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 apparatus comprising a catheter tube; a hub having a distal section joined to the catheter tube and a proximal section defining a housing; at least one port connected to the hub by a fluid passage through a passageway; a needle extending through the hub and the catheter tube, wherein the needle has opposite proximal and distal ends, the distal end forming a needle tip; a needle hub attached to the proximal end of the needle; a needle guard slidably arranged on the needle, wherein the needle guard is movably retained in the housing of the hub when the needle extends through the hub and the catheter tube, wherein the needle guard is removable from the hub once the needle tip is received in the needle guard upon withdrawal of the needle from the catheter tube; and wherein the hub is made of two parts each having distal and proximal end sections.

A catheter assembly may include a catheter adapter, which may include a distal end, a proximal end, a lumen extending through the distal end of the catheter adapter and the proximal end of the catheter adapter, and a side port disposed between the distal end of the catheter adapter and the proximal end of the catheter adapter. The catheter assembly may include a catheter extending distally from the distal end of the catheter adapter. The catheter assembly may include a valve disposed within the lumen. The catheter assembly may include a retainer element configured to secure the annular valve within the lumen. The retainer element may be disposed within the lumen proximal to a proximal end of the annular valve.

Rapidly insertable central catheters (“RICCs”), introducers, and insertion devices including combinations and methods thereof are disclosed. For example, a RICC system can include an introducer and a RICC insertion assembly including a RICC assembly disposed in a RICC insertion device. The RICC assembly can include a RICC, an access guidewire, and a splittable casing over a catheter tube of the RICC and the access guidewire forming a longitudinal composite. The RICC insertion device can include a frame and a nose cover forming a split channel that splits away from a through channel of a nose of the frame. The RICC insertion device can be configured for advancing the RICC assembly by rolling the longitudinal composite across roller wheels disposed in the frame. The through channel can be configured for advancing the catheter tube therethrough while the split channel can be configured for both splitting and passing the splittable casing therethrough.

A catheter assembly may include a catheter adapter, which may include a distal end, a proximal end, an inner surface extending through the distal end and the proximal end and forming a lumen, and a side port forming a side port pathway through a sidewall of the catheter adapter and in fluid communication with the lumen. 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 the side port pathway. A portion of the inner surface proximal to the catheter and distal to the septum may include one or more of the following: a textured surface, a channel configured to direct fluid flowing into the lumen from the side port, a protrusion extending inwardly into the lumen opposite the side port pathway, and an annular shoulder.

A guidewire management device, a method of manufacturing the guidewire management device and a method for guidewire management are disclosed. The guidewire management device includes a housing through which a lumen of a catheter passes; and a locking mechanism mounted within the housing; wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the housing if a guidewire is present in the lumen and to unlock the housing if the guidewire is absent from the lumen. In one embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a lever structure comprising a first arm connected to a second arm, wherein the first arm is configured to abut the lumen such that it becomes displaceable from a first position to a second position and actuates the second arm to engage a latch member to lock the housing if the guidewire is inserted through the lumen. Conversely, the housing unlocks if the guidewire is removed from the lumen.

An assembly machine for assembling a rigid needle guard (10) having an inner part (11) made of elastomeric material, and a rigid outer body (12) that is fastened to the inner part (11) made of elastomeric material via a folded-in portion (121) of the bottom axial end of the rigid outer body (12). The folded-in portion (121) extends radially inwards from the outer peripheral surface (125) of the rigid outer body (12), the outer surface of the folded-in portion (121) forming, at its axially-bottom and radially-outer edge, a sharp and acute angle relative to the outer peripheral surface (125) of the rigid outer body (12).

An IV catheter system may have a catheter component with a catheter hub, a cannula extending distally from the catheter hub, and a push feature adjacent to the catheter hub. The IV catheter system may also have a needle component with a needle hub, a needle extending distally from the needle hub along an axis, and a grip extending from the needle hub, generally parallel to the axis, with a pull feature. In the insertion configuration, the needle may be positioned within the cannula and the distal end of the needle hub may be seated in a needle port of the catheter hub. In the fluid delivery configuration, the needle may be positioned outside the catheter hub. The push and pull features may be positioned to facilitate manipulation with a single hand to move the IV catheter system from an insertion configuration to a fluid delivery configuration.

In some embodiments, a catheter system may include a catheter adapter having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending there between. In some embodiments, the catheter system may also include a catheter extending distally from the distal end of the catheter adapter, an extension tube, and a connector coupled to a proximal end of the extension tube. In some embodiments, a distal end of the extension tube may be coupled to the proximal end of the catheter adapter. In some embodiments, the connector, the extension tube, the lumen, and the catheter may form a straight pathway for delivery of an instrument to the catheter system. In some embodiments, an extension set for a catheter assembly may include the extension tube, the connector coupled to the proximal end of the extension tube, and another connector coupled to the distal end of the extension tube.