Inventors:
Matteo Rosselli - Jupiter FL
International Classification:
A61M 5178
Abstract:
A catheter placement system designed to permit a physician to quickly and safely place a large gage catheter into a selected major vein, while avoiding injury to the selected vein, nerves or other veins located about the area of the insertion. Initially, a small finder needle is inserted into the area where selected vein is expected to be located to cause as little damage as possible to the surrounding tissue. Once blood is drawn easily through the finder needle, the selected vein has been located. The finder needle is placed coaxially within a support tube, which is placed coaxially within the catheter. The finder needle is used as a guide for the support tube and catheter, which are moved together over the finder needle into the selected vein, with the support tube providing needed support for the usually flexible catheter to make it rigid while progressing to the selected vein. Once the catheter is placed in the selected major vein, the small needle and support tube can be withdrawn through the distal end of the catheter. During the withdrawal of the finder needle and support tube from the catheter, the finder needle is automatically locked within the support tube to prevent sticks and the rear of the catheter is automatically closed to prevent the flow of contaminated blood from the catheter and also to prevent air from entering the patients blood stream.