Patent ID: 8636695

Claim:
A device for insertedly positioning a needle within a catheter assembly, the catheter assembly comprising a catheter coupled to a catheter adapter, the catheter assembly further comprising a septum disposed within a lumen of the catheter adapter, and a septum actuator disposed within the lumen so as to provide a pathway through the septum, the device comprising: a clamp having a closed position and an open position, the clamp further having an inner surface for selectively retaining a needle, and an outer surface for selectively contacting an inner surface of the septum actuator to facilitate insertion and withdrawal the septum actuator from the septum thereby selectively providing the pathway through the septum, wherein the needle is secured by the clamp in the closed position, the clamp and the needle thereafter being inserted into the catheter assembly such that a tip of the needle is passed through the septum via the pathway provided by the septum actuator, the outer surface of the clamp being coaxially positioned within the septum actuator, the clamp thereafter being repositioned to the open position whereby the needle is released by the clamp and the outer surface of the clamp contacts the inner surface of the septum actuator, the clamp and septum actuator thereafter being moved in a proximal direction such that the septum actuator is removed from within the pathway of septum, the clamp then being repositioned to the middle position such that neither the needle nor the septum actuator are contacted by the clamp, the clamp then being moved further in a the proximal direction such that the clamp is entirely removed from the catheter assembly and needle.