U.S. patent number 3,792,703 [Application Number 05/270,342] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-19 for catheter placement unit.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Deseret Pharmaceutical Co. Inc.. Invention is credited to Harvey Robert Moorehead.
United States Patent |
3,792,703 |
Moorehead |
February 19, 1974 |
CATHETER PLACEMENT UNIT
Abstract
A catheter placement unit comprising means for maintaining a
catheter in alignment with the bore of a stylet needle and support
means extendable through the bore of said catheter and advanceable
with said catheter through said needle to prevent misalignment of
said catheter with said needle during placement.
Inventors: |
Moorehead; Harvey Robert (Salt
Lake City, UT) |
Assignee: |
Deseret Pharmaceutical Co. Inc.
(Sandy, UT)
|
Family
ID: |
23030942 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/270,342 |
Filed: |
July 10, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/158 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
25/0111 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
25/01 (20060101); A61m 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/214.4,221,348,DIG.16 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Truluck; Dalton L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Foster; Lynn G.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A catheter placement unit comprising:
a needle having an axial bore,
a hub secured to one end of said needle,
a housing spaced a distance from said hub;
a rigid rod secured to said hub and said housing and serving to
maintain said housing in alignment with said needle,
a plunger carried by and movable axially of said housing formed
with a bore extending therethrough and having means for releasably
coupling a catheter tube to said plunger,
a catheter tube formed with an axial bore and having one end of
said catheter tube coupled to said plunger and having the other end
extending into the bore of said needle, and
an elongated rigid tube dimensioned to fit telescopically within
the bore of said catheter tube, said rigid tube extending through
the bore of said plunger and said catheter and having one end of
said rigid tube secured within said bore of said plunger.
2. A catheter placement unit comprising:
a hollow needle having a forward sharpened end and a female hub
end;
a catheter tube, the distal end of which is normally disposed
within the hollow of the needle and the proximal end of which
extends to a position remote from the needle hub;
a female hub at the remote proximal end of the catheter tube;
a rigid stiffener having a dull distal end, the stiffener being
disposed within and running coextensively along substantially the
entire length of the catheter tube;
plunger means disposed proximal of the female hub of the catheter
tube and coupled thereto for pushing said female hub and the
associated catheter tube forward beyond the sharpened end of the
needle;
guide means disposed around the female hub of the catheter tube and
adjacent the plunger means and rod means anchoring the guide means
to the female hub of the needle, to maintain axial alignment of the
stiffener and catheter tube with the needle both before and during
said pushing action.
3. The catheter placement unit of claim 2 wherein the guide means
comprise a generally hollow cylindrical member in which the plunger
means is displaced and wherein the anchoring means comprise at
least one substantially rigid connecting rod located eccentric of
but generally parallel to the catheter tube.
4. A catheter placement unit comprising:
a hollow rigid needle having a forward sharpened end comprising the
exposed distal end of the unit for making a venipuncture and a
female hub end;
a flexible catheter tube the distal end of which is (a) slidably
disposed within the hollow of the needle at venipuncture and (b)
extended beyond the needle following venipuncture and a proximal
end of which extends to a position remote from the needle hub;
a catheter female hub at the remote proximal end of the catheter
tube;
a hollow rigid stiffener having a dull distal end spaced rearward
of the distal end of the flexible catheter tube, the stiffener
otherwise being disposed within and running coextensively along
substantially the entire length of the flexible catheter tube to
prevent shirring of the catheter tube by the sharp end of the
needle during relative movement of the two parts, the proximal end
of the hollow stiffener projecting beyond the proximal end of the
flexible catheter tube whereby flashback at venipuncture
instantaneously passes through the hollow of the stiffener;
light-transmitting flashback means disposed proximal of and in
direct connected communication with the hollow interior at the
proximal end of the stiffener and the proximal end of said female
catheter hub whereby at venipuncture blood instantaneously passes
through the hollow of the stiffener into the light-transmitting
flashback means for visual observation and whereby axial
displacement of the flashback means causes a corresponding
displacement of the hollow stiffener whereby the flashback means
and the stiffener may be jointly removed from the catheter tube and
the female catheter hub.
