Apparatus and method for a self-blunting safety catheter
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorThomas F. Lilley, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A catheter unit having a needle, an actuator body, and an elongated blunting member coupled to a flash chamber and to carriage. The blunting member is disposed coaxially within the bore of the needle. The blunting member is capable of moving from a proximal to distal position when the distal ends of at least one of the longitudinal members is pressed on the outer surface of the distal end causing the longitudinal member to advance which in turn causes the longitudinal member to press against a member causing the blunting member to advance from a proximal position to a distal position.
Claims18
A catheter unit comprising:
- a needle;
- a hub;
- an actuator body, the actuator body having a first member and a second member, wherein at least one of the members is coupled to the hub;
- and
- a blunting member coupled to a flash chamber and to a barrier member, the blunting member being disposed coaxially within the bore of the needle and to be actuated by the actuator.
An intravascular assembly, the assembly comprising:
- a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a hollow lumen extending longitudinally therethrough;
- a needle having a sharpened distal tip and a hollow bore extending longitudinally therethrough, the needle being initially disposed coaxially within the lumen of the introducer sheath such that the sharpened distal tip of the needle protrudes out of and beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath;
- and
- an elongated blunting member;
- and an actuator body to actuate the blunting member.
A method of moving a blunt member in a catheter comprising:
- gripping an actuator body, the actuator body is coupled to a blunting member, the blunting member coaxially nestled into a needle;
- squeezing a first lever of the actuator body, wherein the first lever causes a first longitudinal member to move, the first longitudinal member is coupled to a first proximal hinge to a stem of the blunting member;
- squeezing a second lever, wherein the second lever causes a second longitudinal member to move, the second longitudinal member is coupled to a second proximal hinge and to the stem of the blunting member;
- and
- moving the blunting member to a distal position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.