Patent ID: 8216187

Claim:
A safety catheter for use with a patient which comprises: an elongated handle having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the handle is formed with an internal chamber; a hollow cylindrical-shaped body top made of a clear plastic and having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the body top is bonded to the distal end of the handle, with a plurality of resilient fingers extending from the distal end of the body top, and wherein the body top is formed with a window between its proximal end and the fingers; a hollow, substantially tubular-shaped shuttle body having a proximal end and a distal end and an external surface, wherein the external surface is formed with diametrically opposed flats near the distal end of the shuttle body; a hollow stylet having a beveled distal end and a proximal end, with the proximal end bonded to the distal end of the shuttle body; a luer assembly for establishing a site for fluid access into the vasculature of the patient, wherein the luer assembly includes a flexible cannula having a proximal and a distal end; an eyelet, wherein the eyelet is affixed to the proximal end of the cannula for fluid communication therewith; a hollow body portion, with the eyelet fitted into the body portion to hold the cannula thereon with the cannula extending distally from a distal end of the body portion; a one-way valve positioned on the body portion proximal to the eyelet to selectively establish a fluid flow path through the luer assembly from a proximal end of the body portion and through the cannula; and a shuttle assembly, wherein the shuttle assembly is mounted for movement on the handle from a first location to a second location, with the luer assembly fitted onto the handle to urge the fingers thereof against the shuttle assembly, to hold the shuttle assembly at the first location for insertion of the luer assembly into the patient, and for observation of a blood “flash” through the window to confirm proper positioning of the luer assembly, and further wherein the fingers of the handle are released from the shuttle assembly when the luer assembly is subsequently separated from the handle to reposition the shuttle assembly at the second location inside the chamber, for separation of the handle and shuttle assembly from the luer assembly and for observation of the distal end of the stylet through the window to confirm concealment of the stylet in the chamber of the handle and wherein the shuttle assembly is formed with a lip, and the handle is formed with an abutment, and the safety catheter further comprises a spring compressed between the lip of the shuttle assembly and the abutment of the handle with the window distal to the spring when the shuttle assembly is at the first location, and during movement of the shuttle assembly to the second location when the spring is decompressed as the fingers of the handle are released from the shuttle assembly.