having a length sufficient to allow the tip to project beyond the catheter tip, at least one diametrical dimension of said shaft being narrower adjacent said hub than adjacent said tip.

25. A luer receiving catheter system for fluid connection between a patient'"'"'s vasculature and an external fluid system, the fluid system having a luer lock connector including a luer tip, the catheter system comprising:

a catheter sized to be inserted into a blood vessel said catheter having a tip and a catheter hub, the catheter hub defining a housing with an open end,

a luer receiving elastomeric septum mounted adjacent said end to seal said end, said septum having an outer face and being sized to receive said luer tip, said septum including a sealed slit sized to receive said luer tip, said housing and said septum being sized to be received into a luer lock connector when said luer tip is advanced into said septum;

a hollow needle mounted within and extending through at least a portion of said septum, said needle having a tip projecting adjacent said catheter tip and a needle hub mounted adjacent said outer face, said needle projecting through said septum, said needle being removable from said catheter and said septum after said catheter has been advanced into a blood vessel, said elastomeric septum being sized and configured so that said septum seals subsequent to withdrawal of said hollow needle from said outer face to provide a sealed outer face for engaging and receiving said luer tip into said slit, and

further comprising a flexible conduit intermediate said catheter hub and said catheter, said conduit reducing transmission of torsion force from said housing and said luer receiving septum, after said needle has been withdrawn and when said luer lock connector is threaded onto said housing.