Systems and methods for venipuncture and catheter placement

• US 9,522,254 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vascular Pathways, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Vascular Pathways, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Belson, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Bosques, Edelmira
• Application Number:
  US14/167,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 604/510
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0606 "Over-the-needle" catheter assemblies, e.g. I.V. catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0637 Butterfly or winged devices, e.g. for facilitating handling or for attachment to the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0693 Flashback chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

Intravenous access is achieved by introducing a catheter having a guidewire safety tip at its distal end. The safety tip can be advanced and retracted using a slider disposed over an access needle which is initially present in the catheter. After the catheter has been properly positioned, the access needle and guidewire may be removed so that the catheter is available for use.

Claims

1. An intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:

a tubular catheter body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen therebetween;

an access needle disposed in the tubular catheter body lumen and having a tissue-penetrating distal tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the tubular catheter body;

a guidewire having a portion disposed outside and in parallel to the access needle and having a distal tip, wherein the access needle and the guidewire may be withdrawn together from the tubular catheter body after the guidewire has been advanced in the tubular catheter body lumen;

a slide coupled to a proximal end of the guidewire so that distal advancement of the slide advances the distal tip of the guidewire from a distal end of the access needle;

a first configuration, wherein;

the distal tip of the access needle extends beyond the distal end of the tubular catheter body by a distance in a range from 0.1 mm to 20 mm, and

a proximal end of the slide is retracted from the proximal end of the tubular catheter body by a distance in a range from 10 mm to 100 mm; and

a second configuration, wherein the distal tip of the guidewire extends beyond the distal end of the tubular catheter body by a distance in a range from 5 mm to 100 mm.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the slide is disposed over a proximal region of the access needle.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a housing attached to a proximal end of the access needle, wherein the slide is disposed over the housing.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the access needle is fixedly secured to a distal end of the housing and the tubular catheter body is detachably secured to the distal end of the housing, wherein the slide advances the guidewire beyond the distal end of the catheter and wherein the housing, access needle and guidewire may be detached and removed from the catheter after the catheter is in place.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein a proximal region of the catheter is disposed within the housing and wherein the proximal end of the catheter and the proximal end of the access needle are configured to be engaged by the slide to advance the catheter and needle in tandem with the guidewire relative to the housing after the guidewire has been extended distally beyond the distal end of the catheter.

6. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the access needle has a lumen and the guidewire is slidably disposed in the access needle lumen.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the access needle has an axial slot and the proximal end of the guidewire is connected to the slide through the axial slot.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein the axial slot is closed over distal and proximal regions of the access needle.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein a link between the guidewire and the slide is disposed in the slot with a length of travel defined by closed ends of the slot.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the access needle has an exterior axial groove and the guidewire is slidably disposed in the exterior axial groove.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the guidewire is slidably disposed within a lumen in the access needle.

12. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the distal tip of the access needle remains extended in the second configuration.

13. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the distal tip of the access needle is retracted in the second configuration.

14. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tubular catheter body has a proximal hub with a hemostasis valve, wherein the access needle slidably extends through the hemostasis valve.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the slide has a distal face which mates with a proximal face of the hemostasis valve when the slide is fully advanced distally to extend the guidewire.

16. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the slide detachably locks to the proximal hub when the distal face mates with the proximal face.

17. An intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:

a tubular catheter body, including a proximal hub with a hemostasis valve;

an access needle disposed in a catheter body lumen and having a tissue-penetrating distal tip extending distally beyond a distal end of the tubular catheter body, wherein the access needle slidably extends through the hemostasis valve;

a guidewire having a portion disposed outside and in parallel to the access needle and having a distal tip;

a slide coupled to a proximal end of the guidewire so that distal advancement of the slide advances the distal tip of the guidewire from the distal end of the access needle, wherein the slide has a distal face which mates with a proximal face of the hemostasis valve when the slide is fully advanced distally to extend the guidewire.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the slide detachably locks to the proximal hub when the distal face of the slide mates with the proximal face of the hemostasis valve.