Rapidly insertable central catheter insertion assemblies and methods

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

• a RICC including:
• a catheter tube;
• a catheter hub coupled to a proximal portion of the catheter tube;
• one or more extension legs, each extension leg of the one or more extension legs coupled to the catheter hub by a distal portion thereof;
• and
• one or more extension-leg connectors, each extension-leg connector of the one or more extension-leg connectors disposed over a proximal portion of an extension leg of the one or more extension legs;
• an introducer needle including:
• a needle shaft including a longitudinal needle slot extending from a proximal portion of the needle shaft through a needle tip in a distal portion of the needle shaft;
• a sheath over the needle shaft, the sheath including a sheath opening in a proximal portion of the sheath;
• and
• a needle hub over the proximal portion of the needle shaft and the proximal portion of the sheath;
• a coupler coupling the RICC and the introducer needle together in a ready-to-deploy state of the RICC insertion assembly, the coupler including:
• a coupler housing including a needle-hub receptacle, the needle hub inserted into the needle-hub receptacle;
• a valve module disposed in the coupler housing, the needle shaft and the sheath extending from the needle hub, through the valve module, and out a distal end of the coupler housing;
• and
• a swivel arm swivelably coupled to the coupler housing, the swivel arm including a swivel-arm connector connected to an extension-leg connector of the one or more extension-leg connectors;
• and
• an access guidewire including:
• a proximal end coupled to the swivel-arm connector;
• a proximal portion extending along a primary lumen of the RICC;
• a distal portion extending along the primary lumen of the RICC, out a distal end of the RICC, into the valve module over the needle hub, into the needle shaft through both the sheath opening and the longitudinal needle slot, and along a needle lumen of the introducer needle;
• and
• a distal end disposed in the needle lumen just proximal of the needle tip.