Patent ID: 8715250

Claim:
An IV catheter and safety needle assembly comprising: a catheter assembly including a catheter hub defining a receptacle and a tubular catheter extending distally from and in fluid communication with the receptacle, the catheter hub including one or more protrusions extending from an inner wall of the catheter hub into the receptacle; a needle assembly including a needle hub defining a chamber and a needle in fluid communication with the chamber, the needle including a sharpened distal tip and an enlarged diameter portion disposed proximally of the distal tip, the needle being dimensioned to extend through the catheter assembly such that the sharpened tip extends from a distal end of the tubular catheter; and a needle guard supported within the receptacle and having a proximal end positioned adjacent to the one or more protrusions and a distal end having an inner diameter which is smaller than the enlarged diameter portion of the needle, wherein upon withdrawal of the needle from the catheter assembly, the enlarged diameter portion of the needle is positioned to engage the distal end of the needle guard to move the needle guard into the one or more protrusions and effect an inversion of the needle guard about the sharpened tip of the needle.