Intravenous catheter placement unit with tubular guide sheath

Claim 2

A catheter placement unit comprising a catheter having a fin extending therefrom; a needle movably disposed inside said catheter and having a tab extending therefrom; and a tubular shield slidably housing said catheter and said needle, said shield having slot means therein including a first narrow slot, and a second slot wider than said first slot and having shoulders communicating with said first slot, said catheter fin and said needle tab extending through said slot means to a position external of said shield, said catheter fin having a width less than the width of said second slot and movable from said second slot to said first slot, and said needle tab having a width to abut said shoulders of said second slot whereby said needle tab is prevented from movement from said second slot to said first slot.

Claim 3

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said slot means includes a third slot, said shoulders in said second slot include a first pair of squared shoulders, said second slot has a second pair of squared shoulders, and a tapered neck communicates with said second pair of squared shoulders in said second slot and said third slot whereby said needle tab may be moved into said second slot from said third slot via said tapered neck and confined therein by said first and second pairs of squared shoulders.

Claim 4

The invention as recited in claim 2 wherein said shield has an open distal end, and said first, second, and third slots are disposed in said shield in consecutive, longitudinal alignment from said distal end.

Claim 5

A catheter placement unit comprising a catheter having a proximal end and a fin extending radially from said proximal end; a needle slidably disposed in said catheter having a proximal end extending beyond said proximal end of said catheter and a tab extending radially from said proximal end of Said needle; and shield means including a flexible hollow tubular body enclosing said catheter and said needle and having an open distal end, a removable end plug frictionally secured in said distal end of said body having a bore extending therethrough receiving said needle and said catheter, and guide means in said body to guide movement of said catheter fin and said needle tab, said guide means including first slot means communicating with said distal end of said body and having a first width, and second slot means communicating with said first slot means and having a second width greater than said first width, said first and second slot means being consecutively longitudinally arranged in said body from said distal end, and said catheter fin and said needle tab extending through said guide means to a position external of said body, said catheter fin having a width less than said second width of said second slot means and movable to said first slot means from said second slot means, and said needle tab having a width substantially equal to said second width of said second slot means whereby said needle tab is confined in said second slot means.

Claim 6

A catheter placement unit comprising a catheter having a proximal end and a fin extending radially from said proximal end; a needle slidably disposed in said catheter having a proximal end extending beyond said proximal end of said catheter and a tab extending radially from said proximal end of Said needle; and shield means including a flexible hollow tubular body enclosing said catheter and said needle and having an open distal end, a removable end plug frictionally secured in said distal end of said body having a bore extending therethrough receiving said needle and said catheter, and guide means in said body to guide movement of said catheter fin and said needle tab, said guide means including first slot means communicating with said distal end of said body and having a first width, and second slot means communicating with said first slot means and having a second width greater than said first width, said first and second slot means being consecutively longitudinally arranged in said body from said distal end, and said catheter fin and said needle tab extending through said guide means to a position external of said body, said catheter fin having a width less than said second width of said second slot means and movable to said first slot means from said second slot means, and said needle tab having a width substantially equal to said second width of said second slot means whereby said needle tab is confined in said second slot means.

Claim 7

The invention as recited in claim 4 wherein said end plug includes a first half, a second half and a resilient strip interconnecting said first and second halves and normally forcing said first and second halves apart whereby said first and second halves are held together when frictionally secured in said distal end of said body and are moved apart when said end plug is pushed out of said body by said catheter fin to fall free from said catheter.

Claim 8

The invention as recited in claim 4 wherein said guide means includes third slot means in communication with said second slot means, and said catheter fin and said needle tab have first positions extending through said third slot means and are movable to second positions through said third slot means wherein said needle tab is confined in said second slot means and said catheter fin is in position to be moved through said first slot means to said distal end of said body.

Claim 9

The invention as recited in claim 6 wherein said second slot means has squared edges, and said third slot means has a first neck therein to define an area for maintaining said needle tab in said first position and communicates with said second slot means through a second tapered neck.