Patent ID: 8257322

Claim:
A safety catheter, comprising: a catheter hub and a catheter tube extending distally thereof; a needle hub and a needle cannula extending distally thereof, the needle cannula having a distal tip; and a tip protector for shielding the distal tip, comprising an outer member including a flexible tab extending radially outward of the outer member configured to releasably engage with the interior of the catheter hub and to release therefrom on radially inward movement of the tab, and an inner member being axially received entirely within the outer member and having a portion to impede radially inward movement of the flexible tab when the inner member portion is disposed axially adjacent the flexible tab, the needle cannula being received in the inner and outer members, the inner member configured to be axially shiftable relative to the outer member between a first position wherein the distal tip extends distally of the tip protector and the inner member portion is disposed axially adjacent the flexible tab so as to impede release of the outer member from the catheter hub, and a second position wherein the distal tip is within the outer member and the inner member is axially shifted such that the inner member portion is no longer disposed axially adjacent the flexible tab such that inner member no longer impedes release of the outer member from the catheter hub, wherein the inner member includes a central axis and at least one arm, the arm being biased radially outward relative to the central axis.