Needle assemblies and related methods are disclosed. The needle assemblies can include a catheter hub and a catheter tube and wherein the catheter hub has a low profile to facilitate attaching the catheter hub to the skins of a patient.

A catheter assembly includes a catheter and an inner needle inserted through the catheter. The catheter has a catheter body and a flexible portion that is provided at a distal portion of the catheter body, includes a most distal portion of the catheter, and is more flexible than the catheter body.

Methods and devices to facilitate positioning of a catheter into a vessel. Devices include axially concentric assemblies of a piercing cannula, a shield and tubing such as a catheter where the shield can be passively or actively locked into position over the cannula tip to prevent inadvertent needle sticks.

A device for one-handed insertion of a hollow needle and a guidewire, includes a grip, a hollow needle, an actuator carriage, a plunger with a guidewire passage through said plunger, the actuator carriage having a trigger, the actuator being coupled with the plunger wherein the plunger is disposed such that the guidewire passage is co-linear with said hollow needle. A wire guide feed mount is mounted on said actuator carriage and has a guide fitting adapted to couple with said plunger and direct the guidewire into the guidewire passage through the plunger. The device further includes a wire feed surface. The grip, the trigger and the wire feed surface are disposed such that when the grip is engaged by digits of one hand, a digit of said one hand is able to advance the guidewire through the plunger by engaging the guidewire between the digit of said one hand and the wire feed surface, sensing a degree of resistance encountered by a tip of said guidewire, with another digit of said one hand being able to urge the trigger of said actuator carriage rearwardly and/or forwardly, drawing said plunger rearwardly and/or forwardly while said digits of said one hand continue to engage said grip.

A catheter assembly includes: a catheter including a circumferential wall and a distal opening; an inner needle inserted through the catheter, the inner needle having a sharp needle tip at a distal end of the inner needle; and a deflection suppression mechanism that supports the inner needle via the catheter to suppress deflection of the inner needle, the deflection suppression mechanism including a contact support portion that is configured to support the catheter when the catheter is advanced with respect to the inner needle. The circumferential wall of the catheter includes one or more side holes. In an initial state before the catheter is advanced with respect to the inner needle, the contact support portion is located proximal of a distal-most one of the one or more side holes and a gap is formed between an outer surface of the catheter and an inner surface of the contact support portion.

Disclosed herein is a catheter placement system with a stiffening system and associated methods thereof. The catheter placement system can include a needle, catheter (e.g. rapid insertion central catheter), one or more guidewires, and a stiffening system, configured to place the catheter while containing portions of the catheter placement system that contact the patient within a sterile environment. Advantageously, the catheter placement system can provide all tools necessary for accessing a vasculature, dilating the insertion site and placing the catheter within a single device, mitigating repeated insertion of multiple tools and reducing the risk of introducing pathogens or the like. Further, the overall time required to place the catheter is reduced, reducing patient down time and improving patient outcomes.

An attachment for a catheter assembly may include a platform, which may include an upper surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface may be configured to contact skin of a patient. At least a portion of the upper surface may be configured to support the catheter assembly. The upper surface may support the catheter assembly at an angle with respect to skin of the patient that is approximately equal to an insertion angle of a catheter of the catheter assembly. The attachment may include snap feature coupled to the upper surface of the platform. The attachment may include a blunt cannula extending distally from the snap feature. The blunt cannula and the portion of the upper surface may provide a generally straight pathway for an instrument inserted distally through the attachment into the catheter assembly.

A device to couple a vascular access device to a medical device may include a body, a spring, and a housing. The body may include a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending through the distal end and the proximal end. The proximal end of the body may include a connector. The housing may be coupled to a proximal end of the spring and may enclose the connector. A distal end of the spring may be coupled to the body. The housing may include a flap, which may include an antimicrobial compound. When the housing is disposed in a proximal position, the flap may cover the connector, the antimicrobial compound may contact the connector, and the spring may be uncompressed. In response to movement of the housing from the proximal position to a distal position, the spring may be compressed and the flap may open.

An improved catheter insertion assembly having a transparent tubular member open at each end; a plunger assembly slidable within the tubular member having a stem portion at a first end; and at least a partially transparent chamber having a needle base and sealing member on a second end of the plunger assembly; an elongated tubular needle embedded within the needle base and extending there from with the needle in fluid communication with the transparent chamber; a catheter assembly, a transparent cannula and a transparent hub attached to the second end with the tubular needle passing longitudinally through the cannula; a fluid passage formed between the needle and the cannula so that when the plunger is retracted a vacuum is established within the fluid passage and blood is visibly drawn through the fluid passage into the transparent cannula and if volume permits, blood then would be visible in the transparent hub, and then if volume permits blood would be visible in the void of the catheter body (barrel) created by pulling the plunger; and wherein the tubular needle is threaded through a lumen of the cannula; and wherein the sealing member provides a sliding seal between the plunger assembly and the transparent tubular member; and wherein, a fluid communication exists through the needle into the flashback chamber of the plunger apparatus and through a porous vent. The distal end of the catheter device described herein has the addition of an external flange and dual plunger paddles which allow dynamic positioning of the fingers and one handed operation. Furthermore these structures are ergonomically associated to maximize finger surface area operation; and wherein the user can change the orientation of the beveled needle.

An access device for placing a medical article within a body space includes a syringe, a needle, and a sheath which are employed together with a guide wire. The sheath can be coaxially and slideably disposed about the needle. During insertion of the sheath over the needle, guide wire and into the body space, the syringe provides a negative pressure to ensure that any air located between the inside diameter of the sheath and the outside diameter of the needle is drawn into the needle rather than into the body space. In certain embodiments, a dilator is coaxially and slideably disposed about the needle and within the sheath.