Patent ID: 6929624

Claim:
A catheter housing assembly comprising: a housing having a generally rounded area and having an outlet extension extending outwardly of said rounded area, said housing having an interior area; a needle assembly having a rigid portion and a flexible portion; a recoil means positioned in said interior area of said housing, said recoil means for coiling said flexible portion of said needle assembly therearound; and a trigger means connected to said housing and cooperative with said needle assembly so as to actuate said recoil means for retracting said rigid portion of said needle assembly into said interior area of said housing as said flexible portion of said needle assembly is coiled by said recoil means, said flexible portion having one end connected to an end of said rigid portion, said flexible portion having an opposite end connected to said recoil means, said flexible portion of said needle assembly comprising: a bead; a flexible line being connected to said recoil means and extending through said bead; a first rigid spacer member affixed to said end of said rigid portion of said needle assembly; and a plurality of additional rigid spacers interposed in jointed relationship between said first rigid spacer and said bead.