Patent ID: 7189217
Filing Date: 2007-03-13
Classification: A61B,A61M,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A catheter assembly with access to fluid communication for insertion into a blood vessel and with a safety mechanism for protection against needle stick injury comprising: a clear rectangular needle housing, having a flat bottom, a flat top, and two contoured side walls, a clear tubular needle guard slidably located within said needle housing having a conical fitting at its distal end and a longitudinal bottom slot, a connecting chamber, located inside said needle housing and said needle guard, including a supporting base for securing said connecting chamber with said needle housing; said connecting chamber connected at its proximal end to a flexible tube which extends beyond the proximal end of said needle guard for attachment to a standard female conical fitting, a removable end plug attachable to said standard female conical fitting, a hollow needle, extending from the distal end of said connecting chamber for insertion into a patient, a catheter, for attachment over said needle having a standard female conical fitting at its proximal end, wherein the catheter is tightly in contact with said needle guard distal end, a double locking means, having two apertures located on the distal end of said supporting base of said needle housing, wherein said double locking means also comprises two pairs of locking tabs located on the proximal end and at the bottom of said needle guard, wherein said two pairs of locking tabs are of different widths with one pair having a width at least one-tenth smaller than the other pair, and said two pairs of locking tabs are positioned no more than 40 mm apart, wherein said first pair of locking tabs is located distally to said second pair of locking tabs, and wherein said first pair of locking tabs is larger in width when compared to the second pair of locking tabs located proximally to said first pair of locking tabs, wherein when said needle guard is in a fully extended position relative to the distal end of said needle housing, said two pairs of locking tabs selectively fall into and engage said two apertures.