Method and apparatus for starting intravenous solutions

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to catheter placement apparatuses and methods for use. More specifically, the present invention is a method and improved, closed catheter placement apparatus for starting and feeding intravenous solutions without spillage of blood.

Starting and feeding intravenous solutions is a common hospital procedure Numerous intravenous solutions, including glucose in water, saline and glucose in water, and others, sometimes with specific medications or anesthetics, are introduced into the bodies of patients. The catheter placement procedure employs standard catheter placement units which comprise a needle, a flash chamber attached to the needle, and a catheter surrounding and carried by the needle attached to a universal base. (FIGS. 1 and 1a, more fully described below depict the prior art catheter placement apparatus.) The needle is hollow; its tip, bevelled, for ease in penetration of the skin. The base has an end plug that is not air tight. As the bevelled tip of the hollow needle enters the blood vessel, blood courses through the flash chamber displacing air from the chamber passed the end plug.

The blood in the flash chamber signals the medical attendant that a blood vessel has been entered.

The catheter is then gently pushed into the blood vessel as the hollow needle is withdrawn from within the catheter and the universal base. At that point there is an open path from the blood vessel, through the hollow catheter to the universal base. As quickly as possible, the medical attendant connects an administration fluid set carrying the intravenous solution into the base. Usually a small quantity of blood escapes from the base when the needle is withdrawn and before the connection of the tube carrying the intravenous solution can be accomplished.

With the increased use of gloves by medical attendants for all invasive hospital procedures, dexterity is lessened and more blood spilled in the course of administering intravenous solutions. Spilled blood may expose medical personnel to contamination and is therefore to be avoided. Especially with the possibility that the patient may have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, avoiding contaminated blood is of great importance to medical personnel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a closed system method and apparatus for the starting and feeding of intravenous fluids. It is a further object of the present invention to start intravenous solutions easily and quickly. It is an object of the invention to enable the starting of intravenous solutions without blood spillage. It is an object of the present invention to reduce exposure of hospital personnel to contamination from the blood of the patient. It is a further object of the present invention to be inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by a method and apparatus having a catheter placement unit having two chambers in tandem. A first chamber is in communication with a catheter, and a second, or flash chamber is in communication with a long hollow needle. The needle slidably carries the catheter, positioned outside and coaxially with the needle, into the body of the patient. The first chamber has a first, permanent tube port for receiving the intravenous solution from an administration set which can be attached and primed prior to accomplishing the blood vessel puncture, and a second, resealing port on the end of the first chamber opposite the catheter. A squeeze bulb is attached to the flash chamber. The long hollow needle traverses the resealing port, the interior of the first chamber and the catheter. The squeeze bulb of the present invention is squeezed to evacuate air from the flash chamber, the needle carrying the catheter then enters the body and the squeeze bulb is released. When the tip of the needle enters a blood vessel, a small quantity of blood flows through the hollow needle to the flash chamber, urged by the vacuum created upon release of the squeeze bulb. Next, the catheter is gently slid forward into the blood vessel as the needle and flash chamber with squeeze bulb are withdrawn in sequence from the catheter, the first chamber and the resealing port. The intravenous solution is turned on and allowed to flow into the patient through the previously connected administration set without any blood spillage or contamination. The resealing port can be reused for the administration of medications if so desired at later times.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an example of the prior art catheter placement unit for starting intravenous solutions;

