Spring clip safety IV catheter
First Claim
1. An IV catheter apparatus comprising a tubular catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, a needle having a needle shaft and a tip, said needle being received within said tubular catheter when in a ready position, a catheter hub attached to the proximal end of said catheter, said catheter hub having a hollow interior and an inner wall, said needle being movable between said ready position in which said tip is outside of said catheter hub and a retracted position in which said tip is within the interior of said catheter hub, a unitary needle guard positioned in the interior of said catheter hub and including a resilient portion engaged by said needle shaft when said needle is in its said ready position, a section of said resilient portion of said needle guard being urged by said needle shaft into contact with an interior wall of said catheter hub when said needle is in its said ready position, and an inwardly extending, generally annular protrusion formed on said interior wall of said catheter hub for engaging a segment of said needle guard for retaining said needle guard to said catheter hub during the movement of said needle between its said ready position and its said retracted position, said needle guard including a distal wall extending from said resilient portion and spaced from said needle tip when said needle is in its said ready position and movable within the interior of said catheter hub to a blocking position distal of said needle tip when said needle is in its said retracted position in which said needle shaft no longer exerts a force on said resilient portion of said needle guard such that contact between said section of said needle guard and said catheter hub is released.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A safety IV catheter includes a unitary, resilient needle guard received in a catheter hub. The needle guard includes a proximal arm or wall that includes an opening through which a needle passes for axial movement. When the needle is retracted from the catheter, it releases the force that had previously prevented movement of the needle guard within the catheter hub. This in turn causes the needle guard to snap into a position in which it is clamped onto the needle shaft and in which its distal wall blocks access to the needle tip. In this condition, the spring needle guard and needle can be removed from the catheter hub. A slot or crimp may be formed in the needle shaft that engages with the needle guard after the protected needle and needle guard are removed from the catheter hub.
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Citations
53 Claims
- 1. An IV catheter apparatus comprising a tubular catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, a needle having a needle shaft and a tip, said needle being received within said tubular catheter when in a ready position, a catheter hub attached to the proximal end of said catheter, said catheter hub having a hollow interior and an inner wall, said needle being movable between said ready position in which said tip is outside of said catheter hub and a retracted position in which said tip is within the interior of said catheter hub, a unitary needle guard positioned in the interior of said catheter hub and including a resilient portion engaged by said needle shaft when said needle is in its said ready position, a section of said resilient portion of said needle guard being urged by said needle shaft into contact with an interior wall of said catheter hub when said needle is in its said ready position, and an inwardly extending, generally annular protrusion formed on said interior wall of said catheter hub for engaging a segment of said needle guard for retaining said needle guard to said catheter hub during the movement of said needle between its said ready position and its said retracted position, said needle guard including a distal wall extending from said resilient portion and spaced from said needle tip when said needle is in its said ready position and movable within the interior of said catheter hub to a blocking position distal of said needle tip when said needle is in its said retracted position in which said needle shaft no longer exerts a force on said resilient portion of said needle guard such that contact between said section of said needle guard and said catheter hub is released.
- 16. An IV catheter apparatus comprising a tubular catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, a needle having a needle shaft and a tip, said needle being received within said tubular catheter when in a ready position, a catheter hub attached to the proximal end of said catheter, said catheter hub having a hollow interior and an inner wall, said needle being movable between said ready position in which said tip is outside of said catheter hub and a retracted position in which said tip is within the interior of said catheter hub, a unitary needle guard positioned in the interior of said catheter hub and including a resilient portion engaged by said needle shaft when said needle is in its said ready position, a section of said resilient portion of said needle guard being urged by said needle shaft into contact with an interior wall of said catheter hub when said needle is in its said ready position, an inwardly extending, generally annular protrusion formed on said interior wall of said catheter hub for engaging a segment of said needle guard for retaining said needle guard to said catheter hub during the movement of said needle between its said ready position and its said retracted position, said needle guard including a distal wall extending from said resilient portion and spaced from said needle tip when said needle is in its said ready position and movable within the interior of said catheter hub to a blocking position distal of said needle tip when said needle is in its said retracted position in which said needle shaft no longer exerts a force on said resilient portion of said needle guard such that retaining contact between said section of said needle guard and said catheter hub is released.
