Obturator

Claim 1

In combination, a flexible catheter and a one piece obturator: the catheter comprising a relatively long flexible cannula comprised of synthetic resinous material of essentially uniform inside and outside diameters which together define a thin wall, a female hub at the trailing end of a forwardly converging circular interior bore, an annular radial flange integral with the trailing end of the hub defining a round surface about the periphery thereof and a flat rear surface, at least two oppositely directed radially projecting dogs extending beyond though being integral with the flange, each dog defining a peripheral convex rounded surface, a rear flat transverse surface, opposed parallel side surfaces, and a front ramp surface; the obturator disposed in said catheter and comprising a solid though yieldable rod having a uniform diameter along the entire length thereof substantially the same as the inside diameter of the flexible cannula, the rod having a dull rounded leading tip, a forwardly facing conically tapered solid male plug integral with and disposed at the trailing end of the rod, the plug being sized and shaped to tightly fit within and seal the trailing bore of the catheter female hub, a thin planar handle disposed in a plane for manually gripping integral with and disposed at the trailing end of the male plug, the flat handle having two opposed flat side surfaces and defining at the leading end thereof a mouth, the mouth being disposed in said plane comprising a central flat wall exposed at the front of the flat handle at the back of the mouth and disposed essentially transverse of the axis of the catheter being adapted to be pressed tightly against the entirety of the flat rear face of the female hub of the catheter and opposed inwardly projecting locking dogs forming the sides of the mouth and disposed at approximately 90 degrees to the central wall the locking dogs having opposed concave surfaces adapted to contiguously match the peripheral convex rounded surface of the flange of the female hub, each locking dog being spaced from the central flat wall by a notch each notch being comprised of a rear ramp surface sized and shaped to fully engage and frictionally lock with the entire front ramp surface of the dogs of the catheter hub flange, respectively, with the locking dog concave surfaces fully contiguous with the convex suRfaces of the flange and said concave and convex surfaces substantially concealed by the dogs with the flange, respective dogs and surfaces sized and shaped such that the catheter flange and obturator handle present a continuous unobstructed edge within said plane following insertion of the obturator within and partial rotation of the obturator relative to the catheter whereby the cannula, following venipuncture, is sealed, the hollow of the cannula is occupied by the rod to prevent clogging and the like, and the combination is left flatly on the arm of the patient without obstructions projecting therefrom.