VASCULAR ACCESS
A device may include a hollow needle, a dilator mounted coaxially on the needle, and a sheath mounted coaxially on the dilator. The dilator may be slideably displaceable relative to the sheath.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/666,547, filed Mar. 30, 2005, and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/743,285, filed Feb. 14, 2006, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by this reference.
BACKGROUNDA preferred non-surgical method for inserting a catheter or vascular sheath into a blood vessel involves the use of the Seldinger technique, which includes an access needle that is inserted into a patient's blood vessel. A guidewire is inserted through the needle and into the vessel. The needle is removed, and a dilator and sheath combination are then inserted over the guidewire. The dilator and sheath combination is then inserted a short distance through the tissue into the vessel, after which the dilator is removed and discarded. The catheter is then inserted through the sheath into the vessel to a desired location.
Alternatively, with microaccess techniques, an access needle is inserted into a patient's blood vessel. A guidewire is inserted through the needle and into the vessel. The needle is removed, and a dilator is then inserted over the guidewire. The dilator combination is then inserted a short distance through the tissue into the vessel, after which the guidewire is removed and discarded. The dilator is left in place, and a separate sheath kit is used. A larger guidewire is inserted into the dilator and the dilator is removed. A dilator and sheath combination is inserted. Then the dilator and guidewire are removed. The catheter is then inserted through the sheath into the vessel to a desired location.
A number of vascular access devices are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,581,019, 4,629,450, 4,772,264, 4,978,334, 5,158,544, 5,424,410, 5,312,355, 5,512,052, 5,728,132, 5,885,217, 5,919,160, 6,120,494, 6,179,823, and 6,210,366, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, wherein various devices for vascular access are described. However, none of these devices has the ease and safety of use that physicians would prefer, and there is thus a need for an easier-to-use and safer vascular access device, especially one that would clearly indicate when a blood vessel has been punctured.
SUMMARYPreassembled vascular access devices may include a hollow needle, a dilator coaxially disposed on at least a portion of the needle, and a sheath coaxially mounted on at least a portion of the dilator. Spaces may be defined between the needle and dilator and between the dilator and the sheath. The hollow needle bore may communicate with one or more of the spaces through apertures defined in the needle and/or dilator. The sheath may be translucent or transparent, thereby allowing a user to see a blood flash and confirm that vascular access is achieved.
U.S. Patent Applications 60/343,814 and 10/329,173 describe vascular access devices and are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In some embodiments, a dilator or a sheath and dilator are mounted on a needle, which needle has a lateral opening proximal to the needle distal tip. Prior to insertion, the needle is positioned so that the distal end of the needle is distal to the distal end of the dilator. After insertion of the needle into a blood vessel, the needle opening permits blood to flow into an annular space between the needle and the dilator to indicate that the distal end of the needle has punctured the blood vessel. Additionally or alternatively, blood flows into an annular space formed by the sheath to indicate that the blood vessel has been punctured. In addition, blood may flow to a transparent hub or an optional side port to provide further indication access has been achieved and to help the user to determine whether access has been gained to an artery or a vein.
Once vascular access is achieved, that is, once the distal tip of the needle punctures a blood vessel and blood flows through a lateral opening in the needle to one of the annular spaces described above and as appropriate, into a side port, a guidewire is advanced or threaded through the needle, and then the entire apparatus, including the needle, the dilator, and a sheath, can be advanced over the guidewire into the blood vessel. Alternatively the guidewire may be threaded through the needle, and then the dilator and sheath can be advanced off the needle, over the guidewire into the blood vessel. When the sheath is in position, the inner dilator, needle and guidewire can be removed together. Thus, the guidewire protects the needle tip, and the needle, with the guidewire in it, can then be bent for added safety, to prevent removal of the guidewire and consequential exposure of the needle tip. Alternatively, the guidewire can be left in place for catheter placement. In some embodiments, described in more detail below, the distal tip of the needle can be contained within the dilator, which also may contribute to safety.
In one embodiment, the dilator has a distal member that can be advanced distally or the distal tip of the needle can be retracted so that the distal tip of the dilator distal member extends distally over the distal tip of the needle. The dilator distal member then protects the blood vessel wall as the needle and dilator, or the needle, dilator, and sheath, or the dilator and sheath are advanced or withdrawn from a blood vessel, preferably over a guidewire. In addition, when the needle, dilator, and/or sheath are pulled out, the healthcare worker is protected.
