Needle, needle inserter assembly and method of inserting a needle

A needle inserter assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the needle has one or more of:

• a wall thickness defined between an outer surface and a lumen surface, wherein the wall thickness is at least 20 μm;
• a wall thickness defined between an outer surface and a lumen surface, wherein the wall thickness is less than 400 μm;
• an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter is less than 0.7 mm;
• an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter is at least 0.4 mm;
• an inner diameter, wherein the inner diameter is at least 0.2 mm;
• or
• an inner diameter, wherein the inner diameter is less than 0.5 mm.

A needle inserter assembly comprising:

• a support member including a body portion and a needle, wherein the needle comprises a lumen, a proximal portion mounted to the body portion, and a distal portion having a tip configured to facilitate insertion into a soft tissue of a patient;
• and
• a base member comprising a receiving portion configured to receivingly engaging the support member as the support member is moveable from a first position, in which the tip is retracted within the base member to a second position in which the tip extends out of an opening provided through the base;
• wherein the base member includes a first guide element;
• and
• wherein the receiving portion is configured so that, as the support member moves from the first position towards the second position, the first guide element contactingly engages the needle to guide the tip in a first direction towards the opening, and the receiving portion contactingly engages the support member to deflect the body portion at an angle to the first direction.

A method of inserting a needle having a lumen for distributing fluid into, or removing fluid from a soft tissue of a patient, the method comprising:

• providing a support member of a needle inserter assembly, wherein the support member comprises a body portion and a needle, and wherein the needle comprises a proximal portion mounted to the body portion, and a distal portion having a tip configured to facilitate insertion into a soft tissue of a patient;
• engaging a base member of the needle inserter assembly with the soft tissue, wherein the base member comprises a receiving portion configured to receivingly engaging the support member, an opening, and a first guide element;
• engaging the support member with the receiving portion of the base member in a first position so that the needle engages the first guide element with the distal portion oriented in a second direction and with the tip of the needle retracted within the base member;
• moving the support member in a first direction to a second position, wherein the first direction is at an angle to the second direction, and
• guiding the tip of the distal portion in the second direction with the first guide element as the support member is moved towards the second position.

A needle inserter assembly comprising:

• a base member;
• and
• a needle, the needle comprising a lumen, a proximal portion, and a distal portion having a tip configured to facilitate insertion into a soft tissue of a patient;
• wherein the needle is operably mountable within the needle inserter assembly so that the distal portion is moveable from a first position, in which the distal portion projects through an opening provided through the base member, to a second position in which the distal portion is retracted within the base member;
• and
• wherein the needle is elastically deformable to provide an urging force to move the distal portion back towards the first position when the distal portion is moved towards the second position.

A method of inserting a needle having a lumen for distributing fluid into, or removing fluid from a soft tissue of a patient, the method comprising:

• providing a needle, wherein the needle comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion having a tip configured to facilitate insertion into a soft tissue of a patient;
• providing a base member with needle operably mounted therein;
• elastically deforming the needle to moving the distal portion to a second position, in which the distal portion is retracted within the base member;
• engaging the base member on the soft tissue;
• and
• releasing the distal portion from the second position so that the needle provides an urging force to move the distal portion back towards a first position in which the distal portion extends from the base member.