Patent ID: 8251950

Claim:
A safety catheter device comprising: a catheter hub and a catheter tube extending therefrom; a needle having a needle shaft terminating in a sharp tip; a ledge; a clip having a first wall adapted to slidably receive the needle shaft therethrough in a first state of the clip and to grip the needle shaft in a second state of the clip, the clip having a second wall with a portion adapted to bear against the shaft in the first state and being adapted to confront the tip of the needle in the second state, a strut connecting the first and second walls, and a heel extending from the first wall, the first wall and heel being disposed to opposite sides of the strut, the heel abutting the ledge in the first state of the clip and pivoting about the ledge as the clip moves from the first state toward the second state; and a spring member biasing the clip toward the second state; the needle having a first position slidably received through the clip first wall, in bearing relationship with the clip second wall, and extending through the catheter tube with the sharp tip exposed in the first state of the clip, the needle having a second position in which the needle tip has been pulled out of the catheter tube past the clip second wall such that the clip moves towards the second state and grips the needle shaft with the tip blocked by the clip second wall.