Pre-sealed intravenous catheter with needle

Abstract

The Pre-sealed intravenous (IV) needle is designed to provide easy Intravenous access for the health care professional. It is intended for use in hospitals, nursing facilities, ambulances and any area where IV access is necessary. It provides a new approach to IV access in that it allows IVs to be started without permitting any bleeding from the site. This would also reduce the chances of infection as the system is sterile and sealed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] Intravenous needles have been in use for many years and are a necessary part of healthcare. In the aggressive treatment of certain diseases, IV therapy is irreplaceable, allowing the medication to go directly into the bloodstream and to act much quicker than medications by mouth.

[0002] Many patients are on medications such as Coumadin, Heparin, Plavix or Aspirin. These are considered blood thinners and as a result, when IVs are started in the traditional way considerable bleeding can occur. Even patients who are not on blood thinners have some amount of bleeding. The sight of blood to the patient is sometimes traumatic. This can cause the patient to refuse more than one try at starting the IV. Originally, with the unsealed needles, the healthcare worker would have to apply pressure to the IV site, while reaching for and screwing on the gel cap. Mishaps occur when this is done, like the catheter being dislodged while the healthcare worker is reaching for the gel cap. On the whole the old method is quite clumsy. All of this would be eliminated as the gel cap forms a unit with the section of the apparatus which is left in the vein.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0003] The Pre-Sealed IV needle will enable safe, effective, and infection-free intravenous access without the bleeding previously associated with this procedure. It will almost be a “one-step” process where the needle encased in the catheter is introduced into the vein. The needle is then retracted, after the flash of blood is seen at Section 2a in FIGS.(1, 2 and 4,) leaving the catheter (complete with gel cap, in the vein). This eliminates the usual bleeding associated with the starting of IVs.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1 shows left and exterior of the apparatus, which is essentially FIGS. 2 and 3, prior to retraction of the needle. FIG. 2 shows left and exterior of the apparatus, after the needle is retracted. FIG. 3 shows left and exterior of the section which remains after retraction, this part includes the catheter which remains in the patient's vein. FIG. 4 shows left and exterior view of apparatus which can accommodate a needle-less connection. The complete Intravenous device will consist of a catheter with attached gel cap(1). Distal to this is another section (2) which consists of protruding needle and plastic barrel. The needle runs through the catheter, and IV access is obtained. The needle is pulled out of the catheter and retracted into the barrel. Section 2 is discarded after retraction of the needle

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] There are a number of intravenous needles available on the market today and healthcare has always had a challenge to keep patients infection-free. Whenever there is bleeding there exists the risk of infection to the patient as well as to the health care worker. With the advent of many diseases such as aids and hepatitis, added care is needed in the handling of blood. This pre-sealed device would be the ideal answer to this problem since from the time of insertion, it is a closed system. This lessens to the point of almost nullifying it, the possibility of infection or contamination due to germs entering the patient's blood stream through the access site and also lessens the possibility of the health-care worker being exposed to contaminated blood. This method is also clean because no bleeding occurs as in the traditional method. In this way it saves time spent on cleaning. Needles would be available in the traditional sizes, 20, 22 and so on.

[0006] There is a variation on this needle which shows the needle with an additional tubing (FIG. 4) this tubing can accommodate a needle-less attachment at its distal end. This is an important variation as many ambulances and certain healthcare facilities use needle-less syringes. This needle-less attachment heretofore mentioned is interchangeable with a cap that can accommodate a needle. In this way, the IV becomes dually accessible.

Claims

1. What I claim as my invention is the intravenous device comprised of catheter and gel cap conjoined and not detachable; and also including retractable IV needle attached to retracting barrel and its enclosures. Said needle running through gel cap and catheter. The aforementioned device is intended for infusion of medication and fluids.