A needle assembly can include a needle and a proximal compartment forming a reservoir for collecting blood that flows through an inner lumen of needle. The needle assembly may also include a needle tip shield for capturing a sharpened distal tip of the needle. The needle tip shield can form a fluid pathway through which blood contained within the reservoir is expelled. The volume of the reservoir can be reduced to cause blood to be expelled from the needle tip shield such as by compressing the proximal compartment or a plunger connected to the proximal compartment or by moving a plunger into the reservoir. The fluid pathway of the needle tip shield can either be the same pathway through which the sharpened distal tip is withdrawn into the needle tip shield, or can be a separate pathway.

Medical device assemblies capable of aspirating liquid into a syringe barrel or other medical devices while evacuating any air from the syringe are described. An exemplary medical device includes a syringe barrel, plunger rod and stopper assembly having an air permeable and liquid impermeable porous portion and structure for forming a vacuum within either the stopper or the plunger rod. Described is a medical device including a syringe barrel, plunger rod and stopper assembly having an air permeable and liquid impermeable porous portion and structure for forming a vacuum within chamber between the stopper and plunger rod wherein the plunger rod includes a sealing edge and is moveable relative to the stopper. Exemplary medical devices may include a vent for allowing air that permeates through the porous portion to escape to atmosphere. Methods for aspirating a syringe barrel with a liquid are also provided.

Medical device assemblies capable of aspirating liquid into a syringe barrel or other medical devices while evacuating any air from the syringe are described. An exemplary medical device includes a syringe barrel, plunger rod and stopper assembly having an air permeable and liquid impermeable porous portion and structure for forming a vacuum within either the stopper or the plunger rod. Described is a medical device including a syringe barrel, plunger rod and stopper assembly having an air permeable and liquid impermeable porous portion and structure for forming a vacuum within chamber between the stopper and plunger rod wherein the plunger rod includes a sealing edge and is moveable relative to the stopper. Exemplary medical devices may include a vent for allowing air that permeates through the porous portion to escape to atmosphere. Methods for aspirating a syringe barrel with a liquid are also provided.

The present invention is directed to devices and methods for detecting one or more markers in a sample. In particular, such devices integrate a plurality of hollow needles configured to extract or obtain a fluid sample from a subject, as well as transducers to detect a marker of interest (e.g., an electrolyte). In some embodiments, the needles are provided as a disposable cartridge.

A needle assembly can include a needle and a proximal compartment forming a reservoir for collecting blood that flows through an inner lumen of needle. The needle assembly may also include a needle tip shield for capturing a sharpened distal tip of the needle. The needle tip shield can form a fluid pathway through which blood contained within the reservoir is expelled. The volume of the reservoir can be reduced to cause blood to be expelled from the needle tip shield such as by compressing the proximal compartment or a plunger connected to the proximal compartment or by moving a plunger into the reservoir. The fluid pathway of the needle tip shield can either be the same pathway through which the sharpened distal tip is withdrawn into the needle tip shield, or can be a separate pathway.

An apparatus includes a hypodermic needle, a blood vessel dilator connected to the hypodermic needle, and an actuator connected to the blood vessel dilator in such a way that the actuator expands the blood vessel dilator. The blood vessel dilator helps mitigate blood vessel collapse.

A device for obtaining a biological sample, such as a capillary blood collection device, that has the ability to lance and squeeze the finger, collect the sample, stabilize the sample, and subsequently dispense the sample in a controlled manner is disclosed. The device also simplifies and streamlines the capillary blood collection by eliminating workflow variabilities which are typically associated with low sample quality including hemolysis and micro-clots.

A syringe assembly for fluid collection includes a housing having a sidewall defining a hollow bore therein, and an elongate plunger with the distal end of the plunger forming a chamber within the hollow bore for containing a fluid therein. The plunger is adapted for slideable movement within the hollow bore between an initial position and a retracted position. The assembly includes a hub disposed at least partially within the hollow bore and at least partially supporting a cannula therewith. The hub is adapted to automatically transition from an initial position in which at least a portion of the cannula is disposed external to the housing, to a retracted position in which the cannula is fully shielded by the housing, upon transition of the elongate plunger from the initial position to the retracted position.

A retractable needle assembly includes a housing having a sidewall defining a hollow bore, and an elongate plunger, the distal end of the plunger forming a reservoir within the hollow bore for containing a fluid therein. The plunger is adapted for slideable movement within the hollow bore. The assembly includes a hub disposed within the hollow bore and at least partially supporting a cannula therewith, and a needle retraction member engaged with the hub for manually selectable advancement with respect to a portion of the housing. The needle retraction member may be advanced from an initial position in which at least a portion of the needle is disposed outside the housing, to a retracted position in which the needle is fully surrounded by the housing. The elongate plunger may be advanced about the hub for extracting the fluid into the reservoir or expelling the fluid from the reservoir.

A device for obtaining a biological sample, such as a capillary blood collection device, that has the ability to lance and squeeze the finger, collect the sample, stabilize the sample, and subsequently dispense the sample in a controlled manner is disclosed. The device also simplifies and streamlines the capillary blood collection by eliminating workflow variabilities which are typically associated with low sample quality including hemolysis and micro-clots.