In another embodiment, there is a coaxial dilator system, with an inner dilator and an outer dilator. The inner dilator can be advanced independently distally to the distal tip of the needle. The inner dilator then covers the needle tip, the inner dilator distal member then protects the blood vessel wall as the needle, dilator or the needle, dilator, sheath are advanced or withdrawn from a blood vessel, preferably over a guidewire. In addition, when the needle or needle, dilator, and/or sheath are pulled out, the worker is protected.
In another embodiment, the needle can be rotated relative to the dilator or the dilator and sheath, so that the needle tip, which is inserted into a blood vessel with the needle distal tip bevel up, can be rotated 180° in the vessel so that the needle distal tip bevel is down. When the needle distal tip is in this position, it is less likely that movement of the needle distal tip will cause injury to the blood vessel. The proximate portion of the needle member may have color coding, words, or other indicia to indicate the relative position of the needle tip level. Also, the needle member proximal portion may have a notch, pivot, indent, or other mechanism to indicate relative position and/or to hold the needle member in position relative to the dilator or the dilator and sheath.
The disclosed vascular access devices have several uses, including access to every vessel when a vascular sheath is needed as in stent placement, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), etc. or when a peel-away sheath is needed, for example, for inserting PICC lines, pacemaker leads, etc. In addition, the disclosed vascular access devices would be useful for access to dialysis grafts and fistulas, which are superficial structures and where access is sometimes needed quickly, especially during a de-clotting procedure. Another use would be for placement of central lines (femoral, subclavian or internal jugular). Instead of use of a large (18 G) needle (current technique), followed by advancement of a dilator over a guidewire and exchanging it for a triple lumen catheter or vascular sheath, a large needle or a small needle can be used to gain vascular access with a vascular sheath through which a triple lumen or any other catheter can be safely placed.
The disclosed vascular access devices may provide several advantages, the first of which is efficiency. Instead of the current multi-step access method with an exchange of guidewires and sheaths, these devices can reduce the number of steps and simplify access. Another advantage is safety. After a vessel is accessed, the guidewire can be left in to protect the needle tip. The needle, dilator and guidewire can be removed together after the sheath is in place. If no additional access is needed in the same procedure, the needle can be bent for added safety. This is contrary to the current technique where the unprotected bloody needle is removed from the guidewire after vascular access is gained. Alternatively, the guidewire can be left in place to provide further access through the sheath and the dilator distal member protects the distal tip of the needle and ultimately the user. Another advantage is the reduction of infection. By minimizing the number of guidewires and sheaths necessary to obtain vascular access, the opportunities for inadvertent contamination are decreased. A further advantage is that under non-hospital or field conditions, use of the disclosed devices will decrease the possibility of infection due to a non-sterile environment. A yet further advantage in some embodiments is the added stiffness of the system. The added stiffness provided by the needle may enable advancement of the system without multiple dilatations and thereby reduce trauma to the patient. In addition, the stiffness provided by the needle and/or other internal components permits the use of softer materials in forming the sheath, which may further reduce vascular trauma. For example, the sheath of a 6 French device can be made of a material having a hardness of about 55 durometer to about 75 durometer.
An even further advantage relates to the bleeding from the needle, the dilator, and around the wires that occurs during guidewire exchanges with current techniques. Such bleeding increases the spread of blood over the surgical field and the operator's gloves, thereby, increasing the chance of infection in case an inadvertent needle stick happens. The disclosed devices can decrease this risk of infection because the blood will flow into the sheath rather than into the surgical field as in the current technique.
Another and further advantage of some embodiments is that there is no need for over-the-wire exchanges. The device can be configured to eliminate the possibility of inadvertent guidewire misplacement into the vascular system during the access procedure. In the current technique, with exchange of the needle for a dilator and then for the sheath, it is a known complication that the operator fails to grasp the guidewire during those exchanges and the guidewire is inadvertently advanced with the dilator or catheter into the patient's vascular system. The guidewire then has to be removed either surgically or snared percutaneously.
Lastly, the present devices can be cost-effective because they may eliminate the need for an additional guidewire and coaxial dilator to be used in gaining vascular access.
In
As can be seen in
Hub 116 may optionally have a porous vent 128. Needle proximal portion 106 may optionally have a porous vent plug 130 that fits a channel 132 in fluid communication with lumen 134 of needle 104, the optional conical recess, and needle proximal portion 106 having lumen 136.
