A medical needle holder (10) having a generally hollow body (18) which extends in the direction of an axis (62) from a first end (20) to a second end (22). The first end is shaped for reception of a needle (50) therein and the second end is open to allow for insertion of a fluid receptacle (16). The first axis is substantially aligned in use with a needle positioned in the first end of the body. The needle holder comprises a grip portion (28) which extends outwardly from the body in a direction which is angularly offset from the first axis. The grip portion may be actuable between an in-use condition and a disposal condition in which the grip portion covers a needle in the needle holder. The body (18) may comprise control formations on its inner surface to allow for control over the insertion of a fluid receptacle (16) into the body.

A medical device having an attachment means and a stimulating probe. The stimulating probe is separated from the attachment means by a length of flexible tubing. The flexible tubing has a hollow interior configured to direct the flow of water.

A plug that allows the plug body to be easily and reliably pierced through by a hollow bodily fluid collection needle, makes the bodily fluid collection needle difficult to draw back out of the plug body owing to a resilience of a sheath after the start of bodily fluid collection, and enables easy and reliable collection of the bodily fluid. The plug 1 is a plug for closing an opening end of a bodily fluid-collecting container 14 which is to be inserted into a tubular holder 11, and includes: a plug body 2 to be fixed to the opening end of the bodily fluid-collecting container 14; and a cover member 3 sheathed on the plug body 2 to cover an outer surface of the plug body 2, wherein the cover member 3 includes a side part 3c covering the outer surface of the plug body 2, and an outer surface of the side part 3c is provided with a protrusion 3k which protrudes radially outward of the side part 3c of the cover member 3 to come into contact with and give frictional resistance to an inner wall of the holder 11 upon insertion into the holder 11.

When drawing blood, it is useful to always have the needle in a bevel up position but this cannot be guaranteed using conventional syringe barrel/needle assemblies. This problem is solved by providing a needle holder having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being provided with means adapted to secure an integral screw-threaded hub of a needle or a double ended needle, wherein the means comprises a circular wall defining a bore through the proximal end of the needle holder, the wall incorporating a pair of opposed helical ledges, the path of each respective ledge spanning up to half the circumference of the bore, the incline of each ledge being so arranged on the wall as to permit complementary mating contact with a screw-threaded hub of a needle or a double ended needle.

Provided is a blood collection unit suitable for accelerated blood coagulation of whole blood for subsequent autologous or allogeneic use. The blood collection unit includes an inside surface that an activation site accelerating coagulation by having a high roughness. Further provided is a blood collection unit including an inside surface that has an activation site having a high roughness area, and an interior of the blood collection unit has been prepared with a pressure of no more than 255 mBar, and preferably a pressure of no more than 130 mBar.

Provided is an Extraction Device for Collecting Blood Samples, including a Catheter and a Safety System EDCBSCSS wherein a catheter is inserted through a cannula, which retracts once the catheter is inside a vein, by means of a spring and safety latch mechanism, retaining the cannula within a housing. The retracted cannula remains immobile within the housing thus avoiding reutilization of the devise and accidental puncture wounds during its disposal. This EDCBSCSS has the advantages (a) among others of assuring that the cutting element has been disabled; (b) possessing a safety system for medical personal so that after the procedure no accidental puncture wounds occur and (c) being easy to handle. The EDCBSCSS is made up of three sequential operational systems, which are puncturing and retracting system which are located within housings and comprise a puncturing cannula; a catheter; a catheter space, a spring and a safety latch.

Blood sample optimization systems and methods are described that reduce or eliminate contaminates in collected blood samples, which in turn reduces or eliminates false positive readings in blood cultures or other testing of collected blood samples. A blood sample optimization system can include a blood sequestration device located between a patient needle and a sample needle. The blood sequestration device can include a sequestration chamber for sequestering an initial, potentially contaminated aliquot of blood, and may further include a sampling channel that bypasses the sequestration chamber to convey likely uncontaminated blood between the patient needle and the sample needle after the initial aliquot of blood is sequestered in the sequestration chamber.

Blood sample optimization systems and methods are described that reduce or eliminate contaminates in collected blood samples, which in turn reduces or eliminates false positive readings in blood cultures or other testing of collected blood samples. A blood sample optimization system can include a blood sequestration device located between a patient needle and a sample needle. The blood sequestration device can include a sequestration chamber for sequestering an initial, potentially contaminated aliquot of blood, and may further include a sampling channel that bypasses the sequestration chamber to convey likely uncontaminated blood between the patient needle and the sample needle after the initial aliquot of blood is sequestered in the sequestration chamber.

The present invention is directed to the parenteral procurement of bodily-fluid samples. The present invention is also directed to systems and methods for parenterally procuring bodily-fluid samples with reduced contamination from dermally-residing microbes. In some embodiments, a bodily-fluid withdrawing system is used to withdraw bodily fluid from a patient for incubation in culture media in one or more sample vessels. Prior to withdrawing bodily fluid into the one or more sample vessels for incubation, an initial volume of withdrawn bodily fluid is placed in one or more pre-sample reservoirs and is not used for the incubation in culture media.

The present invention is directed to the parenteral procurement of bodily-fluid samples. The present invention is also directed to systems and methods for parenterally procuring bodily-fluid samples with reduced contamination from dermally-residing microbes. In some embodiments, a bodily-fluid withdrawing system is used to withdraw bodily fluid from a patient for incubation in culture media in one or more sample vessels. Prior to withdrawing bodily fluid into the one or more sample vessels for incubation, an initial volume of withdrawn bodily fluid is placed in one or more pre-sample reservoirs and is not used for the incubation in culture media.