Safety intravenous catheter assembly and method for use with a needle

• US 6,695,814 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albany Medical College (Albany Medical Center)
• Original Assignee: Albany Medical College (Albany Medical Center)
• Inventors: Greene, Elliott Stephen, Greene, Jason Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAYNARD, JENNIFER J
• Application Number:
  US09/840,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20010014786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93, 604/162, 604/164, 604/167, 604/171, 604/192, 604/198, 604/263, 604/195, 604/197, 604/164.01, 604/93.01, 604/164.07, 604/164.08, 604/164.11, 604/165.01, 604/165.02, 604/167.01, 604/167.06
• US Class Current: 604/164.08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0625 with a permanent connection to the needle hub, e.g. a guiding rail, a locking mechanism or a guard advancement mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3275 being connected to the needle hub or syringe by radially deflectable members, e.g. longitudinal slats, cords or bands

Abstract

A safety intravenous catheter assembly and method for use with a needle in one embodiment includes a catheter hub and a needle cover attachable to and releasably lockable with the catheter hub when the needle extends through the needle cover. A stop assembly is attached to the needle and to the needle cover for maintaining a tip of the needle within the needle cover. The stop assembly includes a first irrereversible locking position whereby the catheter hub cannot disengage from the needle cover, and a second locking position whereby the catheter hub can disengage from the needle cover.

Claims

1. A safety intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:

a needle comprising a tip and an opposite end;

a catheter hub;

a needle cover attachable to and releaseably lockable with said catheter hub when said needle extends through said needle cover;

a stop assembly comprising a needle case attached to said opposite end of said needle, a stop bar having an end attached to said needle cover, and a spring-biased detent; and

wherein after use of said safety intravenous catheter assembly, an opposite end of said stop bar is engagable with said detent to form a first locking position wherein said tip is locked in said needle cover and said catheter hub cannot disengage from said needle cover, and after said needle tip is locked within said needle cover, said stop bar being movable to a second locking position wherein said catheter hub can disengage from said needle cover.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said needle cover includes a finger rest.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said catheter hub is rotatable relative to said needle cover.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said needle cover is receivable within said catheter hub.

5. A method for using a safety intravenous catheter assembly, the method comprising:

obtaining a safety intravenous catheter assembly of claim 1 having a catheter hub releaseably locked to a needle cover with a needle extending through the needle cover and a tip of the needle extending from the catheter hub;

withdrawing the tip of the needle into the needle cover;

locking the tip of the needle within the needle cover; and

allowing detachment of the catheter hub from the needle cover only after the needle tip is locked within the needle cover.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising rotating the catheter hub relative to the needle cover when the catheter hub is releaseably locked to the needle cover.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising a catheter cannula attached to the catheter hub and wherein the tip of the needle extends through the catheter cannula when the catheter hub is releaseably locked to the needle cover, and further comprising inserting the catheter cannula and needle tip into a patient.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the needle cover includes a finger rest.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the finger rest has an outer circumference portion at least as great as an outer circumference portion of the catheter hub.

10. A safety intravenous catheter assembly for use with a needle, comprising:

a catheter hub having a first axial bore extending through the catheter hub;

a needle cover having a first end of the needle cover insertable in the first axial bore and a second axial bore extending through the needle cover and co-axial with the first axial bore;

a notch extending outwardly in the first axial bore of the catheter hub;

a notch clip positionable to engage the notch of the catheter hub and lock the catheter hub in engagement with the needle cover when the needle cover is inserted in the first axial bore and a tip of the needle is inserted in the second axial bore at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip, wherein the notch clip disengages the notch and enables the catheter hub to pass out of engagement with the needle cover when the tip of the needle is located in the second axial bore prior to the distal portion of the notch clip, wherein the notch clip is maintainable adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being spaced from the needle when the needle cover is inserted in the first axial bore and the tip of the needle is inserted in the second axial bore at least adjacent or past the distal portion of the notch clip, wherein the notch clip is maintainable adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being spaced from the catheter hub when the needle cover is inserted in the first axial bore and the tip of the needle is inserted in the second axial bore at least adjacent or past the distal portion of the notch clip, wherein the notch clip does not intersect the second axial bore when the notch clip is in a non-biased position and wherein the notch clip and the needle are in a frictionless to near frictionless relationship relative to one another when the notch clip is in the non-biased position and the needle is moved relative to the notch clip.

