Abstract: A catheter assembly including a multi-luminal catheter, a primary stylet, and a secondary stylet. The primary stylet and the secondary stylet are each inserted into separate lumens extending along the catheter tube. The primary stylet includes a magnetic region to enable magnetic tracking. The secondary stylet is configured to prevent buckling of the magnetic region during insertion. The secondary stylet includes a proximal section having a proximal column strength and a distal section having a distal column strength greater than the proximal column strength. During use, an insertion force exceeding an insertion force limit causes the proximal section to buckle to prevent buckling of the distal section. The primary stylet may also include electrical sensors and/or an optical fiber configured for shape sensing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are magnetically trackable stylets and methods thereof. A magnetically trackable stylet can include a stylet body including a core wire, a magnetic assembly, and an outer construction over the core wire and the magnetic assembly. The magnetic assembly can include one or more magnetic field-producing elements disposed alongside the core wire in a magnetically trackable distal portion of the stylet body. The outer construction, which can be an overmolded layer, a reflowed layer, a potting layer, or a shrink-wrapped layer, can be around the core wire and the magnetic assembly. The stylet body can be configured to be disposed in a lumen of a medical device such as a catheter for magnetically tracking a tip of the medical device in vivo without breakage of the stylet body due to bending-related fatigue. A method of such a magnetically trackable stylet can include a method of using the stylet.

Abstract: A stylet for placing a catheter in a vasculature of a patient is disclosed. The stylet can include an ECG sensor assembly having an electrode, a magnetic assembly producing a magnetic field, a core wire and a coil defining a lumen. A portion of the core wire can be disposed within the lumen of the coil. An intravascular catheter is disclosed that includes the stylet disposed within a lumen of the catheter. A method of placing a catheter within a superior vena cava of a patient is provided, including inserting the stylet within a lumen of the catheter, connecting the ECG sensor assembly to an ECG system, advancing the catheter along a patient vasculature, discontinuing advancement of the catheter upon an indication via an ECG signal that a tip of the stylet is disposed within the superior vena cava, and removing the stylet from the lumen of the catheter.