A steerable-catheter handle includes an outer housing with a multilumen catheter body extending generally distally therefrom. An internal track, including at least one track-defining lateral edge element, is disposed between distal and proximal terminal ends of the outer housing, which also houses a manifold engaged with the catheter body, a working-channel port member in fluid and mechanical communication with at least a first catheter lumen, a vacuum channel port member in fluid communication with at least one catheter lumen via one or both of the working channel port member and the manifold, and a generally proximal catheter port open to the internal track, where a distal endmost portion of the catheter mechanically communicates with one or more control surfaces so that the distal endmost portion of the catheter is deflectable along at least two intersecting axes, and where a portion of the catheter body extends removably through the internal track.

A secure attachment method and structure for a wire (including non-metallic fiber, yarn, cable, etc.) is provided within a steerable catheter that includes a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate catheter body length therebetween, with at least a first catheter lumen extending longitudinally through the catheter body, at least a first elongate wire disposed longitudinally through the first catheter lumen, and an adhesive substantially within, and securing the wire to, a dilated distalmost length of the first longitudinal lumen, where at least a lengthwise portion of the wire is frayed or otherwise at least partially disaggregated. The structure and method provides for robustly secure affixation that will allow steering/deflection control by manipulation of another portion of the wire.

A spool and gear mechanism for tensioning and manipulating the steering/deflection control wires of a steerable catheter device provides for a desired level of tension that will allow operation of the device without too little or too much tension in those wires. In a wire-tensioning mechanism for a steerable catheter, the mechanism includes at least a first and second steering/deflection control wire each attached to the spool by winding around its own detent-engaged rotatable gear in the spool and extending out through a radial wall of the spool to engage into a steerable catheter body. In a multi-spool system, the wire-tensioning/winding gears of each spool preferably are accessible for adjustment via apertures of an adjacent spool.

A catheter includes: a catheter shaft; and a hub on a proximal side of the catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes a shaft inner surface inclined portion at a proximal portion, the diameter of which increases proximally such that the shaft inner surface inclined portion forms an angle with the catheter central axis. The hub includes a first hub inner surface inclined portion continuous from the shaft inner surface inclined portion and inclined at the same inclination angle as the shaft inner surface inclined portion, and a second hub inner surface inclined portion proximal of the first hub inner surface inclined portion. The second hub inner surface inclined portion inclination angle differs from the first hub inner surface inclined portion inclination angle. The hub does not cover an inner peripheral surface of the catheter shaft in an interlock portion in which the catheter shaft and the hub are interlocked together.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a catheter and method. The catheter can be configured as a guiding catheter with a flexible shaft section, a hub disposed at a proximal portion of the shaft section, and a strain relief section that surrounds a predetermined proximal-side range of the shaft section. A distal end of the strain relief section can be moved along an axial direction of the shaft section at least toward the side where the hub is located.

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 protruding outwardly from 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.

A vascular access device is disclosed including a catheter, a catheter adapter having a distal end and a proximal end, an overall length extending from the distal end to the proximal end, an internal cavity, an upper portion, a lower portion and a tip having a distal opening having a circumference through which the catheter extends, an introducer needle extending through the catheter; and a needle hub connected to the proximal end of the introducer needle. The catheter adapter being connected to the proximal end of the catheter and at least a majority of the catheter adapter is made from a first material and at least a portion of the tip is made from a second material that is more flexible than the first material.

Catheter adapters and vascular access device including catheter adapters are discloses. The catheter adapter tip opening has an internal curvature defining a tapered region in the lower portion, but not the upper portion, to support a flexured portion of the catheter to prevent kinking and occlusion.

An integrated vascular access device can include strain relief features to minimize the likelihood of the extension tubing becoming kinked during use. These strain relief features can be configured at both ends of the extension tubing to minimize the likelihood of kinking at the interfaces to the catheter adapter and luer adapter. To provide strain relief at the catheter adapter end of the extension tubing, an interface formed of a flexible material can be aligned with an extension of the catheter adapter into which the extension tubing inserts. The interface can be integrated into a stabilization platform or formed separately from a stabilization platform. To provide strain relief at the luer adapter end of the extension tubing, a flexible spacer can be coupled to a distal end of the adapter and have a distal portion that is positioned around the extension tube.

Provided herein is a probe delivery device for advancing a probe into a vascular access device. The probe delivery device includes an outer housing, a connector, a shield assembly, and a probe assembly. The shield assembly includes a shield sleeve movable within an inner volume of the housing and a shield advancer coupled to the proximal end of the shield sleeve, the shield advancer having a shield handle configured to slide along an outer surface of the housing to move the shield sleeve distally from a first sleeve position to a second sleeve position. The probe assembly includes a probe movable within the shield sleeve and a probe advancer coupled to the proximal end of the probe, the probe advancer having a probe handle configured to slide along an outer surface of the housing to move the probe distally from a first probe position to a second probe position.