Catheter assembly

A catheter assembly comprising:

• a catheter possessing a distal end, a proximal end and a proximal end portion;
• a catheter hub fixed to the proximal end portion of the catheter;
• a hollow inner needle positioned inside the catheter and removable from inside the catheter, the needle possessing a distal end, and the needle including a needlepoint at the distal end of the needle;
• a pressing member connected to the catheter hub and configured to press a portion of the catheter between a proximal end of the catheter and a distal end of the catheter;
• a guide wire slidably positioned in the inner needle and possessing a distal end, the guide wire possessing a length longer than the inner needle (16) and longer than the catheter, the guide wire being configured so that the distal end of the guide wire projects distally beyond the needlepoint during use of the catheter assembly;
• an operating wire possessing a proximal end portion connected to the guide wire to move together with the guide wire;
• and
• a wire housing portion disposed more proximally than the inner needle and configured to house the guide wire and the operating wire in a state that respective proximal end portions of the guide wire and the operating wire overlap one another.

A method comprising:

• puncturing skin and a blood vessel of a living body with a needlepoint of a hollow needle, the needle comprising part of a catheter assembly that also comprises:
• a catheter fixed to a catheter hub and possessing proximal and distal ends, the hollow needle being positioned inside the catheter;
• a pressing member connected to the catheter hub and axially overlapping a portion of the catheter;
• and a guide wire possessing a distal end and slidably positioned in the inner needle so that the needlepoint is positioned distal of the distal end of the guide wire during the puncturing of the skin of the living body with the needlepoint;
• the puncturing of the skin and the blood vessel being performed while pressing the pressing member toward the catheter to press a portion of the catheter between the proximal and distal ends of the catheter;
• axially moving the guide wire in a distal direction relative to the needle to introduce the guide wire into the blood vessel of the living body and to position the distal end of the guide wire at a target position in the blood vessel;
• axially moving the pressing member, together with the catheter, in the distal direction using the guide wire to guide the axial movement of the catheter in the blood vessel to position the distal end of the catheter at the target position in the blood vessel;
• and
• completely removing the needle and the guide wire from the living body.