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 sample vessel may include a segmented tubule having an opening for receiving a sample material and at least one compressible section, the at least one compressible section having a wall constructed at least partially from a material having sufficient flexibility to permit compression of opposed sections of the wall into contact, and at least two segments of the tubule being fluidically isolated from one another by a bonding of opposed sections of the tubule wall to one another. The sample vessel may also include an interface in fluid communication with the opening in the tubule, the interface facilitating delivery of a sample material to the tubule through the opening.

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.

A blood collection device comprising a cannula hub defining a chamber; an inlet cannula and an outlet cannula mounted to the cannula hub; a closed sleeve mounted over a portion of the outlet cannula; and a venting mechanism between the chamber and the ambient surroundings comprising a tubular insert and a membrane permeable to air and substantially impermeable to blood.

A needle assembly includes a housing having proximal and distal ends, an IV cannula projecting distally from the housing, and an IV shield having an engagement. The housing has a shield seat and the IV cannula has a distal tip. The IV shield has a pre-use position where the IV shield covers the distal tip of the IV cannula and the engagement is disengaged from the shield seat, and a use position where the engagement is engaged with the shield seat and the IV shield is adapted to move between a non-shielded position, in which the distal tip is exposed, and a shielded position, in which the distal tip is shielded by the IV shield.

A device for drawing fluid from a lumen comprising a body, a first needle portion extending from a forward portion of the body and a second needle portion extending from a rear portion of the body, wherein the body includes an observation portion adapted to allow visual observation of the fluid, and wherein the observation portion is provided with enhancement means adapted to enhance the visibility of the fluid in the observation portion.

A needle assembly includes a housing having proximal and distal ends, an IV cannula projecting distally from the housing, and an IV shield having an engagement. The housing has a shield seat and the IV cannula has a distal tip. The IV shield has a pre-use position where the IV shield covers the distal tip of the IV cannula and the engagement is disengaged from the shield seat, and a use position where the engagement is engaged with the shield seat and the IV shield is adapted to move between a non-shielded position, in which the distal tip is exposed, and a shielded position, in which the distal tip is shielded by the IV shield.

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.