Abstract
A built-in front wheel with a guidewire inside that can be advanced easily with one finger (usually the index finger, but variations are allowed based on preference). Once the guidewire is in the vein, the user can then use his/her same finger to advance the plastic catheter by use of a push off tab. A built-in all-in-one IV catheter system that has a front wheel in the usual grip position that allows for guidewire advancement while using IV catheters. A blood flash chamber can be incorporated into the system, method or device to indicate engagement between the catheter and the vein of the patient, and indicate the timing of the use of the wheel to move the guidewire.
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. An intravenous catheter system comprising: a structure; a catheter; a guidewire; a wheel disposed in the structure to engage the guidewire and move the guidewire; a passageway in the catheter from one end used on a patient to a second end associated with said structure; and a chamber into which blood flows from the patient through the catheter once the vein of a patient is engaged with the catheter.
3. A system for using an IV catheter having a guidewire controlled by one finger of an operator of the system and a catheter having a push off tab, wherein once the guidewire is in the vein of a body, the user can then use his/her same finger to advance the catheter by use of the push off tab.
4. (canceled)
5. A method for using an IV catheter with a guidewire and a catheter, wherein once the guidewire is in the vein of a patient, the user can then use his/her same finger to advance the catheter by use of a push off tab.
6. An IV catheter used by a medically trained person, comprising: a housing; a catheter; an integral wheel rotatably disposed in said housing and manually engageable by said person; a guidewire moveable by said wheel into and through said catheter; and a push off tab, wherein once the guidewire is in the vein of a body, said person can then use his/her same finger to advance the catheter by use of the push off tab.
7. A catheter in accordance with claim 6, further comprising the engagement of said wheel being performed by one finger of said person.
8. A catheter in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a second rotatable element adjacent said guide wire to engage said guide wire to move said guide wire.
9. A catheter in accordance with claim 8, wherein said wheel and said second rotatable element work together to move said guide wire in a manner controlled by said person.
10. A catheter system in accordance with claim 2, wherein a user is a medically trained person and the chamber is visible to the user to disclose blood flash once the vein of a patient is engaged with the catheter.
11. A system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising said catheter having a push off tab, wherein once the guidewire is in the vein of a body, a user can then use a finger to advance the catheter by use of the push off tab.
12. An intravenous catheter system used by a medically trained person, comprising: a structure; a catheter; a guidewire; a wheel disposed in the structure to engage the guidewire and move the guidewire; a passageway in the catheter from one end used on a patient to a second end associated with said structure; and a chamber into which blood flows from the patient through the catheter once the vein of a patient is engaged with the catheter.
13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein a user is a medically trained person and the chamber is visible to the user to disclose blood flash once the vein of a patient is engaged with the catheter.
14. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said catheter has a push off tab, wherein once the guidewire is in the vein of a body, the user can then use the same finger to advance the catheter by use of the push off tab.
15. A catheter in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a track in said housing for said guidewire to move.
16. A catheter in accordance with claim 15, further comprising a stop at one end of the guidewire to limit the travel of the guidewire within the housing.
17. A catheter in accordance with claim 15, wherein said track forms a loop within said housing.
18. A catheter in accordance with claim 15, wherein said track forms a C-shape within said housing.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective view of an intravenous catheter product;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an elevated perspective view of the product of FIG. 1 set in the hand of a user of the product;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the product of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the product of FIG. 1 associated with a patient shown in elevation;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 4 with the patient in elevation and the guide wire of the product disposed further into the patient;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a vertical section view along the lines A-A of FIG. 1 with the two wheels portions and two axle portions in elevation;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of an alternative version of the product of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 7 with the patient shown in section and a finger of the user shown in elevation;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 with the guide wire disposed further into the patient;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 6 of the embodiment of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a further alternative view of the present invention with portions in elevation;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 7 of the alternative of FIG. 11 with the patient in section and the finger of the user in elevation along with a portion of the product in elevation;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a vertical section view of the alternative of FIG. 11 including an illustration of the patient in section and the finger of the user in elevation and in a second position in phantom, as well as a portion of the product in elevation; and
[0024] FIG. 14 illustrates the tensioner and securement element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates the general appearance of the intravenous catheter guidewire system or product 100 in a handheld outer housing 102 usually made in two pieces. As shown in FIG. 2, the system 100 can be used with one hand 104 by an operator 106 placing one finger 108 on a guide wheel 110 to operate the guide wheel 110. A catheter 120 is attached to the forward end 122 of the housing 102 in a conventional detachable manner.
