Detachable Guide Needle

Abstract

A detachable hollow guide needle assembly for piercing body portions, such as tissues, muscles, veins, to locate a flexible catheter tube in the selected body portion for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto, and which includes a metal tubular needle point at one end with portions extending rearwardly on opposite sides of a longitudinal slot having the edges thereof joined by plastic material making up the hollow assembly for receiving the catheter tube and the plastic material serving to permit complete removal of the assembly from the body inserted catheter tube.

Description

Prior practice of retaining guide needles on a catheter tube after venepuncture or other body insertion with the catheter tube ready for withdrawing or introducing fluids has led to some hazards and discomfort to the patient. Such practices have included taping the guide needle to the patient, shielding the needle and various other non-uniform procedures for nurses and others aiding the attending physician.

According to the present invention, there is provided a guide needle assembly which may be completely removed from the body inserted catheter and is an improvement over the detachable guide needle arrangements shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,978.

An object of the present invention is to provide a detachable guide needle assembly for use with a flexible catheter tube to be inserted in a body portion and which guide needle may be withdrawn from body insertion along the catheter tube and completely removed therefrom by manipulation of handle means forming part of the guide needle assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hollow detachable guide needle assembly of the above type including plastic and metal components with the metal component providing a longitudinally split piercing needle point and with the plastic component complementing the body portion of the metal component in making up the hollow guide needle assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a composite guide needle of the above type wherein the plastic component serves as an enabling means permitting opening of the needle point and separation of the metal body portion for complete removal of the guide needle assembly from the catheter tube with which it was initially associated.

In brief, the above and other objects of the invention are attained by providing a guide needle assembly with a longitudinally split metal body portion terminating in an inclined plane split needle point and with adjacent longitudinal edges of the metal body portion joined by a plastic component, either bonded or insert molded thereto, completing the hollow tube portion for receiving the catheter tube and with the plastic component serving as hinge means permitting separation of the longitudinal edges of the metal body portion or as a removable means for that purpose.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the composite hollow guide needle assembly in association with a catheter tube prior to body insertion;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the metal component of the assembly of FIG. 1 is formed;

FIG. 3 is a trailing end view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of another embodiment of a composite hollow guide needle assembly;

FIG. 5 is a trailing end view of the assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of another embodiment of a composite hollow guide needle assembly; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the guide needle assembly of FIG. 6 and showing in dotted lines partial removal of the plastic component on the handle means.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown one embodiment of a composite hollow guide needle wherein the metal component is formed from the metal blank of FIG. 2. The metal may be of stainless steel of the order of, for example, .006 inch thickness to provide the ultimately formed split needle point of requisite rigidity through permitting spreading thereof for removal as will appear hereinafter. The blank of FIG. 2 includes a pointed end 10 from which body portions 12, 12a extends rearwardly with the inner longitudinal edges 14, 14a thereof spaced from one another along a rearwardly open slot 16. Each body portion 12, 12a is provided with an outwardly extending handle member 17, 17a, respectively, longitudinally offset from one another.

When the blank of FIG. 2 is shaped to tubular form and forming the split inclined plane sharpened needle point 20, the plastic is insert molded therewith to provide the arcuate plastic component 22 closing the slot 16 and interlocked with the longitudinal edges 14, 14a thereof, as shown in FIG. 3. In this assembly, the handle members 17, 17a, which may be vertically channeled for strength as at 18, 18a, are in offset juxtaposition for finger grasping to manipulate the guide needle with an included catheter tube 24. Thus, the guide needle may be inserted in a selected body portion, such as a muscle, tissue, vein, for location of the catheter tube in position for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto. The guide needle assembly is then withdrawn along the inserted catheter tube to remove the needle point 20 from body insertion. With the thusly withdrawn guide needle, the handle or finger grip members 17, 17a may be spread in opposite outward directions and in so doing, the metal body portions 12, 12a will be similarly spread to in turn spread the needle point and permit complete removal of the guide needle assembly from the body inserted catheter. The plastic component 22 is of a material of sufficient strength and rigidity to maintain its molded integrity during insertion and removal of the guide needle assembly but is also selected to be of sufficient weakness or flexibility to act as a longitudinal hinge area in continuation of the central portion of the needle point as the metal body portions are spread apart with spreading movement of the handle members.

With reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the metal component of the guide needle assembly may be shaped from a blank somewhat similar to that of FIG. 2 to include body portions 26, 26a extending rearwardly from the sharpened needle point 28 along opposite edges of a slot 30 therebetween and opening rearwardly of the assembly. Each body portion 26, 26a is provided with similar longitudinally offset handle members 32, 32a, respectively, of arcuate configuration for reinforcement thereof. In this form of the invention a plastic tube 34 is bonded to the interior surfaces of the metal needle component and is split, as at 36, in longitudinal coincidence with the adjacent longitudinal edges of the metal body portions 26, 26a. In use, this assembly is manipulated for insertion of the sharpened end 28 in the selected body portion for placement of the catheter tube 24 therein. Then the guide needle assembly is withdrawn along the catheter tube to a position where the handle or finger portions 32, 32a are spread apart. This results in similar spreading of the metal body portions 26, 26a and with them the included plastic tube portions which spread apart from the slit 36 therealong. Thus, the entire composite assembly can be completely removed from the body inserted catheter tube.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown a composite plastic and metal guide needle assembly with the metal component in the form of a tube 40 split along the length thereof to provide a longitudinal slot 42 opening at the rear end thereof and at the trailing end of the sharpened needle point 44. Such tube is then inserted molded with a strip of plastic material 46 in arcuate form to close the slot 42 along the metal component and complete the hollow tube formation. Sufficient additional length of the plastic strip is left at the rear end of the assembly for attachment in known manner to a key shank 48 having finger gripping wing portions 50, 50a. The shank 48 extends transversely of the slot 42 and provides with the wings a handle for manipulation of the guide needle assembly into body inserted position to locate the catheter tube 24 therein. As before, the guide needle assembly may be withdrawn along the body insert position and the wings 50, 50a then grasped to turn the key shank toward the needle end 44 and strip the plastic strip material from the metal tube and wind the same on the shank to open the relatively wide slot 42. This permits the remaining metal tube component 40 to be removed from the body inserted catheter tube. If necessary to enlarge the slot 42 for this purpose, the attendant may manually spread the tube slightly by spreading the tube edges along the slot.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A detachable composite hollow guide needle assembly for insertion into a body portion and locating a flexible catheter tube in the body for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto; and comprising a metal component forming at least a portion of a tube with a sharpened split needle end of inclined plane configuration extending axially from the bottom of the metal component for body insertion to locate a catheter tube therein and having a slot of substantial width extending along the bottom of the metal component along the length thereof commencing at a point spaced from the sharpened needle end and opening at the opposite end thereof, a plastic component substantially closing the slot substantially along the length thereof and secured to adjacent portions of the metal component to form a substantially closed tube assembly to receive the catheter tube, said plastic component forming a longitudinal hinge area and handle means spaced from the sharpened needle end of the guide needle assembly, said handle means comprising a pair of juxtaposed arms each extending outwardly from the side of the metal component opposite to the side along which the slot extends and adapted to be spread apart to separate the metal component along the hinge area to provide an access opening for removal of the guide needle assembly from the body inserted catheter tube.

2. A guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plastic component is of arcuate configuration insert molded to the adjacent edges of the metal component along the slot.

3. A guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edges of the metal component opposite the slot substantially meet along a split line from which position they are spread apart by manipulation of the handle arms to permit separation of the guide needle assembly from the body inserted catheter tube.

4. A guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot is along the bottom of the metal component trailing the elongate bottom of the needle end and the plastic component is in the form of a tube bonded to the metal component and split along the length thereof opposite to the slot and forming a hinge area along the slot.