Patent ID: 7632243

Claim:
A safety catheter device comprising: a catheter hub having an interior surface and a generally annular rib projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface; a catheter tube extending from a distal end of the catheter hub; a needle hub and a needle having a shaft extending therefrom to a sharp distal tip; and a housing removably coupled to the catheter hub and adapted to slidably receive the needle shaft therethrough between a first position with the needle distal tip exposed and a second position with the needle distal tip protected, the needle shaft being held in the second position by an active element in the housing gripping the needle shaft, the housing including a pair of cooperating members extending to distal ends and defining a passageway therebetween, a portion of the passageway extending between the distal ends, the passageway being nominally sized along its length to slidably receive the needle shaft freely therethrough, at least one of the members including a detent element adapted to cooperate with the rib of the catheter hub to rotatably and releasably hold the housing to the catheter hub, such that the detent element releases from the rib by compression of the at least one member to narrow the passageway, and wherein presence of the needle shaft in the passageway limits such compression to thereby restrict release of the housing, the needle hub being spaced and uncoupled from the housing other than via the needle shaft being gripped by the active element in the second position.