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates the general appearance of the intravenous catheter guidewire system or product 100, primarily in section, with a guidewire 124 built to interact functionally with the guide wheel 110. A traditional blood flash chamber 130 clear and visible to the operator 106 for a needle 134 is shown that should fill with an obvious blood flash through a hole 135 once the vein 136 is engaged (FIG. 4) since there is no guidewire obstructing blood flow into the chamber 130. Note that the chamber 130 is enlarged in this view relative to the housing 102, but the size of the chamber 130 can vary, while the blood flash function can be representative regardless of the scale to the housing as a flash of blood. A catheter 120 is included as part of the needle 134 and is detachable.
[0027] The guidewire 124 is originally disposed in the needle 134 above the needle hole 135 located at the top of the chamber 130. Blood return occurs (FIG. 4) at the needle hole 135 and should cause a blood flash visible to the operator 106 once the needle 134 is inside the vein 136 of a patient 138 (guidewire 124 blocks blood return out of the end of the needle 134 forcing the blood to enter the needle hole 135). This is also a signal to operate the guidewire 124. A push off tab 142 is connected to the catheter 120 and assists with pushing the catheter 120 into the vein 136 with one finger 108 after the guidewire 124 has been advanced, as well as detaching the catheter 120 as shown in FIG. 5.
[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates rotating the guide wheel 110 in a backwards direction with the pad 109 of a finger 108 causes the guidewire 124 via friction with the guide wheel 110 and a support wheel 112 to go into the needle 134 and ultimately into a vein 136. An inner track 125 directs the guidewire 124 into the needle 134 as moved between the guide wheel 110 and support wheel 112. The inner track 125 should also cause the guidewire 124 to only advance toward the tip of the needle 134 because of the shape of the inner track 125 and a ball element 123 disposed on the trailing end of the guide wire 124 that centers the guide wire in the track 125 and also stops the guide wire 124 from proceeding beyond the guide wheel 110 and support wheel 112. Traditional grip locations 131, 133 are on each side of the guide wheel 110 to move the guide wheel 110.
[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates once the blood flash is obtained, the guidewire 124 is fully advanced with the pad 109 of a finger 108 until the guide wheel 110 stops. Then the operator uses the same finger 108 that turned the guide wheel 110 to push on the push off tab 142 to advance the catheter 120 over the guidewire 124 and into the vein 136.
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates the guide wheel 110 that contains the guidewire 124 between the guide wheel 110 and the support wheel 112, which are each mounted to rotate on axles 162 and 164 respectively and are disposed to frictionally engage the guidewire 124 to move the guidewire 124 forwardly or backwardly in response to movement of the guide wheel 110 by the finger 108 of the operator 106. The part of the guide wheel 110 that has contact with the guidewire 124 will be covered with a plastic or rubber type of material (e.g., thermoplastic polyurethane but not limited to this material) that allows the guidewire 124 to be gripped by the guide wheel 110 and prevent slippage of the guidewire 124. The support wheel 112 would preferably have a similar covering.
[0031] The guidewire 124 is contained within the IV catheter 120 covered by a frame 121 of the IV catheter in a sterile fashion. The guidewire 124 will be made of a material such as nitinol or other similar alloy metals that may allow for frictional contact with the guide wheel 110 and support wheel 112 and then be able to be guided through the needle 134 and into the vein 136. The guidewire 124 will advance past the needle hole 135 and should go towards the tip of the needle 134 because of the shape of the inner frame.
