A needle assembly is disclosed. The needle assembly includes a housing having a flash chamber, and having a distal end and a proximal end engageable with a specimen collection container. The assembly includes a cannula having a patient end, a non-patient end, and a sidewall extending therebetween defining a cannula interior. The patient end of the cannula projects at least partially from the distal end of the housing, and the cannula interior is in fluid communication with the flash chamber. The assembly further includes a shield restrainably engaged with a portion of the housing and axially transitionable over the patient cannula from a retracted position in which the patient end is exposed, to an extended position in which the patient end is shielded by at least a portion of the shield, wherein at least a portion of the flash chamber is visible in the retracted position.

The present invention is directed to the parenteral procurement of bodily-fluid samples. The present invention is also directed to systems and methods for parenterally procuring bodily-fluid samples with reduced contamination from dermally-residing microbes. In some embodiments, a bodily-fluid withdrawing system is used to withdraw bodily fluid from a patient for incubation in culture media in one or more sample vessels. Prior to withdrawing bodily fluid into the one or more sample vessels for incubation, an initial volume of withdrawn bodily fluid is placed in one or more pre-sample reservoirs and is not used for the incubation in culture media.

The present invention is directed to the parenteral procurement of bodily-fluid samples. The present invention is also directed to systems and methods for parenterally procuring bodily-fluid samples with reduced contamination from dermally-residing microbes. In some embodiments, a bodily-fluid withdrawing system is used to withdraw bodily fluid from a patient for incubation in culture media in one or more sample vessels. Prior to withdrawing bodily fluid into the one or more sample vessels for incubation, an initial volume of withdrawn bodily fluid is placed in one or more pre-sample reservoirs and is not used for the incubation in culture media.

The present invention is directed to the parenteral procurement of bodily-fluid samples. The present invention is also directed to systems and methods for parenterally procuring bodily-fluid samples with reduced contamination from dermally-residing microbes. In some embodiments, a bodily-fluid withdrawing system is used to withdraw bodily fluid from a patient for incubation in culture media in one or more sample vessels. Prior to withdrawing bodily fluid into the one or more sample vessels for incubation, an initial volume of withdrawn bodily fluid is placed in one or more pre-sample reservoirs and is not used for the incubation in culture media.

A blood collection assembly includes a housing and a cannula extending distally from the housing including a patient end, and a cannula shield removably engaged with a portion of the housing. The cannula shield is capable of shielding at least the patient end of the cannula, and includes a safety shield engagement. The assembly includes a pivoting safety shield engaged with a portion of the housing, which is transitionable from a retracted position in which the patient end of the cannula is exposed, to an extended position in which the patient end of the cannula is shielded by at least a portion of the safety shield. The safety shield includes at least one locking tab releasably engageable with the safety shield engagement, wherein the locking tab is fixedly engageable with a portion of the housing in the extended position.

An insertion device for inserting a catheter into a patient's body can include needle insertion, guidewire advancement, catheter insertion, and needle shielding in a single device. The insertion device can include a housing with a needle distally extending therefrom. A catheter can be pre-disposed over the needle such that the catheter is disposed substantially external to the housing. A guidewire can be included, as well as an advancement assembly that is configured to selectively advance the guidewire out of a distal opening of the needle. The needle of the insertion device can include a flash indicator configured to indicate the presence of fluid within the needle lumen. The flash indicator can include an absorbent material disposed about the needle. The absorbent material can include a tether. The insertion device can include a needle safety component. The safety component can include a locking element and a cam component.

Bodily fluid sample transport systems, devices, and method are provided. In at least one embodiment described herein, methods are provided for the physical transport of small volumes of bodily fluid in liquid form from one location to another location. By way of nonlimiting example, the samples are collected in liquid form at a collection site, transported in liquid form, and arrive at an analysis site in liquid form. In many embodiments, the liquid form during transport is not held in a porous matrix, wicking material, webbing, or similar material that prevents sample for being extracted in liquid form at the destination site. In one embodiment, small volume of sample in each sample vessel is in the range of about 1 ml to about 1 microliter.

Tissue access devices and methods of using the same are disclosed. The devices can have a sensor configured to occlude a flow path by deflecting a membrane into the flow path when the devices become dislodged from tissue. The sensor can be configured to partially or fully occlude the flow path. The sensor can have a spring. The spring can be biased to move the sensor from a sensor first configuration to a sensor second configuration when a force applied by the sensor first surface against a non-sensor surface changes from a first force to a second force less than the first force. The membrane can be deflected into the flow path when the sensor is in the sensor second configuration.