Patent ID: 7048694

Claim:
A medical access assembly, comprising: an elongated introducer cannula defining an introducer lumen having a curved portion; a set of needles adapted to be disposed within said introducer lumen and including a hollow outer needle having a wall defining a lumen and a first relief notch having a length along a longitudinal axis of said hollow outer needle, said length of said first relief notch longer than a width of said first relief notch, an inner needle disposed within said lumen of said outer needle and defining a second relief notch having a length along a longitudinal axis of said inner needle, said length of said second relief notch longer than a width of said second relief notch, said inner needle and said outer needle having a first position with said inner needle retracted within said lumen of said outer needle with said first relief notch superposed over said second relief notch; and said outer needle and said inner needle being sufficiently flexible where said first relief notch is superposed over said second relief notch to traverse said curved portion without binding between the needles as said needle set is inserted into said introducer lumen.