Catheter assembly with seal member

A catheter assembly comprising:

• a catheter hub having an open proximal end and a distal end defining an interior cavity therebetween, with a catheter tube extending distally from the catheter hub distal end;
• a rigid actuator extending proximally in the interior cavity of the catheter hub from the catheter hub distal end to a free end;
• a seal member disposed in the interior cavity of the catheter hub and supported by the actuator, the seal member having a membrane being slit to define slit flaps;
• a nose extending into the catheter hub interior cavity with a distal end adjacent the membrane;
• and
• a needle cannula having a sharp distal tip, the needle cannula extending distally of the nose through the seal member and catheter tube with the sharp distal tip being exposed distally of the catheter tube, the nose including a recessed bore at the distal end to define an area into which the slit flaps can distend.

A catheter assembly comprising:

• a catheter hub having an open proximal end and a distal end and an inner surface extending therebetween to define an interior cavity, and a catheter tube extending distally from the catheter hub distal end;
• a rigid actuator extending proximally in the interior cavity of the catheter hub from the catheter hub distal end to a free end;
• and
• a seal member disposed in the interior cavity of the catheter hub, the seal member including a membrane and a distal portion extending distally from the membrane to a distal end with a sealing outlet bore and a proximal portion extending proximally from the membrane to a proximal opening, the distal portion having an actuator cavity therein between the membrane and the sealing outlet bore, the actuator extending through the sealing outlet bore into the actuator cavity with the distal end of the seal member being spaced proximal of the distal end of the catheter hub a first distance and the proximal opening of the seal member being spaced distal of a proximal end of the interior cavity a second distance, the membrane being normally closed, the seal member being axially shiftable along the actuator a third distance in a distal direction in the interior cavity to force the membrane over the free end of the actuator and open the membrane, the third distance being less than the first distance such that the seal member is not axially compressed after being axially shifted the third distance to open the membrane.

A catheter assembly comprising:

• a catheter hub having an open proximal end and a distal end and an inner surface extending therebetween to define an interior cavity, and a catheter tube extending distally from the catheter hub distal end;
• a rigid actuator extending proximally in the interior cavity of the catheter hub from the catheter hub distal end to a free end;
• and
• a seal member disposed in the interior cavity of the catheter hub, the seal member including a membrane and a distal portion extending distally from the membrane to a distal end with a sealing outlet bore and a proximal portion extending proximally from the membrane to a proximal opening, the distal portion having an actuator cavity therein between the membrane and the sealing outlet bore, the actuator extending through the sealing outlet bore into the actuator cavity with the distal end of the seal member being spaced proximal of the distal end of the catheter hub a first distance and the proximal opening of the seal member being spaced distal of a proximal end of the interior cavity a second distance, the membrane having an axial thickness, the first and second distance each being larger than the axial thickness, and the distal portion and proximal portions of the seal member each having a respective length—larger than the axial thickness, the membrane being normally closed to seal the actuator cavity, the seal member being axially shiftable along the actuator a third distance in a distal direction in the interior cavity to force the membrane over the free end of the actuator and open the membrane, the third distance being less than the first distance such that the seal member is not axially compressed after being axially shifted the third distance to open the membrane.