A needle assembly, such as a catheter assembly, having a needle shaft with a needle tip formed from a first rigid material for puncturing a subject. The shaft section, proximal of the needle tip can be formed from a second material different from the first material. The needle tip is attached to the needle shaft to form the needle. The first material can have higher rigidity than the second material and the needle can project through a catheter tube and used in a catheter assembly.

A cannula insertion system for inserting a cannula into a human or animal body, includes a cannula and a cannula insertion device to hold and insert the cannula into the human or animal body in an insertion direction. The cannula insertion system includes a safety device configured to retract the cannula or to release the cannula from the cannula insertion device when a force exerted on the cannula in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction results in exceeding a respective safety threshold value.

A pressure based vessel locating system including a pressure based vessel locator device coupled to a needle or catheter. The pressure based vessel locator device can include a proximal end having an air permeable membrane, and a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber can be separated from a second chamber by an interior wall. Each of the first chamber and the second chamber include a proximal opening and a chamber opening having a pressure activated valve disposed therein. The pressure based vessel locator device can further include an air permeable membrane configured to cover proximal openings of the first chamber and the second chamber. Each of the chambers include a window enabling a user to observe the contents of each chamber. A method of identifying a blood vessel includes visually inspecting each chamber for the presence or absence of blood therein.

A cannula insertion system for inserting a cannula into a human or animal body, includes a cannula and a cannula insertion device to hold and insert the cannula into the human or animal body in an insertion direction. The cannula insertion system includes a safety device configured to retract the cannula or to release the cannula from the cannula insertion device when a force exerted on the cannula in a direction perpendicular

A venipuncture device may be used for assisting a healthcare provider identify and locate a blood vessel in a patient. According to embodiments, heat is applied to a selected venipuncture site on the patent's limb. A pressure cuff constricts the limb proximal to the venipuncture site, thereby partially occluding blood flow through the blood vessel and engorging the blood vessel and making it more visible to the healthcare provider. The healthcare provider may then carry out various operations on the patient, including but not limited to drawing blood and insertion of an intravenous line.

The present disclosure is directed to a needle assembly for drawing blood. The needle assembly can be a standalone or part of an over-the-needle medical device, such as an intravenous catheter. A blood collection device is attached directly or indirectly to the needle hub of the needle assembly and/or to a catheter hub, such as through a Y-site or adaptor connected to a tubing that is connected to the catheter hub. The needle is configured to access the vascular system to draw blood, which then passes to the blood collection device via the needle lumen, which has a tip having a discontinuity opening, an opening with a movable stem, or a shaft element with a lumen.

A needle adapter may include a body, which may include a distal end and proximal end. The needle adapter may include a needle extending through the body. The needle may include a distal tip and a proximal tip. The distal tip may extend distal to the distal end of the body. The proximal tip may extend proximal to the proximal end of the body. The needle assembly may include a sheath coupled to the body and extending over the proximal tip. The needle assembly may include a hydrophobic vent element surrounding the body. The needle assembly may include a septum coupled to the distal end of the body.

A catheter system may include an outer catheter adapter, an outer catheter having an outer catheter lumen extending through the outer catheter, and an inner surface forming the outer catheter lumen. The catheter system may further include an inner catheter adapter, an inner catheter lumen extending through the inner catheter adapter and an inner catheter extending distally from the inner catheter adapter such that the inner catheter is disposed within the outer catheter lumen and the inner catheter and the inner catheter adapter are configured to move with respect to the outer catheter and the outer catheter adapter between a proximal position and a distal position.

Systems and methods for autonomous intravenous needle insertion are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a system for autonomous intravenous insertion include a robot arm, one or more sensors pivotally attached to the robot arm for gathering information about potential insertion sites in a subject arm, a medical device pivotally attached to the robot arm, and a controller in communication with the sensors and the robot arm, wherein the controller receives the information from the sensors about potential insertion sites, and the controller selects a target insertion site and directs the robot arm to insert the medical device into the target insertion site.

Blood sample optimization systems and methods are described that reduce or eliminate contaminates in collected blood samples, which in turn reduces or eliminates false positive readings in blood cultures or other testing of collected blood samples. A blood sample optimization system can include a blood sequestration device located between a patient needle and a sample needle. The blood sequestration device can include a sequestration chamber for sequestering an initial, potentially contaminated aliquot of blood, and may further include a sampling channel that bypasses the sequestration chamber to convey likely uncontaminated blood between the patient needle and the sample needle after the initial aliquot of blood is sequestered in the sequestration chamber.