Patent ID: 8617111

Claim:
A rotational orientation indicating hollow needle assembly ( 10 ), comprising; a needle ( 100 ) having a needle lumen ( 110 ) surrounded at least in part by a needle sidewall ( 115 ) connecting a needle proximal end ( 105 ) formed with a needle bevel ( 125 ), a needle distal end ( 155 ), and a needle port ( 120 ) at least partially within the needle bevel ( 125 ); a stylet ( 200 ), substantially reversibly occluding the needle lumen ( 110 ) in an insertion position, having a stylet shaft ( 220 ) with a stylet proximal end ( 205 ), a stylet distal end ( 275 ), and a stylet base ( 280 ); and a hub ( 300 ) having a hub lumen ( 310 ) surrounded at least in part by a hub sidewall ( 315 ), connecting a hub proximal end ( 305 ) and a hub distal end ( 355 ), wherein the hub proximal end ( 305 ) is attached in a predetermined rotational relationship to the needle distal end ( 155 ) at a hub-needle attachment ( 330 ), thereby placing the hub lumen ( 310 ) in fluid communication with the needle lumen ( 110 ), and the hub sidewall ( 315 ) has at least one external surface formed with at least one humanly tactilely discernible surface feature ( 340 ) further comprising an external surface bevel face orientation feature ( 342 ) indicating the direction of the needle bevel ( 125 ) and wherein the bevel face orientation feature ( 342 ) further comprises a first bevel orientation feature ( 342 ) having a first discernible tactile configuration, and a second bevel orientation feature ( 342 ) having a second discernible tactile configuration, and wherein the first bevel orientation feature ( 342 ) identifies a lumen side of the needle bevel ( 125 ) and the second bevel orientation feature ( 342 ) identifies a side of the needle ( 100 ) directly opposite the lumen side of the needle bevel ( 125 ), indicating the rotational relationship between the hub ( 300 ) and the needle ( 100 ).