Abstract: A closed system catheter (CSC) assembly has a catheter hub assembly and a needle insertion assembly that includes a needle, a needle housing and a clip guard housed in a distal compartment of the needle housing. The clip guard has a chamber having fixedly enclosed therein a safety clip. The safety clip has two elongated arms with distal grippers and barriers that naturally bias toward each other. When the barriers are biased outwardly away from each other by the needle passing between them, the distal grippers are effected to fixedly hold the proximal end of the catheter hub of the catheter hub assembly. When not biased by the needle, the barriers return to their naturally inward biased state to cause the distal grippers to release their hold of the catheter hub, such that the clip guard and the catheter hub may be separated from each other. The barriers form a distal stop to prevent the needle from re-emerging from the safety clip.

Abstract: A syringe pump configured to at least partially surround a syringe loaded into the pump. The syringe pump including a syringe pump housing defining a syringe receptacle shaped and sized to accept loading of the syringe, a plunger driver assembly configured to manipulate a plunger of a syringe loaded into the syringe pump, and a syringe housing including a syringe barrel shield pivotably coupled to the syringe pump housing configured to at least partially enclose a syringe loaded into the syringe pump within the syringe receptacle, and a syringe plunger tray and lid assembly operably coupled to the syringe pump housing and configured to at least partially enclose a portion of the plunger driver assembly.

Abstract: A fluid or blood diverter is provided in the needle housing of a needle assembly for redirecting the inflowing blood to a distal section of the fluid diverter that may be enclosed by the distal portion of the needle housing so that a clinician can readily view the blood flash without having to look back to the flashback chamber at the proximal portion of the needle housing. At the distal section, the inflowing blood is redirected to the flashback chamber. The needle housing with the blood diverter is adapted to be used in safety catheter needle assemblies that may include a passive needle safety control mechanism including a clip guard. Different ways of coupling the needle housing and the clip guard with catheter hub assemblies with and without passive blood control are also described.

Abstract: A method and medical pump to perform a flushing procedure are provided. The medical pump is configured to execute the flushing procedure subsequent to an infusion procedure, the flushing procedure and infusion procedure lacking a specified relationship between each other until after performance of the infusion procedure. The method comprises performing an infusion procedure of a medicament with the medical pump and automatically querying in human detectable form whether to execute a flushing procedure in response to conclusion of the infusion procedure.

Abstract: An echogenic needle may have at least one V-shaped spiral groove formed at its distal portion adjacent to its patient end. The walls of the groove are orthogonal to each other. The groove is titled at a given angle from a neutral position toward the proximal end of the needle so that when the needle is inserted into the patient at an insertion angle under ultrasound imaging, the ultrasound wave emitted from the ultrasound transducer is reflected in a substantially reverse direction back to the transducer by at least one wall of the spiral groove. A pair of crisscrossing grooves may be spirally wound about the distal portion of the needle with each groove being tilted to the given angle to enhance echogeneity. The echogeneity of the needle may also be enhanced by increasing the pitch density of each groove while maintaining the crisscrossing groves at their neutral position.

Abstract: An air blower has an inlet muffler and an outlet muffler to reduce the noise of the air blower during operation. Each of the mufflers may have two sections. One section is configured to attenuate high frequency noise and the other section is configured to attenuate lower frequency noise. A tubular internal wall in each of the mufflers defines the through passage for each of the mufflers. A noise absorbent material may be fitted about the tubular wall within each muffler. A plurality of holes are formed along the tubular wall of each through passage to expose the through passage to the noise absorbent material. A heater plenum may be interposed between the blower plenum and the outlet muffler to heat the air from the blower plenum. A filter at the input muffler filters the air sucked into the air blower.

Abstract: A safety catheter assembly has a clip guard that covers and protects the needle clip from the time that the catheter assembly is shipped out in the ready state, through its use where the distal tip of the needle is entrapped in the needle clip after use, and to when the clip guard and the safety needle clip housed therein are removed from the catheter hub. A passive safety system of the needle clip couples the catheter hub and the needle housing in the ready state and during the use of the catheter assembly, and releases the catheter hub from the needle housing once the contaminated needle tip is captured in the needle clip. A wiper provided to the catheter assembly wipes blood from the needle to prevent exposure of the contaminated blood. The wiper may also act to retain a septum in the catheter hub. The clip guard may be adapted to be used with a catheter hub having a multiuse seal member.

Abstract: A safety catheter device has a clip guard that covers the needle tip protector or safety needle clip from the time that the device is shipped out in the ready to use position, through its use as a safety catheter device, to when the clip guard and the safety needle clip enclosed by the clip guard is removed from the catheter hub after the catheter extending from the catheter hub has been correctly placed into the vein or artery of the patient. A clip cup may be added to provide an additional level of protection for the safety needle clip and the sharp distal tip of the needle contained therein. Safety needle clips of different configurations used with the safety catheter device are described.

Abstract: A method and medical pump to perform a flushing procedure are provided. The medical pump is configured to execute the flushing procedure subsequent to an infusion procedure, the flushing procedure and infusion procedure lacking a specified relationship between each other until after performance of the infusion procedure. The method comprises performing an infusion procedure of a medicament with the medical pump and automatically querying in human detectable form whether to execute a flushing procedure in response to conclusion of the infusion procedure.

