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US 11,957,850 B2Granted
Catheter devices with valves and related methods
AssigneeB. Braun Melsungen AG
InventorsKevin Woehr, Jarryd Keng Gene Ng, Boon Ping Neoh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Needle assemblies and related methods in which a valve opener is used to push into a valve to open one or more slits on the valve to open the valve. The needle assemblies each includes a needle hub with a needle, a catheter tube with a catheter hub and the valve and valve opener positioned in the interior cavity of the catheter hub. The valve can have a valve skirt and a nose section of the valve opener can locate therein. One or more reliefs can be provided with the valve opener so that an elbow or diagonal section on a needle guard can project from a holding space within the valve opener through the relief.
Claims35
A needle assembly comprising:
- a needle hub with a needle having a needle tip extending from a distal end of the needle hub;
- a catheter tube attached to a catheter hub having a body comprising an interior surface defining an interior cavity, the needle extending through the catheter tube and the needle tip out a distal end of the catheter tube in a ready to use position;
- a valve positioned in the interior cavity of the catheter hub and in contact with an internal shoulder of the catheter hub, said valve comprising an outer perimeter and a wall having three slits defining three flaps;
- a valve opener sized and shaped to open the to the three slits to open the valve, said valve opener comprising a nose section having an activation end and a continuous perimeter section having a bore passing therethrough, two plunger elements each having two lengthwise edges extending proximally of the nose section, and two stabilizer elements;
- wherein each stabilizer element connects to the two plunger elements so that the two stabilizer elements and the two plunger elements define a stabilizing ring having a continuous surface and the stabilizing ring being spaced from the continuous perimeter section of the nose section by two through passages, which include a first through passage and a second through passage;
- a needle guard comprising a proximal wall and two resilient arms located in a holding space between the two stabilizer elements, wherein each resilient arm comprises an elbow and the needle guard has two resilient arms and two elbows, which include a first elbow and a second elbow;
- wherein the first elbow is located in the first through passage and the second elbow is located in the second through passage in the ready to use position.
4 more elements
A method of assembling a needle assembly comprising:
- providing a catheter hub with a catheter tube having an open distal end and a proximal end attached to the catheter hub by a bushing, said catheter hub comprising a hub body having an interior surface defining an interior cavity and a proximal opening;
- positioning a valve comprising an outer perimeter and a wall having three slits defining three flaps in the interior cavity and proximal of the bushing;
- positioning a valve opener inside the interior cavity of the catheter hub to slidably push open the valve when actuated by a male medical implement, said valve comprising a nose section having an activation end and a continuous perimeter section having a bore passing therethrough, two plunger elements each having two lengthwise edges extending proximally of the nose section, and two stabilizer elements;
- wherein each stabilizer element connects to the two plunger elements so that the two stabilizer elements and the two plunger elements define a stabilizing ring having a continuous surface and the stabilizing ring being spaced from the continuous perimeter section of the nose section by two through passages, which include a first through passage and a second through passage;
- placing a needle guard comprising a proximal wall and two resilient arms in a holding space between the two stabilizer elements, wherein each resilient arm comprises an elbow and the needle guard has two resilient arms and two elbows, which include a first elbow and a second elbow;
- placing a needle, which is attached to a needle hub, through the catheter hub, the valve, and the catheter tube so that a tip of the needle extends out the open distal end of the catheter tube in a ready to use position;
- and
- wherein the first elbow is located in the first through passage and the second elbow is located in the second through passage in the ready to use position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.