[0032] FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the system or product 200 where the guidewire 224 is provided a longer length of travel in a shorter length of housing 202 in the same general outer configuration but shorter in length. The guide wheel 210 and support wheel 212 can be the same or very similar configuration as the prior embodiment described above, but an extended track 225 is included that would add a distance of travel for the guidewire within the housing 202, and would loop within the housing 202 as shown. A stop ball 223 is disposed at the end of the guidewire 224 within the track to center the guidewire 224 on the track 225 and also stop the guidewire 224 once the stop ball 223 reaches the guide wheel 210 and support wheel 212. Similar to the prior versions, the guidewire 224 moves between the guide wheel 210 and the support wheel 212 which are each mounted to rotate on axles 162 and 164 respectively and disposed to frictionally engage the guidewire 224 to move the guidewire 224 forwardly or backwardly in response to movement of the guide wheel 210 by the finger 108 of the operator 106. In all other respects, this embodiment would function in the same manner as that of FIGS. 2 through 6. The guidewire 224 movement would occur after the blood flash appears in the chamber 130 after engagement of the vein 136 (FIG. 8) and subsequent blood flow into the chamber 130 (FIG. 9) before movement of the guidewire 224.
[0033] FIGS. 11 through 14 disclose a further embodiment of the invention having a shorter length housing 502 and a guide wheel 510 in which the guidewire 524 wraps around the guide wheel 510 as it is manipulated by the finger 108 of an operator 106. FIG. 14 illustrates the general appearance of the intravenous catheter guidewire system or product 500 with a guidewire 524 built into the guide wheel 510 to wrap around the guide wheel 510. The blood flash chamber 530 is shown as a clear plastic portion of the housing 502 that is visible to an operator 106 and that should fill with an obvious blood flash since there is no guidewire obstructing blood flow into the chamber 530 via a hole 503. The guidewire 524 is originally disposed just inside the needle 534 above the needle hole 503 located in the needle 534 (FIG. 11). The guidewire 524 moves from the guide wheel 510 into a passageway 552 in the housing 502, through the blood flash chamber 530 into the needle 534. Blood return occurs at the needle hole 503 and should cause a blood flash once the catheter 520 is inside the vein 136 of a patient 138 (the guidewire 524 blocks return through the end of the needle 534). A push off tab 542 is connected to the catheter 520 and assists with pushing the catheter 520 into the vein 136 and disconnecting with the housing 502 with one finger 108 after the guidewire 524 has been advanced as shown in FIG. 13.
[0034] A spring loaded tensioner 550 is fixed to the housing at one end via a securement element 555 and wrapped around the guidewire 524 on the guide wheel 510 to control the radial position of the guidewire 524 on the guide wheel 510 as it is reeled in or out during movement of the guide wheel 510 and relative movement of the guidewire 524. The guidewire 524 is wrapped around the guide wheel 510 more than one time, generally, and is secured to the guide wheel 510 at the end opposite to the end entering the vein 136. This construction permits more linear travel of the guidewire 524 in a shorter length of housing 502 to obtain the same results as described above. The tensioner 550 is shown separately in FIG. 14 and would conventionally be made from a spring steel material, preferable stainless steel, with a securement element 555 either welded to the steel if a metal stop or molded to the steel if a plastic element. The guide wheel 510 may be larger in diameter than the guide wheels of the other embodiments to accommodate more travel for fewer turns of the guide wheel 510 as the guidewire 524 wraps around the guide wheel 510.
[0035] In this case the guidewire 524 will be covered by a plastic material (but not limited to plastic material) to help keep it sterile. This covering will protect the guidewire 524 from the operator's gloved finger 108.
[0036] It should also be noted that with slight modifications in needle length and types of plastic catheters, the invention can be used with central and arterial lines in the same manner as described above.
[0037] The instant disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the instant disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the instant disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