Description
BACKGROUND
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to catheters and particularly to catheter
placement units of the type wherein the catheter is inserted
telescopically within a hollow needle for placement.
Prior Art
In the medical arts, it is frequently necessary or desirable to
place a catheter within a patient's vein in order to permit
infusion of fluids, such as plasma, whole blood, saline solution,
and the like, into the patient's circulatory system. To accomplish
such placement, it is frequently desirable to perform a
venipuncture by means of a stylet needle and to pass the catheter
through the bore of the needle to the desired location within the
vein. Unfortunately, in order to properly position the catheter
within the vein, it is sometimes necessary to reverse or partially
withdraw the catheter. When this has occurred with the placement
units of the prior art, the catheter has occasionally become
misaligned with the bore of the needle and, upon reversal, has been
drawn against the edge of the needle with the result that the outer
surface of the catheter becomes burred and tends to irritate the
wall of the vein. In extreme instances, portions of the catheter
may actually be sheared off and carried away by the blood flow.
Obviously, this condition can have serious, or even fatal
consequences.
BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the present
invention and a novel catheter placement unit is provided which
assures proper alignment of the catheter with the bore of the
needle during both forward and reverse movement and, thereby,
minimizes the likelihood of burring or shearing of the
catheter.
The advantages of the present invention are preferably attained by
providing a catheter placement unit comprising a stylet needle
having a bore dimensioned to permit passage therethrough of a
catheter, adapter means secured to the proximal end of the needle
and connectable to the catheter to maintain the catheter in
alignment with the bore of the needle, and a rigid tube extending
through the bore of the catheter and advanceable with the catheter
to project beyond the distal and of the needle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved catheter placement unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a catheter
placement unit including means for preventing burring or shearing
of the catheter during reverse movement in the course of
placement.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a catheter
placement unit including means for assuring alignment of the
catheter with the bore of the needle.
A specific object of the present invention is to provide a catheter
placement unit comprising a stylet needle having a bore adapted to
permit passage therethrough of a catheter, adapter means secured to
the proximal end of the needle and connectable to the catheter to
maintain the catheter in alignment with the bore of the needle, and
a rigid tube extending through the bore of the catheter and
advanceable with the catheter to project beyond the distal end of
the needle.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will
be apparent from the following detailed description, taken with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a catheter placement unit
embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken, on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
and
FIG. 3 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 1, showing the placement
unit of FIG. 1 with the parts in the extended position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
In that form of the present invention chosen for purposes for
illustration, FIGS. 1-3 show a catheter placement unit, indicated
generally at 2, comprising stylet needle 4 formed with a bore 6
extending axially therethrough and having a beveled point 8 at the
distal end thereof. The proximal end 10 of the needle 4 is
permanently secured, as by welding, to a hub 12 having a foward
projection 14 exteriorly dimensioned to mate with the interior of a
suitable needle sheath, not shown, and formed with a bore 16
extending axially through the hub 12. An annular sleeve 18
circumscribes the hub 12 and extends a short distance rearwardly
therefrom. The sleeve 18 is formed with a radially projecting
flange 20 and the distal end 22 of a rigid connecting rod 24 is
permanently secured, as by epoxy, to the sleeve 18 in abutting
relation with flange 20. The proximal end 26 of connecting rod 24
is received in and permanently secured to a boss 28 which projects
from the front of a cylindrical housing 30. The housing 30 is
formed with an axial bore 32 provided with annular ridges 34 and 36