Needle proximal portion 106 may have color coding, words, or other indicia, such as a pivot or notch, to indicate to the operator the position of the bevel of distal tip 124 relative to dilator 114. Also, there may be a mechanical fit between dilator 114 and needle 104 so that the operator would sense by feel or sound when the needle has been rotated to change the position of the needle tip bevel.
In the embodiment shown in
A drop of high-viscosity fluid may be placed in between the needle internal diameter and the guidewire at the needle proximal end. This can prevent the drawing of air into the device through the space between the needle and guidewire when blood is aspirated through the side port. Dow Corning 360 medical fluid, 12,500 cSt is an example fluid but other similar materials can be used. Rubber seals in the dilator hub can also help to seal the needle. The fluid drop and/or airtight seals are particularly useful when the device is being used to obtain venous access, because venous placement is often confirmed by aspiration. Aspiration is usually not necessary during arterial access, because the arterial blood pressure is sufficient to cause the blood to enter the device.
Proximal sections 108 and 116 and 146 and 154, respectively, may optionally have luer connecting members. For example, section 108 may have a male luer lock 129, and section 116 may have a female luer connector 131. Sections 146 and 154 may have comparable members, respectively.
As shown in
In another embodiment shown in a partial cross-section in
Dilator 184 may have one or more small openings, pores, or porous material 200, for example, in sheath 196, to allow air or gas to leave annular space 194 as blood enters. The openings themselves, or the openings in the porous material, are small enough that air will escape but blood will be retained. Suitable porous materials include a porous polymer such as self-sealing, white porous HDPE of pore size 2.5 microns.
The distal end 202 of a guidewire 204 may be preloaded, that is, positioned within a lumen 206 of needle 180. In this way blood will flow into needle 180 and out through opening 182, and not proximally out lumen 206. Once the physician sees the blood in annular space 194, guidewire 204 can be advanced distally through lumen 206 into a blood vessel (not shown). Another view of the relationship between needle 180, dilator longitudinal members 190, and sheath 196 can be seen in the cross-sectional view shown in
Separate configurations for a dilator member are shown in more detail in
The embodiment shown in
In the partial representation of an embodiment shown in
The embodiment shown in
The coaxial dilator system shown in
In some embodiments, an access device may include a guidewire preloaded or preloadable in a needle and a dilator preloaded or preloadable in a sheath. The device may be provided as a kit in various stages of assembly. For example, a kit may include separate needle, guidewire, dilator, and sheath. The guidewire may be preloaded in the needle. The sheath may be preloaded on the dilator. The sheath and dilator may be preloaded on the needle. The sheath, dilator, and needle may be preloaded on the guidewire. The guidewire may be preloaded in the needle and provided with a separate sheath preloaded on a dilator. The dilator, needle, and guidewire may be preassembled and provided with a separate sheath.
In one embodiment, access may be obtained as follows: a needle is advanced into a vessel. When access is achieved, a guidewire (either preloaded in the needle or now introduced) is advanced into the vessel. The needle is then removed or partly retracted, and a dilator (with or without preloaded sheath) is advanced over the guidewire into the vessel. If the dilator is preloaded with a sheath, the dilator (and optionally the wire) are then removed, leaving the sheath in place. If the dilator is not preloaded with a sheath, then the dilator is removed, and a sheath is advanced over the guidewire into the vessel.
This arrangement may be better appreciated in
Of course, the positions of apertures 412 and 418 may be varied, so long as they ultimately permit blood to flow from the tip of the needle to the sheath space and/or the sheath sidearm (and, it is preferred, not outside the device). Aperture 412 (or another aperture in addition to aperture 412) may be positioned on the spine 408. Needle aperture 418 may be positioned 0.5 centimeter or more from the dilator end, or proximal to the dilator tip, or proximal to the transition from tube (or bullet) to conical tip. Dilator aperture 412 may be positioned within the bullet just proximal to the needle aperture 418 (
As shown in
Mating feature 530 may be a hole, as shown in the figures. This additionally provides a rotational lock to help ensure that the needle bevel is correctly oriented. The post/hole configuration also can allow the operator to remove the needle hub and reinsert it at 180° to the original orientation. This can help left-handed users or facilitate positioning the device for procedures in which space or anatomical constraints favor this orientation. Alternatively, feature 530 can be a groove, to provide rotational freedom where that is more desired or appropriate, such as reorienting the sideport compared to its orientation in the package.
