Guide needle for flexible catheters

Claim 1

SURGICAL APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID TO OR SELECTIVELY WITHDRAWING FLUID FROM A BODY, SAID SURGICAL APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER HAVING A DISTAL END AND A PROXIMAL END, (B) A SHARPENED NEEDLE PORTION AT THE DISTAL END OF SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN SAID BODY, (C) A PORTION OF THE WALL OF SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER BEING OPEN LONGITUDINALLY REARWARDLY FROM THE DISTAL END OF SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER TO PROVIDE A TROUGH EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY REARWARDLY FROM THE SHARPENED NEEDLE PORTION OF SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER, SAID TROUGH TERMINATING SHORT OF THE PROXIMAL END OF SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER BETWEEN SAID DISTAL AND PROXIMAL ENDS THEREOF, (D) A FLEXIBLE CATHETER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER FROM THE PROXIMAL END THEREOF TO A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT THE DISTAL END THEREOF, SAID FLEXIBLE CATHETER BEING INSERTED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER IN SAID BODY FOR CONDUCTION OF SAID FLUIDS, (E) MEANS TO OPEN SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER FROM END TO END THEREOF THEREBY TO PERMIT SAID HOLLOW ELONGATED MEMBER TO BE DISPLACED LATERALLY OF, AND COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM, SAID FLEXIBLE CATHETER.