Patent ID: 9554785
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61M

Claim:
1. A method of locating a puncture site in a vessel of a patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a guide wire through the puncture site and into the vessel such that a portion of the guide wire protrudes from the vessel; inserting a proximal end of the guide wire into a distal end of a dilator, the dilator-having an inlet hole spaced from the distal end of the dilator, an outlet hole in fluid communication with the inlet hole, and a first plurality of markings disposed between the inlet and outlet holes; moving the dilator along the guide wire until the distal end of the dilator and the inlet hole enter the vessel such that blood flows into the inlet hole and out the outlet hole to thereby indicate a position of the puncture site; noting a first visible marking of the first plurality of markings on the dilator is adjacent the patient's skin when the dilator is positioned in the vessel so that the blood flows out the outlet hole; removing the dilator from the puncture site along the guide wire; moving an access sheath along the guide wire toward the puncture site, the access sheath defining a distal end, a proximal end, and a second plurality of markings disposed between the distal and proximal ends of the access sheath, the second plurality of markings corresponding to the first plurality of markings of the dilator; and further moving the access sheath along the guide wire until the distal end of the access sheath enters the vessel and until a marking of the second plurality of markings on the access sheath that corresponds to the noted first visible marking on the dilator is a first visible marking of the access sheath that is adjacent to the patient's skin.