extending circumferentially thereabout. As shown, ridge 36
circumscribes the proximal end of bore 32, while ridge 34 is
located forwardly of ridge 36 about two-thirds of the length of
housing 30 at its proximal end, housing 30 is provided with a pair
of opposed, outwardly projecting flanges 37. At the distal end,
housing 30 is provided with a plurality of radially inwardly
projecting tabs 38 which extend nearly into engagement with
catheter 40. As seen in FIG. 1, the catheter 40 comprises a hollow
tube 42 having its distal end 44 situated in the bore 6 of needle 4
and having a connector 46 secured to the proximal end of the tube
42. Connector 46 is formed with a recess 48 which communicates with
the bore 50 of catheter tube 42 and serves to couple the catheter
40 to a suitable fluid infusion unit, not shown. If desired,
connector 46 may also be provided with outwardly projecting Luer
tabs. A steel tube 52 extends substantially completely through bore
50 of catheter tube 42 and has its distal end 54 located adjacent
the distal end 44 of catheter tube 42. The proximal end of tube 52
is permanently secured in the axial bore 56 of a plunger 58 having
a male projection 60 which encircles the tube 52 and is formed to
mate with recess 48 of the connector 46 of catheter 40. The plunger
58 is also provided with a radially projecting flange 62 having a
diameter substantially equal to that of bore 32 of housing 30, such
that the flange 62 is freely slideable within bore 32, but
frictionally engages ridges 34 and 36. In addition, the plunger 58
has a rearwardly projecting annular portion 64 which encircles and
extends rearwardly beyond the proximal end of the tube 52. The
interior of the annular portion 64 forms a chamber 66 which
communicates with the exterior at the proximal end thereof and
which is dimensioned to mate with the male connector of a fluid
infusion unit, not shown. The exterior of the proximal end of the
annular portion 66 is provided with Luer dogs 68 and a suitable
flow control plug 70 is provided to frictionally close the proximal
end of the annular portion 66. Finally, a transparent flexible
sleeve 72 has one end thereof secured to sleeve 18 in
circumscribing relation therewith, while the other end of sleeve 72
telescopically receives the distal end of housing 30.
In use, the connector 46 of catheter 40 is attached to the male
projection 60 of plunger 58 and plunger 58 is placed in its
retracted position, as seen in FIG. 1. The distal end 44 of the
catheter 40 is fed through bore 16 in the needle hub 12 and into
bore 6 of needle 4. The tube 52 is then inserted, as described
above, and the free end of the transparent sleeve 72 is slid onto
the housing 30 and releasably secured thereto. It will be seen
that, as thus assembled, hub 12, connecting rod 24, housing 30 and
tube 52 cooperate to maintain the catheter 40 in alignment with the
bore 6 of needle 4. When the catheter 40 is to be placed, a
venipuncture is performed, in the usual manner. Thereafter, the
doctor grips plunger 58 and flanges 37 and urges plunger 58
forward, advancing plunger 58, tube 52, and catheter 40, until
flange 62 of plunger 58 engages ridge 34 in bore 32 of housing 30,
as seen in FIG. 2. As shown, this advancement causes the distal
ends of tube 50 and catheter 44 to project beyond the leading end 8
of needle 4 and advances connector 46 of catheter 40 to a position
where it may be conveniently gripped. The end of sleeve 72 is then
removed from about the housing 30 and the connector 46 is detached
from male projection 60 of plunger 58. The catheter 40 is then slid
along tube 52 for placement. It will be seen that during the
advancement of catheter 40 and tube 52, and during subsequent
movement of the catheter 40 along tube 52 for placement, the tube
52 assures that the catheter 40 is properly aligned with the bore 6
of needle 4 and that the catheter 40 does not become undulated or
kinked in passing through bore 6 of needle 4. Moreover, during
movement of catheter 40 along tube 52 for placement, if reverse
movement of the catheter 40 is necessary, tube 52 assures that the
catheter 40 is properly aligned with bore 6 of the needle 4, since
tube 52 projects beyond the end of needle 4, and, thus, prevents
burring or shearing of the catheter 44. Once the catheter 40 is
placed, the tube 52 may be withdrawn.
Obviously, numerous variations and modifications may be made
without departing from the present invention. Accordingly, it
should be clearly understood that the form of the present invention
described above and shown in the accompanying drawing is
illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *