Intravascular introducer devices

A device for introducing a catheter into a patient's vasculature, the device comprising:

• a housing;
• a distal sheath positioned distal to the housing and adapted to be inserted into a patient's vasculature with the housing positioned outside of the patient's vasculature;
• a hemostatic seal mounted within the housing;
• a shuttle comprising a tube positioned within the housing and movable longitudinally relative to the hemostatic seal between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein in the proximal position a distal end of the tube is positioned proximal to the hemostatic seal with the hemostatic seal closed, and wherein in the distal position the distal end of the tube extends through the hemostatic seal;
• a spring positioned between the shuttle and the housing, wherein the spring is compressed when the tube is in the distal position and the spring biases the shuttle proximally relative to the housing and the hemostatic seal from the distal position toward the proximal position;
• and
• the shuttle further comprising an actuator coupled to the tube to allow a user to move the tube between the proximal and distal positions, wherein the actuator comprises an outer cylindrical portion that slides over the housing.

A device for introducing a catheter into a patient's vasculature, the device comprising:

• a housing;
• a distal sheath positioned distal to the housing and adapted to be inserted into a patient's vasculature with the housing positioned outside of the patient's vasculature;
• a hemostatic seal mounted within the housing;
• a shuttle comprising a tube positioned within the housing and movable longitudinally relative to the hemostatic seal between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein in the proximal position a distal end of the tube is positioned proximal to the hemostatic seal with the hemostatic seal closed, and wherein in the distal position the distal end of the tube extends through the hemostatic seal;
• a spring positioned between the shuttle and the housing, wherein the spring is compressed when the tube is in the distal position and the spring biases the shuttle proximally relative to the housing and the hemostatic seal from the distal position toward the proximal position;
• and
• wherein the shuttle is lockable relative to the housing with the tube in the distal position.