Abstract: A safety catheter assembly that may be a closed system catheter (CSC) has a seal member proximal a septum in the catheter hub. In a first embodiment, the seal member may be a cylindrical sleeve whereto a locking portion of a needle clip is positioned to fixedly hold the needle clip inside the catheter hub in a ready state. In a second embodiment, the needle clip is housed in a substantially cylindrical seal member. The seal member with the needle clip therein and the catheter hub are fixedly coupled together in the ready state. In a third embodiment, a retainer member at the catheter hub couples the needle clip to the catheter hub in the ready state and the seal member is distal the retainer member. In all the embodiments, the seal member may act as a reservoir for fluid in the interior cavity of the catheter hub that may back flow past the septum.

Abstract: An echogenic needle may have at least one V-shaped spiral groove formed at its distal portion adjacent to its patient end. The walls of the groove are orthogonal to each other. The groove is titled at a given angle from a neutral position toward the proximal end of the needle so that when the needle is inserted into the patient at an insertion angle under ultrasound imaging, the ultrasound wave emitted from the ultrasound transducer is reflected in a substantially reverse direction back to the transducer by at least one wall of the spiral groove. A pair of crisscrossing grooves may be spirally wound about the distal portion of the needle with each groove being tilted to the given angle to enhance echogeneity. The echogeneity of the needle may also be enhanced by increasing the pitch density of each groove while maintaining the crisscrossing groves at their neutral position.

Abstract: A blood sequestration device configured to isolate an initial, potentially contaminated portion of blood from the flow of blood of a patient, prior to directing the flow of blood to an outlet port where the blood can be accessed. The blood sequestration device including a body member having an interior wall defining a fluid conduit having a distal portion, a first proximal portion, and a second proximal portion, wherein the first proximal portion defines a sequestration chamber configured to isolate an initial portion of blood of a flow of blood, a vent path configured to enable the escape of gas initially trapped within the sequestration chamber.

Abstract: A safety intravenous catheter that includes a passive release feature. The catheter assembly includes ready, safe, and released positions. In the release position, a retainer being in a proximal retainer position relative to a collar enables release of the catheter hub from the catheter insertion device. The sharp tip of the insertion needle remains inaccessible in the release position in order to prevent unwanted needle sticks.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to subcutaneous insertion systems comprising a surface device to be applied to a patient's skin and an insertion system for applying the surface device to the patient, wherein the applying can include subcutaneous insertion of a cannula or other element, and related devices and methods. The surface device comprises a surface for application to the skin of a patient and a subcutaneous element, such as a cannula, wire, filament or other device, extending from the skin's surface at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

Abstract: Infusion pumps and associated methods for delivering medicament to a user during error conditions. An infusion pump can include a sensor, a pumping mechanism to deliver medicament through an infusion set to the user, and a processor operably coupled to the sensor and the pumping mechanism. The processor can be configured to receive an indication from the sensor of an error condition, and continue operating the pumping mechanism to deliver a predetermined quantity of medicament without correcting the error condition. The predetermined quantity can be based at least in part on a characteristic of the infusion set.

Abstract: A safety intravenous catheter that includes a passive release feature. The catheter assembly includes ready, safe, and released positions. In the release position, a retainer being in a proximal retainer position relative to a collar enables release of the catheter hub from the catheter insertion device. The sharp tip of the insertion needle remains inaccessible in the release position in order to prevent unwanted needle sticks.

Abstract: An echogenic needle may have at least one V-shaped spiral groove formed at its distal portion adjacent to its patient end. The walls of the groove are orthogonal to each other. The groove is titled at a given angle from a neutral position toward the proximal end of the needle so that when the needle is inserted into the patient at an insertion angle under ultrasound imaging, the ultrasound wave emitted from the ultrasound transducer is reflected in a substantially reverse direction back to the transducer by at least one wall of the spiral groove. A pair of crisscrossing grooves may be spirally wound about the distal portion of the needle with each groove being tilted to the given angle to enhance echogeneity. The echogeneity of the needle may also be enhanced by increasing the pitch density of each groove while maintaining the crisscrossing groves at their neutral position.

Abstract: An LVP that provides peristaltic pumping to removably couplable administration set tubing assemblies supplying medical infusate. The LVP includes a housing, a drive-train assembly, and a controller. The housing includes an assembly receptacle configured to receive an administration set tubing assembly. The drive-train assembly provides mechanical peristaltic movement within the assembly receptacle. The drive-train assembly includes a stepper motor located within the housing and a camshaft assembly, driven by the stepper motor and at least partially extending into the assembly receptacle. The camshaft assembly includes a unitary camshaft and a plurality of tube engaging members that cooperatively move according to rotation of the unitary camshaft. Further, the controller is located within the housing that controls operation of the stepper motor and the camshaft assembly.

Abstract: A blood sequestration device configured to isolate an initial, potentially contaminated portion of blood from the flow of blood of a patient, prior to directing the flow of blood to an outlet port where the blood can be accessed. The blood sequestration device including a body member having an interior wall defining a fluid conduit having a distal portion, a first proximal portion, and a second proximal portion, wherein the first proximal portion defines a sequestration chamber configured to isolate an initial portion of blood of a flow of blood, a vent path configured to enable the escape of gas initially trapped within the sequestration chamber.