- 27. An IV catheter apparatus comprising a tubular catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, a needle having a needle shaft and a tip, said needle being received within said tubular catheter when in a ready position, catheter hub attached to the proximal end of said catheter, said catheter hub having a hollow interior and an inner wall, said needle being movable between said ready position in which said tip is outside of said catheter hub and a retracted position in which said tip is within the interior of said catheter hub, and a unitary needle guard substantially positioned in the interior of said catheter hub and including a resilient portion engaged by said needle shaft when said needle is in said ready position, a section of said resilient portion of said needle guard being urged by said needle shaft into retaining contact with an inwardly extending, generally annular protrusion formed upon an interior wall of said catheter hub when said needle is in its said ready position, said needle guard also including a distal wall extending from said resilient portion and spaced from said needle tip when said needle is in its said ready position and movable within the interior of said catheter hub to a blocking position distal of said needle tip when said needle is in its said retracted position in which said needle shaft no longer exerts a force on said resilient portion of said needle guard such that said retaining contact between said section of said needle guard and said catheter hub is released upon the movement of said needle guard to its said blocking position.
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32. A catheter device comprising at least two components that are separable from one another, the first component comprises a catheter hub and a catheter tube fixedly secured thereto;
- and the second component comprises a needle hub and a needle fixedly secured thereto;
wherein the needle comprises a needle tip, a large diameter segment, and a needle shaft, and the catheter tube comprises a catheter passage; and
wherein the catheter hub and the needle hub further comprise;a catheter hub distal end and a catheter hub proximal end, the catheter hub distal end having the catheter tube extending therefrom;
a catheter hub opening, the catheter hub opening defining a catheter hub annular space;
a needle hub distal end and a needle hub proximal end, the needle hub distal end having the needle extending therefrom;
a needle protector clip having a resilient biasing portion;
wherein when the needle is in the ready position, which is the position in which the needle projects into the catheter passage and the needle tip extends beyond the catheter tube;
the needle protector clip is disposed over the needle and is located within the catheter hub annular space but spaced apart from the needle hub distal end; and
wherein when the needle is in a fully retracted position, which is the position in which the needle protector clip moves relative to the needle until the needle is completely withdrawn from the catheter hub annular space, the needle protector clip is activated and attaches to the needle at the needle tip and the large diameter segment; and
wherein the resilient biasing portion has a first position and a second position, the first position is characterized by the resilient biasing portion abutting the needle shaft and the second position is characterized by the resilient biasing portion shielding the needle tip and preventing accidental contact with the needle tip. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
- and the second component comprises a needle hub and a needle fixedly secured thereto;
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36. A catheter device comprising:
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a needle hub having a needle hub proximal end and a needle hub distal end;
the needle hub distal end is secured to a needle at the needle'"'"'s proximal end, the needle has a needle tip, a needle shaft, and a needle crimp disposed proximal of the needle tip;
a catheter hub having a catheter hub proximal end and a catheter hub distal end;
the catheter hub distal end is secured to a catheter tube at the catheter tube'"'"'s proximal end;
the catheter tube has an opening at a catheter tube distal end and the catheter tube proximal end, and a catheter tube annular space defined between the two openings;
wherein the needle and the crimp are disposed within the catheter tube annular space and the needle tip extends beyond the annular space when the needle is in a ready position; and
a needle protector for shielding the needle tip and preventing accidental contact with the needle tip when the needle is in a fully retracted position, the needle protector is located adjacent to but spaced apart from the needle hub distal end, the needle protector comprising an opening for allowing the needle to slide from between the ready position and the fully retracted position, the needle protector further comprising a protector arm and a protector arm first position and second position, the protector arm first position is a position in which the protector arm is in a flexed state and contacts the needle shaft and the protector arm second position is a position in which the protector arm is in a relaxed state and the needle protector is shielding the needle tip and preventing accidental contact with the needle tip. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. An IV catheter apparatus comprising a tubular catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, a needle having a needle shaft and a tip and wherein the needle is attached to a distal end of a needle hub, said needle being received within said tubular catheter when the needle is in a ready position, a catheter hub attached to the proximal end of said catheter, said catheter hub having a hollow interior and an inner wall, said needle being movable between said ready position in which said tip is outside of said catheter hub and a retracted position in which said tip is within the interior of said catheter hub, a needle guard positioned in the interior of said catheter hub in a spaced apart relationship from the distal end of the needle hub;
- and wherein the needle guard comprises a resilient portion engaged by said needle shaft when said needle is in its ready position, the needle guard resilient portion is movable within the interior of said catheter hub to a blocking position distal of said needle tip when said needle is in its retracted position in which said needle shaft no longer exerts a force on said resilient portion of said needle guard.
