A blood collecting syringe that advantageously indicates whether the needle has correctly entered the blood vessel, typically a vein. Correct placement is determined when the user observes flashback, or blood entering the syringe. Flashback can be undetected in certain situations due to lack of pressure in the patients vascular system, typically the venous system. This syringe includes an internal, luminal region having an adjustable volume. When desired, the initial luminal volume can be increased to create a partial vacuum. This partial vacuum results in an improved detection of flashback.

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.

An extension set for a catheter assembly may include a first lumen coupled to an infusion port and a second lumen coupled to a blood collection port. The second lumen may include a flow resistance that is optimized to reduce hemolysis during blood collection.

An adapter may include a distal end, which may be configured to couple to a catheter assembly. The adapter may include a proximal end, which may include a proximal connector configured to couple to a blood collection device. The adapter may include a fluid pathway disposed between the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the fluid pathway includes a non-linear portion. The non-linear portion may form a coil shape, an S-shape, or another suitable shape.

An extension set may include a tube having an outer surface. An instrument, such as a tubing or a probe, may be disposed within the tube and may include a proximal end and a distal end. A translation handle may be coupled to the outer surface of the tube and may move along the outer surface between a proximal position and a distal position to translate the distal end of the instrument between a retracted position and an advanced position. In the advanced position, the distal end of the instrument may extend beyond the distal end of the tube and into a catheter assembly and/or vasculature of a patient.

A catheter extension set may include a distal end, which may include a luer adapter configured to couple to a catheter adapter. The catheter extension may also include a proximal end, which may include a blood collection device. The blood collection device may include a needle configured to receive a blood collection container. The catheter extension may include one or more extension tubes extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The catheter extension set may increase flow resistance, which may reduce a risk of hemolysis when there is a high-pressure differential within the catheter extension set. After a pressure differential within the catheter extension set is lowered, the catheter extension set may decrease flow resistance, which may facilitate more rapid blood collection.

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.

A blood collection system may include a needle assembly, which may include a needle configured to receive an evacuated blood collection tube. The blood collection system may include a tubing, which may include a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal end may be coupled to the needle assembly. The tubing may include a first flow channel and a second flow channel. The first flow channel may be configured to collapse at a lower pressure differential than the second flow channel.

A catheter system may include a catheter adapter, which may include a distal end, a proximal end, a lumen extending through the distal end and the proximal end, and a side port in fluid communication with the lumen. A catheter may extend distally from the catheter adapter. A septum may be disposed within the lumen. The septum may include a first slit generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the catheter and a second slit offset from the longitudinal axis of the catheter. An introducer needle may be secured within a needle hub and may extend through the catheter and the first slit of the septum. A winged needle set may include: a body; a needle extending distally from the body and through the second slit of the septum; an extension tube extending from the body; and a blood collection device coupled to the extension tube.

The present invention relates to a method and system for estimating blood analyte levels using a noninvasive optical coherence tomography (OCT) based physiological monitor. An algorithm correlates OCT-based estimated blood analyte data with actual blood analyte data determined by other methods, such as invasively. OCT-based data is fit to the obtained blood analyte measurements to achieve the best correlation. Once the algorithm has generated sets of estimated blood analyte levels, it may refine the number of sets by applying one or more mathematical filters. The OCT-based physiological monitor can be calibrated using an Intensity Difference plot or the Pearson Product Moment Correlation method.