Intravenous catheter insertion device with retractable needle

An intravenous catheter insertion device for inserting a catheter sleeve with associated hub for providing medicinals to a patient comprising:

• (a) an insertion needle sized to be received concentrically within the catheter sleeve for insertion of said catheter sleeve along with said insertion needle below a patient's skin;
• (b) a barrel adapted to receive a plunger;
• (c) a plunger, including an interior cavity, said plunger sized to be received within and slide through said barrel;
• and
• (d) a spring housing means associated with and attachable to said barrel, for holding said insertion needle and selectively retracting said insertion needle into said interior cavity of said plunger when said plunger abuts against a surface within said barrel and moves beyond a portion of said barrel, wherein said spring housing means comprises;
• a holder for holding said insertion needle;
• and a spring means for exerting an expansive force between an end of said holder and said spring housing means, wherein said spring housing means selectively holds said holder and said spring means therebetween, while allowing said insertion needle to extend from said spring housing means in an assembled condition, wherein said spring housing means has extending resilient fingers with interior and inferiorally positioned hooks to retain said end of said holder in an assembled condition wherein an end of said plunger has an engaging and complementing surface which abuts up against said hooks of said extending resilient fingers, spreading said extending resilient fingers radially outwardly to release said end of said holder against the expansive force of said spring means when said plunger moves beyond said portion of said barrel, and wherein said spring housing means is attachable to said barrel and lockable thereto, preventing removal of said spring housing means from said barrel.

A retractable needle system comprising:

• (a) barrel means for providing a fluid reservoir;
• (b) plunger means for expelling a fluid in said fluid reservoir, said plunger means defining an interior cavity and slidably and snugly fitting within said barrel means;
• (c) catheter sleeve means for providing intravenous fluid access, said catheter sleeve means having a flexible shaft adapted to receive an insertion needle having a holder end;
• and
• (d) spring holding means for releasably holding a spring between said spring holding means and a holder end of an insertion needle, said spring holding means having resilient fingers with interior and inferiorly positioned hooks engageable by said plunger means, said spring holding means coupled to said barrel means and releasing said spring after said plunger means reaches said spring holding means, whereby said spring urges a holder end of an insertion needle into said interior cavity.

An intravenous catheter insertion device comprising a captured needle received concentrically within a catheter sleeve for insertion of said catheter sleeve along with said insertion needle below a patient's skin, a spring loaded needle means for holding and ejecting sole captured needle, barrel means connectable to said spring loaded needle means on one end, and a plunger means having a hollow portion, said plunger means positionable within and movable through said barrel means, said plunger means having a breakable end adjacent said hollow portion which breaks free from one end of said plunger means and allows said captured needle to be ejected into said hollow portion of said plunger means within said barrel means, wherein said spring loaded needle means has a housing with resilient fingers on one end, which can be spread radially outward by said one end of said plunger means in contact therewith to release said captured needle from said housing, wherein said breakable end of said plunger means breaks allowing said captured needle to be propelled out of said housing and into said hollow portion of said plunger means and be retained therein, wherein said breakable end of said plunger means includes tapered shoulders which engage oppositely and complementing shoulders of said resilient fingers, allowing forward movement of said plunger means to spread said resilient fingers radially outward, said intravenous catheter insertion device further comprising an extending tab and a receiving slot associated between an exterior of said plunger means and the interior of said barrel means, said extending tab and said receiving slot oriented to lock together when said tab and said slot are brought into alignment with each other within said barrel means, thereby locking said plunger means within said barrel means.

A retractable needle system comprising:

• (a) a catheter sleeve having a flexible shaft with an axial passageway to concentrically receive an insertion needle having a rigid shaft, said rigid shaft having a sharp end and a holder defining an end;
• (b) a spring housing having an exterior surface, resilient legs spreadable radially outward on a first end, said spring housing having exteriorly located attachment groove, an opening on a second end of said spring housing to receive said shaft of said insertion needle in sealing engagement while retaining said holder, said resilient legs having radially inwardly positioned hooks sized to engage and hold said end of said holder of said insertion needle when said shaft of said insertion needle is forwardly positioned within said spring housing, said hooks having inwardly tapered shoulders;
• (c) a coiled spring means positioned axially within said spring housing between said holder and said second end of said spring housing, said spring means exerting a repulsive force between said holder of said insertion needle and said second end of said spring housing less than the retaining force exerted by said hooks of said resilient legs, thereby retaining said insertion needle within said spring housing against said repulsive force of said spring means;
• (d) barrel means for engaging and holding said spring housing, said barrel means including a plurality of ratchet teeth and positioned within an interior of said barrel means to receive said extending groove of said spring housing in locking engagement, said interior of said barrel means shaped sufficient to engage said spring housing and allow said resilient legs to flex radially outward;
• and
• (e) a plunger sized to be received concentrically within said barrel means, said plunger having a hollow axially located chamber therein, and having a dissociable end and outwardly tapered shoulders adjacent to said dissociable end, wherein said dissociable end dissociates from said plunger and is ejected into said chamber when said outward tapered shoulders forcible engage said inwardly tapered shoulders of said hooks of said resilient legs, spreading said resilient legs outwardly and disengaging said hooks from said end of said holder of said insertion needle, thereby allowing said dissociable end to dissociated under a predetermined normal force between said holder of said insertion needle and said dissociable end, and allowing said coiled spring means to eject said insertion needle from said spring housing into said chamber within said plunger.

An intravenous catheter insertion device comprising a captured needle received concentrically within a catheter sleeve for insertion of said catheter sleeve along with said insertion needle below a patient's skin, a spring loaded needle means for holding and ejecting sole captured needle, barrel means connectable to said spring loaded needle means on one end, and a plunger means having a hollow portion, said plunger means positionable within and movable through said barrel means, said plunger means having an aperture end adjacent said hollow portion of said plunger means and allows said captured needle to be ejected into said hollow portion of said plunger means within said barrel means, wherein said spring loaded needle means has a housing with resilient fingers on one end, which can be spread radially outward by said one end of said plunger means in contact therewith to release said captured needle from said housing allowing said captured needle to be propelled out of said housing through said aperture end of said plunger means and into said hollow portion of said plunger means and be retained therein, wherein said aperture end of said plunger means includes tapered shoulders which engage oppositely and complementing shoulders of said resilient fingers, allowing forward movement of said plunger means to spread said resilient fingers radially outward, said intravenous catheter insertion device further comprising an extending tab and a receiving slot associated between an exterior of said plunger means and the interior of said barrel means, said extending tab and said receiving slot oriented to lock together when said tab and said slot are brought into alignment with each other within said barrel means, thereby locking said plunger means within said barrel means.