Abstract: A positioning fixture for use with an ultrasound transducer comprising: a housing having a planar, generally rectangular bottom surface having two parallel long edges and two parallel short edges; a pair of long sidewalls, one said long sidewall attached to each of said two parallel long edges; a guide release attached to one of said two parallel short edges; a long axis needle guide attached to another of said two parallel short edges; and a receptacle cooperatively defined by said pair of long sidewalls, said quick release and said needle insertion guide, said receptacle sized to accommodate the ultrasound transducer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for facilitating placement of a central line in a patient, said device comprising: a housing having proximal and distal ends and a central portion therebetween, said housing having an upper portion and a lower portion; a handgrip provided on a proximal end of the housing, said handgrip having at least one of a channel and a through hole extending from the proximal end to the central portion, wherein the channel or through hole is sized to receive a guidewire; a feeder tip receiver provided on a proximal end of the handgrip in communication with the channel or through hole in said handgrip; a stabilizer provided on a lower portion of said housing; a Luer slip tip provided on a distal end of the housing, said Luer slip tip having a mounting portion for attachment to a needle hub, said Luer slip tip having a lumen aligned with the channel or through hole in said handgrip.