Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-03
2001-10-09
Seidel, Richard K. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S165010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299602
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical catheters, more particularly to a catheter insertion device that protects users from accidental needle pricks, provides a gauge for multiple-attempt catheterizations, and provides a quick-taping system.
2. Prior Art
Administering intravenous medications and agents or installing intravenous monitoring devices requires the catheterization of veins or arteries (generally “vessels”). Intravenous catheters (usually flexible catheters) must be inserted into a vessel and must be positioned properly to establish and maintain the proper fluid flow through the catheter that remains in the vessel. One type of catheter insertion device comprises a needle and a plastic catheter tube that slides over the needle so that the needle point protrudes through the catheter. Introduction of the catheter into the vessel requires manipulation and positioning of the vessel as well as precise placement of the needle and catheter within the vessel. Once properly placed, the operator must carefully withdraw the needle and leave the catheter within the vessel.
Medical personnel (“operator”) operate catheters as follows. The operator grips the posterior portion of the intravenous catheter with one hand and secures and holds the skin and vein of the patient with the other hand. The operator inserts and guides the needle tip through the patient's skin and into a vessel. Blood flows from the vessel through the passageway in the needle and into a catheter collection chamber. The operator advances the needle slightly to assure that the catheter has entered the vessel. The operator inserts the catheter into the vessel without advancing the needle. This additional insertion of the catheter is difficult and contributes to misstarts, which require the withdrawal and reinsertion of the intravenous catheter into the vessel. Thus, the patient may endure additional needle punctures.
With a majority of intravenous insertion attempts, operators must remove the hand that holds the patient's skin and vein and use that hand to remove the needle from the catheter. Because the operator is not gripping the patient's skin and vein, the catheter may slip from within the vessel and cause a misstart.
After removing the needle, the operator places it on a medical tray or hands it to an assistant. The removal and placement of the needles is usually done haphazardly because operators are focused on preventing withdrawal of the catheter from the vessel. Consequently, operators and assistants have been injured from needle pricks by contaminated needles. Thus, a need exists for a medical catheter that can minimize misstarts while at the same time preventing contaminated needles from injuring medical personnel.
ADVANTAGES AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has advantages over prior art devices. A protective sheath covers the needle tip when the needle has been removed from the catheter to prevent injuries to medical personnel. The design of the present device allows medical personnel to withdraw the needle from the catheter without moving the hand that holds the patient's skin and vessel. Therefore, the present invention decreases the risk of misstarts when withdrawing the needle from the catheter.
The present invention may be used in connection with a variety of intravenous catheters and needles, including catheters and needles of different sizes, lengths, and gauges. The catheter insertion device is constructed with a thumb ring that enables an operator to retract the catheter back to its starting point (when the locking member has not been engaged) after the catheter has been partially discharged using only a single hand. The present invention also incorporates a gauge positioned thereon to allow operators to safely identify the point at which it is safe and acceptable to return the device to a starting point. The present invention has an extended blood backflow chamber that allows multiple cannulation attempts without removing the catheter from a patient's tissue.
The present invention incorporates a fastening member that allows the catheter to be fixedly positioned (relative to the vessel in which the catheter has been positioned) within seconds after the catheter has successfully cannulated the blood vessel. A clamp may also be used to fluidly seal the catheter and prevent blood backflow from the vessel out through the catheter.
With the aforementioned considerations in mind, it is therefore an object of this invention to provide an intravenous catheter device that enables the operator to withdraw the needle using one hand without releasing the grip on the patient with the other hand.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an intravenous catheter device that clamps and holds the catheter.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an intravenous catheter device that can adapt to existing catheters and allow medical professionals to choose their own catheters.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an intravenous catheter device that allows an operator to secure the catheter immediately after vessel catheterization without releasing the grip on the patient's arm.
These and other advantages and objects of this invention shall become apparent from the ensuing description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a catheter insertion device comprising: (a) a shaft having a first end and a catheter end, wherein the catheter end is configured to releasable engage a hollow catheter having a tip; (b) a sheath positioned on the shaft configured to have a passage therethrough and positioned to align the passage with a catheter; (c) a body slidably positioned on the shaft, attachable to a needle, and configured to align a needle with the passage in the sheath and with the catheter wherein the needle, the sheath, the shaft and the catheter are sized and spaced to position a needle tip of a needle beyond the catheter tip when the body is advanced toward the catheter end of the shaft, and to remove the needle tip from within the catheter and to position the needle tip within the passage of the sheath when the body is retracted toward the first end of the shaft.
The invention also comprises a method for intravenously inserting a catheter using the catheter insertion device. The method comprises the steps of (a) grasping the skin of a patient with one hand in the area of desired catheterization to fix the position of the skin and surrounding tissue relative to a vessel to be catheterized; (b) holding in the other hand the catheter insertion device; (c) inserting the needle and the catheter into the vessel until fluid flows from the vessel through the needle; and. (d) moving the catheter into the vessel to a desired position. The method also comprises the step of retracting the body until the needle tip is covered by the sheath.
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Daigle Daniel P.
Miller Larry S.
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
Scan, Inc.
Seidel Richard K.
Sirmons Kevin C.
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