Catheter Insertion Device Including Top-Mounted Advancement Components

An insertion device for inserting a catheter into a body of a patient, comprising:

• a housing in which at least a portion of the catheter is initially disposed;
• a needle distally extending from the housing, at least a portion of the catheter pre-disposed over the needle;
• a guidewire;
• a guidewire advancement assembly for selectively distally advancing the distal end of the guidewire out a distal opening of the needle in preparation for distal advancement of the catheter;
• and
• a catheter advancement assembly for selectively advancing the catheter in a distal direction, the catheter advancement assembly including a handle assembly, the handle assembly including first and second wings, a cover portion extending between the first and second wings, the cover portion positioned such that advancement of the guidewire advancement assembly and the catheter advancement assembly can be accomplished by a single thumb or finger of the user.

An insertion device for inserting a catheter into a body of a patient, comprising:

• a housing in which at least a portion of the catheter is initially disposed;
• a needle distally extending from the housing, at least a portion of the catheter pre-disposed over the needle;
• a guidewire;
• a guidewire advancement assembly including a first user engagement component configured for thumb or finger application by a user for selectively distally advancing the distal end of the guidewire out a distal opening of the needle in preparation for distal advancement of the catheter;
• a catheter advancement assembly including a second user engagement component for selectively advancing the catheter in a distal direction, the first user engagement component distally slidable to a distal termination point that is proximate a proximal commencement point of the second user engagement component;
• and
• a flash indicator configured to indicate the presence of a fluid within the needle lumen, the flash indicator including an elongate channel in fluid communication with the needle lumen, the channel defining a pathway through which the fluid present in the needle lumen is configured to pass, the fluid in the pathway observable by a user of the insertion device.