Device for facilitating intravenous needle insertion or cannulation with vacuum generation means and tourniquet fastener

A device for facilitating insertion of a needle or a cannula into a vein of a patient, the device comprising:

• a fluid chamber comprising an interior fluid volume, an underside arranged to form a seal with the skin of a patient when the fluid chamber is in use, and an upper surface;
• and
• a fastener arranged to extend about a limb of the patient so as to hold the interior fluid volume of the fluid chamber in fluid communication with a surface of the patient's skin;
• wherein
• the fastener presses down on the upper surface of the fluid chamber on opposing sides thereof so as to promote the seal with the patient's skin;
• the device being adapted to allow fluid to be expelled from the interior fluid volume of the fluid chamber and thereby create a volume of reduced pressure within the fluid chamber, so as to facilitate expansion of an underlying part of the vein, the device being arranged to enable insertion of a needle or cannula into the expanded part of the vein, whilst the fluid chamber remains operably engaged with the surface of the patient's skin,
• wherein the device includes a first end adapted to be located, in use, downstream relative to a second end, with reference to blood flow within the vein,
• wherein the fastener is configured to apply more pressure to the first end than the second end,
• wherein the fastener acts as a tourniquet, during use,
• wherein the tourniquet is defined by the fastener and the first end of the device, and
• wherein the fastener extends from a portion of the fluid chamber that is offset from the centre of the fluid chamber relative to the vein, in the direction of the first end of the device.