An integrated vascular delivery system having a frame configured to receive a catheter insertable in a patient to deliver fluid at an insertion site. The frame includes a first hub, a second hub, and a pair of flexible lateral members extending between the hubs and including a tubular lateral member. The system also includes a fluidic channel that fluidically communicates with the catheter, wherein the fluidic channel passes through the tubular lateral member and at least one of the hubs, and includes a fixed turnabout portion in which fluid flows in a direction different from that within the catheter. The first and second hubs provide anchoring points on the patient distributed around the insertion site and on opposite ends of the catheter, thereby anchoring the frame to the patient and stabilizing the catheter. A method is provided for using an integrated vascular delivery system.

Introducer assemblies and methods are disclosed. For example, an introducer assembly can include a syringe and a needle fluidly connected to the syringe. The syringe can include a barrel and a plunger disposed in the barrel. The plunger can include a one-piece plunger shaft and a piston fitted over a distal end of the plunger shaft. The plunger shaft can include a longitudinal plunger-shaft passageway extending from the distal end of the plunger shaft. The piston can include a piston through hole forming a portion of an access-guidewire passageway of the introducer assembly with the plunger-shaft passageway. The needle can include a needle shaft and a needle hub over a proximal portion of the needle shaft. In another example, a method is disclosed for securing vascular access with the foregoing introducer assembly.

Disclosed are rapidly insertable central catheter (“RICC”) insertion assemblies and methods. For example, a RICC insertion assembly can include a RICC, an access guidewire, an introducer needle, and a coupler coupling the foregoing components together. The introducer needle can include a needle shaft and a sheath. The needle shaft can include a longitudinal needle slot. The sheath can seal the needle slot thereunder except for a sheath opening thereto in a proximal portion of the sheath. The coupler can include a coupler housing and a valve module disposed in the coupler housing. The valve module can seal the needle shaft and the sheath therein. The access guidewire can include a proximal end coupled to the coupler and a distal end disposed in the introducer needle, thereby enforcing a loop in the access guidewire. The RICC can be disposed over the loop in a ready-to-deploy state of the RICC insertion assembly.

An integrated catheter assembly includes a housing member, an outer lumen member extending from the housing member, and a needle member slidably or movably coupled to the housing member, wherein the needle member can be extended beyond a first port of the outer lumen member in a first position and concealed in the outer lumen member in a second position. The outer lumen member has a side port between its first and second ports such that when the needle is extended in the first position and inserted into an arteriovenous fistula, blood from the arteriovenous fistula flashes into the needle member, is diverted through a relief port of the needle member out the side port of the outer lumen member for delivery to a dialysis machine. The assembly further includes an inner lumen member that is disposable through the housing member to extend out from the same the outer lumen member to provide dialyzed blood from the machine. The assembly therefore receives and delivers blood through a single injection site.

A method of creating a feature on a needle. The method comprising the steps of providing a needle having a sharpened distal end for insertion into an insertion site on a subject, a proximal end, and a tubular wall defining an inner diameter and an outer diameter; gripping a distal portion of the needle about the outer diameter; gripping a proximal portion of the needle about an outer diameter; and applying a compressive force between the distal portion and the proximal portion sufficient to effect an outward buckling of the tubular wall, thereby increasing an outer diameter of the tubular wall between the distal portion and the proximal portion.

An intravenous (IV) catheter assembly may include a catheter adapter and a catheter extending from the distal end of the catheter adapter. The intravenous (IV) catheter assembly may include an introducer needle. The elongated shaft may include a flashback notch, and the flashback notch may include a distal end and a proximal end. The flashback notch may include a smooth tapered edge extending from the distal end in a direction that increases a depth of the flashback notch. The smooth tapered edge may extend along at least half of an entire length of the flashback notch between the distal end and the proximal end. In an orthogonal side view projection of the intravenous catheter assembly, every tangent to the smooth tapered edge may be at an angle of 30° or less with respect to a longitudinal axis of the introducer needle

Catheter assemblies may include introducer needles having a notch or similar structure that allows flashback blood to enter the annular space between a catheter tube and an introducer needle of an IV catheter. The presence of flashback blood in this annular space can provide a clinician with an early, visible indication that a needle has entered a vein. The notch, however, may create a leak path for blood to escape outside of the catheter assembly, unless contained. Disclosed herein is a notch containment that prevents the notch from providing a leak path for blood to escape outside of the catheter during or after needle withdrawal.

An insertion device is disclosed. The insertion device includes a base portion, a top portion slidably connected to the base portion, an introduction needle, a catheter in slidable relation to the introduction needle, and a substantially cylindrical flash chamber, the flash chamber having an inlet in fluid communication with the introduction needle. The flash chamber is connected to the base portion, the top portion slidably engages with the flash chamber, and the catheter and the top portion slidably advance with respect to the introduction needle and the base portion.

Intravenous cannula devices configured to prevent blood backflow and needle prick injuries include a catheter assembly and a needle guard assembly. The catheter assembly includes a hub having a coaxial recess and a valve member positioned therein. The valve member is cylindrical and includes a distal surface having slits collectively defining prongs configured to open and close upon passage of a needle therethrough. Cannula devices configured to prevent needle stick injuries include a safety release component at a distal end of the needle guard assembly. The safety release component includes moveable locking elements configured to fit within an annular groove defined by a proximal portion of the hub upon movement of a needle through the safety release component. Proximal retraction of the needle through the safety release component causes the moveable locking elements to be displaced from the annular groove, thereby decoupling the catheter assembly from the needle guard assembly.

A catheter system may include a catheter adapter, a catheter extending distally from the distal end of the catheter adapter, and a needle hub coupled to the catheter adapter. The needle hub may be transparent, and a needle may be secured within the needle hub. The catheter system may also include a flow control plug coupled to the proximal end of the needle hub. In some embodiments, a flashback pathway may be disposed between an outer surface of the flow control plug and an inner surface of the needle hub. In some embodiments, the catheter system may include an inner barrel and an outer barrel, and the inner barrel and the needle hub may be configured to move proximally within the outer barrel to retract the needle. The flashback pathway may be disposed between an outer surface of the needle hub and an inner surface of the inner barrel.