Valve modules and methods for introducer assemblies and rapidly insertable central-catheter insertion assemblies

A rapidly insertable central-catheter (“RICC”) insertion assembly, comprising:

• a RICC;
• an introducer needle including:
• a needle shaft including a longitudinal needle slot extending from a proximal portion of the needle shaft through a distal needle tip;
• and
• a sheath over the needle shaft sealing the needle slot thereunder except for a portion of the needle slot under a sheath opening in a proximal portion of the sheath;
• a coupler coupling the RICC and the introducer needle together, the coupler including:
• a coupler housing including a valve-module compartment;
• and
• a valve module disposed in the valve-module compartment of the coupler housing, the valve module including:
• an elastomeric gasket encircling at least a portion of the valve-module compartment of the coupler housing along a length of the valve-module compartment, the gasket in the valve-module compartment compressed around a proximal portion of the introducer needle in a ready-to-deploy state of the RICC insertion assembly to create a substantially air-tight space within the gasket around the proximal portion of the introducer needle;
• and
• an access guidewire including:
• a distal portion passing into the introducer needle through both the sheath opening of the sheath and the needle slot of the needle shaft, the gasket in the valve-module compartment also compressed around the distal portion of the access guidewire in the ready-to-deploy state of the RICC insertion assembly to create the substantially air-tight space within the gasket around the distal portion of the access guidewire;
• and
• a distal end disposed in the introducer needle just proximal of a needle tip in a distal end of the introducer needle.