Intravenous catheter placing and specimen gathering device
AssigneeLab-A-Cath, Inc.
InventorAllan Engelman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intravenous catheter insertion set and blood sample gathering unit are combined to allow catheterization for intravenous medication and gathering of blood samples from the same venipuncture site. A hypodermic needle and a vacuum container needle protrude in opposite directions from a hub. A catheter is carried by the hypodermic needle. The hub includes a flashback chamber, vented to allow blood to flow into view within the chamber following proper venipuncture. The vent is selectively sealed as the plug end of a vacuum container is pierced by the vacuum container needle. Blood is then drawn into the tube by vacuum pressure. When a sufficient sample has been taken, the needle assembly is withdrawn, leaving the catheter in place.
Claims16
A needle assembly for placing an intravenous catheter and facilitating blood sampling by a vacuum container specimen gathering device, said assembly comprising:
- an elongated hypodermic needle having a hollow core extending from a pointed end to a base end;
- an intravenous catheter releasably mounted about said hypodermic needle;
- a hub member mounting the needle in fixed relation thereto at the needle base end and including a flashback chamber defined by a transparent hub wall, said chamber openly and directly communicating with the hollow core of the hypodermic needle for receiving and visibly displaying blood received through the hypodermic needle core following venipuncture by the pointed needle end;
- a vent hole formed through the hub wall and opening directly into the flashback chamber for selectively venting air from the flashback chamber into the atmosphere;
- and
- vacuum container needle means mounted to the hub in fixed relation thereto and having an open bore opening directly into the flashback chamber for penetrating a vacuum container specimen gathering device and delivering blood into the vacuum container specimen gathering device in response to the vacuum pressure within the container after venipuncture by the hypodermic needle.
A needle assembly for placing an intravenous catheter and facilitating blood sampling by a vacuum container specimen gathering device and vacuum container guide, said assembly comprising:
- an elongated hypodermic needle having a hollow core extending from a pointed end to a base end;
- a hub member mounting the hypodermic needle in fixed relation thereto at the needle base end and including a flashback chamber defined by a transparent hub wall, said chamber openly and directly communicating with the hollow core of the hypodermic needle for receiving and visibly displaying blood received through the hypodermic needle core following venipuncture by the pointed needle end;
- an intravenous catheter receiving surface on the hub for receiving and releasably mounting an intravenous catheter;
- a vent hole formed through the hub into the flashback chamber for selectively venting air from the flashback chamber to the atmosphere;
- a mount on the hub member for releasably securing a vacuum container guide to the hub member;
- and
- a vacuum container needle means mounted to the hub in fixed relation thereto and having an open bore opening directly into the flashback chamber adjacent the mount, for penetrating the vacuum container to deliver blood into the vacuum container in response to vacuum pressure within the container after venipuncture by the hypodermic needle.
An intravenous catheterization and blood sampling kit, comprising:
- an elongated tubular hypodermic catheter needle with an open hollow core extending from a base end to a pointed end;
- a hub fixedly mounting the catheter needle base end and defining a flashback chamber directly and openly communicating with the catheter needle core and having a transparent viewing wall, for receiving blood from the catheter needle following venipuncture by the pointed catheter needle end;
- a vent hole formed through the viewing wall of the flashback chamber opening into the chamber to permit passage of fluid from the chamber;
- an elongated catheter releasably received over the catheter needle and having a reduced end slidably engaging the catheter needle near the pointed catheter needle end and an enlarged end releasably received by the hub;
- a vacuum container needle affixed to the hub and projecting in a direction opposite the catheter needle from the hub and having a hollow core opening directly into the flashback chamber, and leading from the hub to a pointed end;
- a vacuum container formed of a hollow tube sealed by a resilient plug;
- and
- vacuum container guide means for slidably receiving the vacuum container, plug first, through an open first end and having an opposite axially spaced second end to be removably secured to the hub with the vacuum container needle projecting into the guide means in the path of the resilient plug, for guiding the vacuum container axially in relation to the vacuum container needle.
An intravenous catheter and vacuum tube blood sample needle, comprising:
- a hollow substantially cylindrical hub, enclosing a flashback chamber having a transparent peripheral wall;
- a vent hole formed through the hub and opening into the chamber for directly venting the flashback chamber to the atmosphere;
- and
- needles immovably affixed to and projecting in opposite directions from the hub, both having hollow cores opening directly into the flashback chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.