The depicted dilator hub 520 has a distal portion 534 in which a dilator (not shown) may be attached. The distal portion of the dilator hub also has a distal mating feature 532 that interacts with a complementary mating feature on the proximal portion of the sheath 540 to keep the dilator engaged with the sheath. The complementary features may together form, for example, a twist-lock feature, so that the dilator is released from the sheath by gripping the dilator (perhaps at depressions 522 and ridges 524) and twisting it relative to the sheath. The mating feature between the dilator and the sheath is described in more detail below.
The sheath 540 includes a main portion 541 and a cap 542, between which is defines a valve space 554. The main portion defines a chamber 558 that can receive the dilator and/or needle and/or guidewire. The main portion may also define a distal channel 560. The sheath may also provide a port 544 for flushing, sampling, etc. The sheath may also include grips, such as depressions 548 and ridges 550 and a suture loop 551.
Some exemplary (but not required) dimensions for the embodiment of
-
- needle bore ranging diameter from 25 G to 14 G, preferably 21 G;
- exposed needle 3-7 centimeters long (3 cm for central access via radial artery; 5 cm for typical applications; 6 cm for obese patients; 7 cm for femoral access in obese patient);
- sheath length 3-15 cm, preferably 5-15 cm, more preferably 5.5 cm or 11 cm;
- sheath size 3-10 Fr, preferably 4-8 Fr, more preferably 4 Fr for radial access, or 6 Fr or 7 Fr for subclavian access;
- needle aperture 0.5 centimeter or more from dilator end, or proximal to the dilator tip, or proximal to the transition from tube to conical tip;
- needle may have second aperture 6 centimeters or less from needle tip.
The sheath may have a radio-opaque tip.
In some embodiments, aspiration, flushing, or air-tightness are necessary (such as central venous catheterization and various procedures in interventional radiology). In such circumstances, it may be important to block off the proximal end of the needle hub where the wire sticks out and is open to atmosphere. Structures for clamping the guidewire in the needle hub are described elsewhere herein, but in some circumstances, the clamp should also provide an air- or liquid-tight seal. One example of such a seal is a Tuohy-Borst (“T-B”) valve (an example of a Tuohy-Borst valve is shown in FIG. 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,606, which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference). A T-B valve or other actuated valve (such as a duckbill-configured valve actuated by an operator) may be included in the needle hub. In use, the valve may be closed before use (the device may be shipped with the valve closed, or the valve may be manually closed before a procedure). This may serve to seal around the guidewire and to hold the guidewire in place. When the vessel is punctured by the needle, the valve may be opened (gently, to avoid jarring the needle tip) to allow advancement of the guidewire. The valve may be left open or may be closed to hold the guidewire in an advanced position.
As discussed above, confirmation that access has been obtained in an artery versus a vein may be obtained by observing the color of blood that flows into an access device. However, simple color observation may not serve as sufficient confirmation. A pressure gauge can be used to measure the pressure of back-flowing blood to determine whether it has arterial pressure or venous pressure. A pressure gauge, such as a transducer or column 2010 (
The side port may be clear, semi-opaque, or translucent to permit visualization of blood or other substance in the side port. In some embodiments, the sheath may be opaque and the side port clear, semi-opaque, or translucent, so that blood or other liquid is not visualized until it enters the side-port.
A covering may be placed over all or part of the guidewire, such as over the portion of the guidewire that protrudes or would protrude from the needle hub when the guidewire is loaded in the needle (
In some embodiments, the dilator hub may be attached (
In some embodiments, the dilator hub may interact with the needle depending on their relative positions. One such embodiment includes protrusions from the inner wall of the dilator hub into the lumen. The solid needle cannula can pass between these protrusions in either direction of motion. When the part of the needle cannula interrupted by the side hole passes through the dilator hub, however, the protrusions will catch on the hole. In the example depicted in
In some embodiments, the dilator hub may include a blunting device that snaps onto the needle distal tip if and when the tip is so retracted as to enter the dilator hub.
In some embodiments, the device may include a clip or other obstructing piece that can be attached to, for example, the guidewire, to prevent the guidewire from slipping distally while packaged or during introduction of the needle. If not secured, the guidewire may slip past the side aperture in the needle and thereby impede the blood flash or might slip past the needle's bevel tip and effectively blunt it.