- View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A combination needle and needle guard having a ready position and a retracted position comprising:
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a needle hub mechanically coupled to the needle having a needle tip, the needle hub comprising an open proximal end, an interior cavity, and a closed distal end, wherein the needle is attached to the distal end and is in communication with the interior cavity and projects distally away from the needle hub;
a unitary needle guard positioned on and coaxial with the needle, the unitary needle guard comprising an end wall having an end wall opening and having the needle passing therethrough, a resilient portion extending from the end wall and having a distal wall at the end thereof, the distal wall and the resilient portion defining an intersection therebetween that comprises a curved protrusion, wherein a portion of the distal wall is adapted to contact a side of the needle and urges the resilient portion radially outwardly from the needle when the combination needle and needle guard is in the ready position;
an outer hub comprising a housing comprising a proximal end having a proximal end opening, a distal end having a distal end opening, a hub exterior surface and a hub interior cavity;
the hub interior cavity comprising an interior surface that includes a projection, wherein the interior cavity defines a first larger diameter and the projection defines a second smaller diameter;
the combination needle and needle guard is configured such that when the combination is in the ready position, the needle guard is positioned within the hub interior cavity and the needle and needle guard are coaxially disposed, the curved protrusion at the intersection between the distal wall and the resilient portion is positioned distal of the interior surface projection, the needle guard is positioned adjacent the closed distal end of the needle hub, and the outer hub proximal end is adjacent the closed distal end of the needle hub; and
the combination needle and needle guard is configured such that in transitioning between the ready position and the retracted position, the outer hub moves distally relative to the needle, whereby the interior surface projection contacts the curved protrusion of the needle guard thereby moving the needle guard distally until the needle guard distal wall moves past the needle tip, whereupon the resilient portion snaps radially inwardly to guard the needle tip, the curved protrusion disengages from the interior surface projection, and the outer hub separates from the needle guard and the needle. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An IV catheter assembly having a ready position and a retracted position comprising:
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a needle hub mechanically coupled to the needle having a needle tip, the needle hub comprising an open proximal end, an interior cavity, and a closed distal end, wherein the needle is attached to the closed distal end and is in communication with the interior cavity and projects distally away from the needle hub;
a unitary needle guard positioned on and coaxial with the needle, the unitary needle guard comprising an end wall having an end wall opening and having the needle passing therethrough, a resilient portion extending from the end wall and having a distal wall at the end thereof, the distal wall and the resilient portion defining an intersection therebetween that comprises a curved protrusion, wherein a portion of the distal wall contacts a side of the needle and urges a portion of the resilient portion radially outwardly from the needle when the combination needle and needle guard is in the ready position;
an outer hub comprising a housing comprising a proximal end having a proximal end opening, a distal end having a distal end opening, a hub exterior surface and a hub interior cavity;
the hub interior cavity comprising an interior surface that includes a projection, wherein the interior cavity defines a first larger diameter and the projection defines a second smaller diameter;
wherein when the combination needle and needle guard is in the ready position, the needle guard is positioned within the hub interior cavity and the needle and needle guard are coaxially disposed, the curved protrusion at the intersection between the distal wall and the resilient portion is positioned distal of the interior surface projection, the needle guard is positioned adjacent the closed distal end of the needle hub, and the outer hub proximal end is adjacent the closed distal end of the needle hub; and
wherein when the combination needle and needle guard transitions between the ready position and the retracted position, the outer hub moves distally relative to the needle, whereby the interior surface projection contacts the curved protrusion of the needle guard thereby moving the needle guard distally until the needle guard distal wall moves past the needle tip, whereupon the resilient portion snaps radially inwardly to guard the needle tip, the curved protrusion disengages from the interior surface projection, and the outer hub separates from the needle guard and the needle. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification