Patent ID: 8821406

Claim:
An introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly comprising: a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, an introducer sheath hub on the proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel; an elongate temperature probe having a distal end and a proximal end, said temperature measuring probe having a temperature probe hub on the proximal end and being removably insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath after the introducer sheath has been inserted into a blood vessel, said temperature measuring probe being useable, when inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, to sense the temperature of blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath is inserted; and a hemostatic valve for preventing blood from backflowing out of the lumen of the introducer sheath, said hemostatic valve being configured to allow the temperature probe to be inserted through the hemostatic valve and into the lumen of the introducer sheath; wherein a portion of the temperature probe hub is received within the introducer sheath hub when the temperature probe is inserted into the introducer sheath; wherein a first engagement surface is formed on the introducer sheath hub and a second engagement surface is formed on the temperature probe hub, the first engagement surface becoming frictionally engaged with the second engagement surface when the temperature probe is inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, thereby deterring unintentional withdrawal of the temperature probe from the introducer sheath; and wherein the first and second engagement surfaces comprise helical threads and the introducer sheath hub and temperature probe hub become engaged to one another by way of said helical threads.