Methods and devices to facilitate positioning of a catheter into a vessel. Devices include axially concentric assemblies of a piercing needle and a dilator that guides an outer catheter into a vessel, such as a blood vessel. The assemblies described herein can include retraction mechanisms and/or lock mechanisms to control needle positioning during catheterization processes as well as improved valves that prevent leakage of fluid from the proximal end of the devices. The devices and method include the use of novel valves to prevent undesired leakage of fluids through the proximal end of the catheter.

A surgical instrument includes a housing (20), a syringe carriage (40), a movable handle (25), a shaft (30), a needle sheath (50), and a needle (60). The syringe carriage is operably coupled to the housing and configured to couple to a syringe. The movable handle is movable relative to the housing and operably coupled to the syringe carriage to distally advance the syringe carriage. The shaft extends distally from the housing and defines a lumen. The needle sheath extends through the lumen of the shaft, defines a lumen, and is movable relative to the shaft between an extended condition and a retracted condition. The needle extends through the lumen of the needle sheath and is configured to operably couple to a syringe coupled to the syringe carriage.

An instrument advancement device may include a housing, which may include a slot. The instrument advancement device may be configured to couple to a catheter assembly. The instrument advancement device may include an advancement element, which may extend through the slot and may be configured to move linearly along the slot between a retracted position and an advanced position. In response to movement of the advancement element from a retracted position to an advanced position, an instrument of the instrument advancement device may be advanced beyond a distal end of the housing and may be configured to open a path through an occlusion in the catheter assembly or vasculature. The instrument advancement device may include a septum that includes a shape and/or a lube to reduce septum resistance and buckling of the instrument during advancement of the instrument.

A safety needle system includes a safety mechanism for a needle assembly, such as a Huber needle. A main body has a channel having a proximal end to encompass tubing and a distal end for positioning proximate a needle. The main body further has a first hinge mechanism and a first latching mechanism. A movable cover has needle receptacle, a second hinge mechanism connected with the first hinge mechanism of the main body, and a biasing member for pivoting movable cover about the first and second hinge mechanisms relative to the main body. The movable cover has a second latching mechanism to latch with the first latching mechanism in a closed position, in which the safety mechanism can be undocked from the needle and slid away from the needle along the tubing. The movable cover has a release mechanism to allow pivoting of the movable cover about the hinge mechanisms such that the needle receptacle of the movable cover at least partially receives the needle of the needle assembly in an open, locked position.

The present disclosure is a blood collection assembly that has a needle assembly fixedly coupled to a finger-activated actuator and tubing and the needle assembly has a needle. Further, the blood collection assembly has a hub that houses the needle assembly and the hub has a channel in a top surface of the hub. Additionally, the channel slidably engages the finger-activated actuator such that when the finger-activated actuator is moved from a distal end of the hub to a proximal end of the hub the needle retracts within the hub.

A catheter insertion system includes a housing extending along a longitudinal axis. A needle extends distally from a distal end of the housing. The needle has a longitudinal passage coaxially aligned with the housing. A catheter has a length and is sized and shaped to be advanced from a retracted position within the longitudinal passage of the needle to an extended position with at least a portion of the catheter length extending beyond a distal tip of the needle. The needle is typically configured to be retracted back into the housing after the catheter has been advanced, thus providing an integrated catheter and catheter insertion apparatus. After needle retraction, the housing may be taped to the patient's skin while the needle remains protected within the housing. A luer on the catheter may then be connected to a fluid or other source in an otherwise conventional manner.

An IV catheter-placement device and method thereof. The IV catheter-placement device can include a cartridge and a case fixedly disposed over the cartridge. The cartridge can include a barrel having a release button, a spring-loaded needle extending from the barrel, and an IV catheter including a catheter hub slidably disposed over the needle. The case can include a deployment button configured to slide the IV catheter over the needle. The deployment button can also be configured to press the release button when the deployment button slides into the release button. A spring compressed between a needle hub and a distal-end portion of the barrel can be released when the deployment button slides into the release button. An entirety of the needle is subsequently launched into a needle cavity of the barrel.

A catheter assembly may include a catheter adapter, which may include a body and a side port extending outwardly from the body. The body may include a distal end, a proximal end, and an inner surface extending through the distal end and the proximal end and forming a lumen. The catheter assembly may include one or more components to facilitate flushing of the catheter assembly. For example, an angle of the side port with respect to a longitudinal axis of the body may be adjustable. The catheter assembly may include a catheter extending distally from the distal end of the catheter adapter. The catheter assembly may include a septum disposed within the lumen proximal to a side port pathway extending through the side port and in fluid communication with the lumen.

A catheter assembly includes a flexible catheter (22), a needle (12) having a sharp distal tip, the needle (12) disposed in the flexible catheter (22) and moving from a first position that exposes the needle (12) to a second position, an outer member (26) that is configured to engage and disengage a catheter hub (14), an inner member (28) disposed in the outer member (26), and a needle protection (30) member disposed in the inner member (28), the needle protection member (30) enclosing at least a portion of the needle (12) when the needle (12) is in the second position.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a catheterization system and related methods. The systems and methods provide for the initial placement of a smaller diameter catheter within a patient, the catheter being expandable to a larger diameter by the implementation of a dilator, wherein the dilator is configured to contact and expand a lumen of the catheter as it is inserted therethrough.