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.

An insertion apparatus for inserting an object into a body comprising a housing, a piercing structure with a lumen, wherein the piercing structure extends distally from the housing, a vacuum chamber that communicates with the lumen of the piercing structure, a plunger configured to fit within the vacuum chamber, and a guidewire, wherein the insertion apparatus is configured to be operated with a single hand.

A self-slitting open lumen cannula may be used with catheter adapters to reduce manufacturing complexity and costs, as well as improve the safety of the catheter adapters against fluid leakage. The open lumen cannula may also include one or more notches to facilitate flashback visualization. The catheter adapters may further include a catheter adapter body formed of a compliant material that houses one or more compression resistant septa with at least one lumen formed by the proximal end of the needle during a self-slitting process as the catheter adapter is assembled. The compression resistant septum may also be coupled to a compression cap that imparts a radial compression force on the one or more compression resistant septa such that the at least one lumen narrows and seals when the cannula is removed.

A catheter assembly includes: a catheter; and an inner needle inserted through the catheter. The catheter includes: a catheter body; and a flexible portion that is located at a distal portion of the catheter body and forms a most distal portion of the catheter. An elastic modulus of the catheter body is greater than an elastic modulus of the flexible portion. The catheter has a mixed region in which the catheter body and the flexible portion overlap each other in a radial direction.

A catheter insertion device (10) is provided for positioning and inserting a catheter (14), particularly a midline catheter into a patient. The insertion device (10) includes an introducer needle (18) that extends from the distal end of the catheter during insertion. A manually operated actuator assembly (20) is movable with respect to a housing for deploying the catheter (14) over the distal end of the introducer needle (18). A step-wise movement of the actuator (20) advances the catheter (14) in stages over the introducer needle (18). A shuttling or indexing mechanism (60, 76) advances the catheter and prevents retraction of the catheter once deployed.

A device for magnetizing a tissue-penetrating medical device is disclosed including a housing having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a magnetic field generator contained within the distal portion of the housing and a tissue penetrating subassembly including a hub and a tissue penetrating medical device having a proximal end and a distal end. The hub is detachably connected to the distal portion of the housing and the proximal end of tissue penetrating medical device extends proximally from the hub such that the proximal end of the tissue penetrating medical device is exposed to the magnetic field to magnetize the distal end of the tissue penetrating medical device. Methods of magnetizing tissue-penetrating medical devices are also disclosed.

A catheter system having one or more needle position indicators to assist an operator in withdrawing the introducer needle to a “parked” position, as part of a catheterization procedure, wherein the needle position indicator provides a visual indication to the operator.

A catheter system may include a catheter adapter, a catheter extending distally from the catheter adapter, an introducer needle extending through the catheter, a flash chamber in fluid communication with a needle lumen of the introducer needle, and a seal element. The introducer needle may include a wall defining the needle lumen, a first notch formed through the wall, and a second notch formed through the wall. The seal element may be proximal to the first notch and the second notch and within the catheter between an outer surface of the introducer needle and an inner surface of the catheter. The seal element may prevent priming fluid from travelling distal to the seal element. The seal element in conjunction with the first notch, the second notch, and the flash chamber may facilitate pressure-driven blood flow into the catheter for detection of flashback and transfixing when priming occurs prior to insertion into vasculature.

A tool (10) for inserting a catheter (22) into a body of a patient is provided. The tool (10) comprises: a housing (12, 40, 50) in which at least a portion of the catheter (22) is initially disposed; a needle (16) distally extending from the housing (12, 40, 50), at least a portion of the catheter (22) disposed over the needle (16); a guidewire (32) initially disposed within the needle (16) partially; and an advancement assembly (20) for distally advancing the catheter (22). The housing (12, 40, 50) comprises: a first portion (12A, 42, 52) comprising a distal part (42A, 52A) and a proximal part (42B); and a second portion (12B, 44, 54) engaged with the first portion (12A, 42, 52), wherein the distal part (42A, 52A) of the first portion (12A, 42, 52) is configured to be able to distally slide with respect to the second portion (12B, 44, 54) to release the engagement between the first portion (12A, 42, 52) and the second portion (12B, 44, 54). The advancement assembly (20) includes a safety cap (26) which is initially disposed over the needle (16) and is configured to be locked to the housing (12, 40, 50) when distally sliding to a position of isolating the tip of the needle (16) within the safety cap (26).

Disclosed are puncture sealing systems and methods of locating a puncture site within a vessel. The systems can include elongated dilators and access sheaths that are configured to locate the puncture site within a vessel so that the position of the puncture site relative to a distal end of the access sheath is known during a puncture sealing procedure.