11. A method for using a safety intravenous catheter assembly in combination with a needle, the safety intravenous catheter assembly including a catheter hub having a first axial bore extending therethrough, the method comprising:

withdrawing the needle from a second axial bore, the second axial bore being located in a needle cover and the needle cover including a notch clip positionable in engagement with an outward extending notch in a catheter hub;

selectively maintaining the notch clip throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being spaced from the needle when the needle cover is inserted in the first axial bore and a tip of the needle is inserted in the second axial bore at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip;

selectively maintaining the notch clip throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being spaced from the catheter hub when the needle cover is inserted in the first axial bore and the tip of the needle is inserted in the second axial bore at least adjacent or past the distal portion of the notch clip;

selectively maintaining the notch clip in a non-intersecting relationship with the second axial bore when the notch clip is in a non-biased position;

sliding the needle relative to the notch clip in a frictionless to near frictionless relationship when withdrawing the needle from the second axial bore;

forcing the notch clip into the second axial bore; and

disengaging the catheter hub from the needle cover.

12. A safety intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:

a needle comprising a tip and an opposite end;

a catheter hub;

a needle cover attachable to and releaseably lockable with said catheter hub when said needle extends through said needle cover;

a stop assembly comprising a needle case attached to said opposite end of said needle, a stop bar having an end attached to said needle cover and an opposite end disposed in said needle case, and a spring-biased detent attached to said needle case;

wherein after use of said safety intravenous catheter assembly, said opposite end of said stop bar is engagable with said detent to form a first locking position wherein said tip is locked in said needle cover and said catheter hub cannot disengage from said needle cover, and after said needle tip is locked within said needle cover, said stop bar is movable to a second locking position wherein said catheter hub can disengage from said needle cover.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said needle cover includes a finger rest.

14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said catheter hub is rotatable relative to said needle cover.

15. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said needle cover is receivable within said catheter hub.

16. A method for using a safety intravenous catheter assembly, the method comprising:

obtaining a safety intravenous catheter assembly of claim 12 having a catheter hub releaseably locked to a needle cover with a needle extending through the needle cover and a tip of the needle extending from the catheter hub;

withdrawing the tip of the needle into the needle cover;

locking the tip of the needle within the needle cover; and

allowing detachment of the catheter hub from the needle cover only after the needle tip is locked within the needle cover.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising rotating the catheter hub relative to the needle cover when the catheter hub is releaseably locked to the needle cover.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising a catheter cannula attached to the catheter hub and wherein the tip of the needle extends through the catheter cannula when the catheter hub is releaseably locked to the needle cover, and further comprising inserting the catheter cannula and needle tip into a patient.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the needle cover includes a finger rest.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the finger rest has an outer circumference portion at least as great as an outer circumference portion of the catheter hub.

21. A safety intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:

a needle comprising a tip and an opposite end;

a catheter hub;

a needle cover attachable to and releaseably lockable with said catheter hub when said needle extends through said needle cover;

a stop assembly attached to said opposite end of said needle to said needle cover, said stop assembly comprising, after use of said safety intravenous catheter assembly, a first locking position wherein said tip is irreversibly locked in said needle cover and said catheter hub cannot disengage from said needle cover, and after said needle tip is irreversibly locked within said needle cover, a second locking position wherein said catheter hub can disengage from said needle cover; and

wherein said stop assembly comprises a ring-like stop and said needle has a stop notch located in a side of said needle, and said stop notch defining said first and second irreversible locking positions.

22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein said ring-like stop comprises a resilient material.