Alternatively, the wire stopper 630 shown in
Any of the hub embodiments described herein may also include a fin or fins 650 or pins that engage a complementary slot 652 (
As shown in
The embodiments of
A silicone tube 600 may surround the guidewire to provide some cushioning. When the device is to be used, the needle is introduced in the blood vessel. The pin is removed, thereby freeing the guidewire to be advanced through the needle. Once the guidewire is positioned, the proximal portions 590 of the clamshell are squeezed together, causing them to rotate at pivot point 592, and they may be held together by tab 588. The squeezing of the proximal portions of the clamshell cause divots 598 to impinge on the guidewire 603 and/or tubing 600, thereby immobilizing the guidewire with respect to the needle hub. At the same time, the pivoting of the clamshell causes retainers 604 on the clamshell to swing clear of corresponding notches 605 on the sheath 540, thereby releasing the dilator hub 520 and sheath 540 to slide with respect to the needle hub 582. The dilator hub/sheath assembly can then be advanced as described previously.
Alternatively, the lumen of the sheath can have a frustoconical shape or other smooth shape, rather than the transition depicted in
One embodiment of an access device which may be particularly well-suited for peripherally-inserted central catheterization (PICC) includes a needle hub having no valve and a peelaway sheath with no valve or side port.
The access devices disclosed herein can be used for a wide variety of purposes other than gaining vascular access. For example, the can be used for draining fluid from abscesses, draining air from a pneumothorax, and accessing the peritoneal cavity. Devices used for draining may include side holes in the sheath, such as near the distal end of the sheath.
The disclosed devices may be made from conventional, physiologically acceptable materials. For example, the needle may be made of a rigid polymer or a metal such as stainless steel, nitinol, or the like. The tubes, bullets, sheath, dilator, and/or spine can be made of metals described above and/or suitable polymeric materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, fluoropolymers and copolymers such as perfluoro (ethylene-propylene) copolymer, polyurethane polymers, PEBAX®, PEEK, Nylon co-polymers and coextrusions. The other elements can be made of the metals described above and/or suitable polymeric materials, such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, ABS, polypropylene, fluoropolymers and copolymers such as perfluoro (ethylene-propylene) copolymer, polyurethane polymers or co-polymers.
Although various features may be depicted in isolation, they may, of course, be combined in various embodiments. For example, a vascular access device may include a hub assembly as shown in
Claims
1. A device comprising:
- a hollow needle defining a side hole and having: a bore so sized as to receive a guidewire; and a sharpened distal tip distal to the side hole;
- a dilator coaxially mounted on the needle thereby defining a first space between the dilator and needle, the first space communicating with the hollow needle bore through the side hole so that a fluid, if any, exiting the side hole may flow to the first space; and
- a sheath coaxially mounted on the dilator;
- wherein: at least one of the dilator and sheath is clear, semi-opaque, or translucent, so that fluid, if any, inside the device, may be visualized through the dilator and/or sheath to confirm proper placement of the needle in a cavity containing the fluid; the dilator is slideably displaceable relative to the sheath; and the dilator includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having a larger cross-sectional area than the proximal portion.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the dilator further comprises a transition region between the proximal portion and the distal portion, and wherein the transition region defines a dilator side hole.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the transition region has a constant cross-section.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the dilator is formed as a single piece.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the dilator is solid, and the proximal portion defines a dilator side hole.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion of the dilator comprises a shaft, the distal portion of the dilator is affixed to the shaft, and the distal portion of the dilator defines the first space.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first space cross-sectional area is no smaller than about 25% of the needle bore cross-sectional area.
8. (canceled)
9. A device comprising:
- a hollow needle defining a side hole and having: a bore so sized as to receive a guidewire; and a sharpened distal tip distal to the side hole;
- a needle hub attached to a proximal end of the needle and defining a lumen sized and positioned to receive a guidewire;
- a dilator coaxially mounted on the needle thereby defining a first space between the dilator and needle, the first space communicating with the hollow needle bore through the side hole so that a fluid, if any, exiting the side hole may flow to the first space; and
- a sheath coaxially mounted on the dilator;
- wherein: at least one of the dilator and sheath is clear, semi-opaque, or translucent, so that fluid, if any, inside the device, may be visualized through the dilator and/or sheath to confirm proper placement of the needle in a cavity containing the fluid; the dilator is slideably displaceable relative to the sheath; and wherein the needle hub is transitionable between a first state in which the lumen is so patent as to allow the guidewire to slide freely through the needle hub and a second state in which the lumen is so obstructed as to clamp the guidewire in the needle hub.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein the needle hub further comprises a sealing member configured to seal on a guidewire, if any, positioned in the lumen.
11. The device of claim 9, further comprising a dilator hub attached to a proximal end of the dilator, the dilator hub being slideably displaceable over the needle and releasably attachable to the needle hub by complementary mating elements of the dilator hub and the needle hub.
12. The device of claim 9, wherein the needle hub comprises two finger grips separated from one another in a rest condition, wherein at least one finger grip is so coupled to the needle hub mating element as to cause the needle hub mating element to move when the at least one finger grip is moved in at least one direction.
13. The device of claim 9, wherein the needle hub lumen tapers distally.
14. A device comprising:
- a hollow needle defining a side hole and having: a bore so sized as to receive a guidewire; and a sharpened distal tip distal to the side hole;
- a guidewire having a distal end and being so preloaded that the guidewire distal end terminates proximal to the needle side hole and does not obstruct the needle side hole;
- a dilator coaxially mounted on the needle thereby defining a first space between the dilator and needle, the first space communicating with the hollow needle bore through the side hole so that a fluid, if any, exiting the side hole may flow to the first space; and
- a sheath coaxially mounted on the dilator;
- wherein: at least one of the dilator and sheath is clear, semi-opaque, or translucent, so that fluid, if any, inside the device, may be visualized through the dilator and/or sheath to confirm proper placement of the needle in a cavity containing the fluid; and the dilator is slideably displaceable relative to the sheath.
15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:
- a wedging member removably so pressing against the guidewire as to immobilize the guidewire with respect to the needle.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein
- the sheath has a distal tip with a parabolic curve.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein:
- the dilator has a distal tip with a parabolic curve.
18. A device comprising:
- a hollow needle defining a side hole and having: a bore so sized as to receive a guidewire; and a sharpened distal tip distal to the side hole;
- a pressure gauge in fluid communication with the needle side hole;
- a dilator coaxially mounted on the needle thereby defining a first space between the dilator and needle, the first space communicating with the hollow needle bore through the side hole so that a fluid, if any, exiting the side hole may flow to the first space; and
- a sheath coaxially mounted on the dilator;
- wherein: at least one of the dilator and sheath is clear, semi-opaque, or translucent, so that fluid, if any, inside the device, may be visualized through the dilator and/or sheath to confirm proper placement of the needle in a cavity containing the fluid; and the dilator is slideably displaceable relative to the sheath.
19. The device of claim 14, wherein
- the guidewire includes a movement-impeding member.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the movement-impeding member comprises a handle or a stopper.
21. The kit device of claim 19, wherein the movement-impeding member comprises a covering over at least a portion of the guidewire.
22. A method comprising:
- providing a device comprising: a hollow needle defining a side hole and having: a bore so sized as to receive a guidewire; and a sharpened distal tip distal to the side hole; a guidewire having a distal end and being so preloaded that the guidewire distal end terminates proximal to the needle side hole and does not obstruct the needle side hole; a dilator coaxially mounted on the needle thereby defining a first space between the dilator and needle, the first space communicating with the hollow needle bore through the side hole so that a fluid, if any, exiting the side hole may flow to the first space; and a sheath coaxially mounted on the dilator; wherein: at least one of the dilator and sheath is clear, semi-opaque, or translucent, so that fluid, if any, inside the device, may be visualized through the dilator and/or sheath to confirm proper placement of the needle in a cavity containing the fluid: and the dilator is slideably displaceable relative to the sheath;
- introducing the distal tip of the hollow needle into a cavity;
- advancing the guidewire through the distal tip of the needle into the cavity;
- advancing the dilator and sheath together over the needle into the cavity; and
- removing the needle and the dilator, thereby leaving the sheath in place to provide access to the cavity.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising immobilizing the guidewire relative to the needle before advancing the dilator and sheath.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the cavity is a vein, and the method further comprises aspirating blood through the device to confirm that access has been obtained to the vein.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein the cavity is an artery, and the method further comprises observing blood color or pulsatile flow of blood in the device to confirm that access has been obtained to the artery.
26. The method of claim 22, further comprising removing the guidewire together with the needle and the dilator.
27. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 30, 2006
Publication Date: Sep 3, 2009
Inventors: Michael Tal (Woodbridge, CT), John P. Marano, JR. (Madison, CT), James R. Flom (San Mateo, CA), John F. Lapetina (San Francisco, CA), Robert Yuen Lee Ang (Cupertino, CA), Aaron Abroff (San Carlos, CA), Carl Gandarillas (Beacon Falls, CT), Michael F. Wei (Redwood City, CA), Joshua Druker (Redwood City, CA), Janelle Anderson (New York, NY)
Application Number: 11/910,223
International Classification: A61M 29/02 (20060101); A61M 25/09 (20060101);