FIG. 1a shows an example of the prior art after the needle has been withdrawn and before the tube carrying intravenous fluid is attached to the universal base. FIG. 1a also shows a drop of blood issuing from the universal base;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional side view of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a method and an improved, closed apparatus for starting and feeding intravenous solutions in a portion of a human body.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the prior art unit 10 comprises a long hollow needle 11 having a bevelled tip 12, and interior 13. The needle is typically made of metal and the needle 11 comes in a variety of lengths and diameters for different medical intravenous uses. A catheter 14 surrounds coaxially the hollow needle 11. Needle 11 slides freely within catheter 14. Tip 15 of catheter 14 is tapered slightly so that catheter 14 enters the body more easily. Catheter 14 is a flexible, hollow tube for holding open a passage through the skin, tissues and blood vessel wall of the portion of the body to receive the intravenous solution. Catheter 14 is attached to a universal base 15 by first sealing collar 16. Attached to hollow needle 11 is flash chamber 17 sealed to hollow needle 11 by a second collar 18 that mates with universal base 15 when hollow needle is fully inserted within catheter 14. An end plug 19 closes chamber 17. Chamber 17 is made of a translucent or clear plastic so that blood entering the chamber can be seen by the user of the prior art unit 10. As best shown in FIG. 1a, use of the prior art catheter placement unit 10 spills blood 23. After hollow needle 11 carries catheter 14 into a body 21, a small amount of the blood will enter flash chamber 17 which is in communication with hollow needle 11. Interior 13 of hollow needle 11 from tip 12 through to flash chamber 17 defines a passage for blood, under venous pressure, to evacuate air within flash chamber 17 through end plug 19. Medical personnel then know that a blood vessel wall has been penetrated and withdraw hollow needle 11 and flash chamber 17 as catheter 14 is gently pushed forward into the blood vessel. When hollow needle 11 has cleared universal base 15, a tube 20 leading to the intravenous solution is quickly attached to universal base 15 but usually not without spillage of blood.

Referring now in more detail to the invention, FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the present invention wherein catheter 14 is attached to a first chamber 24 by a sealing collar 16. Opposite sealing collar 16 is a resealable port 25 made of a rubberized material of suitable thickness which reseals automatically upon needle withdrawal. Resealing port 25 should be sufficiently thick and resilient so that, as tip 12 of hollow needle 11 passes out of resealing port 25, a passage formed by hollow needle 11 closes to form a blood-tight seal before tip 12 clears resealing port 25. First chamber 24 has a permanent tube port 26 for receiving intravenous fluid from tube 20. Permanent port 26 has a temporary end plug 27 to keep the interior of first chamber 24 sterile. Hollow needle 11 having bevelled tip 12 open to the interior 13 of hollow needle 11 is attached to the flash chamber 17 by second collar 18. Opposite hollow needle 11 is a squeeze bulb 28.

The detailed relationship of the elements of the present invention is best seen in FIG. 3. The squeeze bulb 28 closes flash chamber 17 opposite hollow needle 11. The interiors of squeeze bulb 28, flash chamber 17 and hollow needle 11 form a continuous passage for receiving a small quantity of blood when tip 12 of hollow needle 11 penetrates a blood vessel wall. By squeezing bulb 28 before tip 12 is introduced into the body, air within the flash chamber is evacuated from tip 12 of hollow needle 11. After tip 12 of hollow needle 11 enters the body, squeeze bulb 28 may be released. A vacuum thus created within flash chamber 17 should not be so great as to attach tissue to tip 12, but should be sufficient to urge blood from a blood vessel, when penetrated, to enter flash chamber 17 thus signalling to medical personnel that a blood vessel wall has been penetrated.

Tube 20 is attached to permanent port 26 in place of end plug 27 prior to initiation of procedure to form closed system or tube 20 may be attached to permanent port 26 at any time before hollow needle 11 is withdrawn, preferably before the blood vessel wall has been penetrated. Hollow needle 11, flash chamber 17 and bulb 28 are withdrawn as catheter 14 is gently slid forward into the blood vessel. Resealing port 25 seals as hollow needle 11 is withdrawn. Port 26 is preferably positioned to the side of the first chamber so as not to interfere with hollow needle 11. It is important in the present invention that permanent port 26 be configured at the smallest angle with respect to the axis of the needle 11 so as to minimize lateral forces on the body caused by the weight of tube 20. Alternatively to the orientation shown in FIG. 3 would be an expansion of first chamber to permit the axes of tube 20 and needle 11 to be placed in parallel.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

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