PERIPHERAL INTRAVENOUS CATHETER WITH BELLOWS-TYPE PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEM IVCBTS

[0001] The present invention is related to the hospital instruments manufacturing industry. More specifically it is related to the industry which manufactures instruments for venous puncturing and catheterization. Even more specifically, it is related to the industry which manufactures instruments for puncturing and canalization, and a protection system to prevent accidental puncture wounds to the user and others by the needle which is contaminated with the patient's fluids.

[0002] Nowadays, devices for placing catheters are common. When a catheter is placed in a patient for intravenous administering of a liquid, a disposable need is used which passes through the catheter to puncture a vein and allow a catheter to enter. There are essentially two kinds of catheter introducing assemblies for introducing intravenous catheters into a patient. The first kind is a catheter placed inside a puncturing needle which is used to puncture the skin and place the catheter into the circulatory system of the patient; the needle is removed, leaving the catheter in the patient's circulatory system. The second kind of catheter introducing assembly consists of a disposable needle that passes through the catheter to puncture the vein and allows a catheter to be inserted. Once it has been checked that the assembly has been placed in the vein, using a flashback of the blood in the needle, the needle, contaminated with the patient's fluids or blood is removed, leaving the intravenous catheter in place for connection with an intravenous bag or bottle, or a stopper for later use.

[0003] The main problem in using this kind of device occurs during and following the catheterization procedure; the technician in charge of the procedure has to handle the needle contaminated with blood, which is still sharp and there is a possibility that the technician or others may accidentally suffer a puncture wound.

[0004] There is worldwide epidemiological evidence that the main concern about using sharp instruments and their disposal as infectious waste in hospitals is the transmission of the AIDS virus and more frequently, Hepatitis B and C virus. This is due to wounds caused by needles contaminated with human blood. The former has created a growing need for catheter producers, in preventing accidental wounds with needles by medical personnel or other employees, who handle hospital waste, wash the clothing or other residues which the used needles may contain. As a result, the new products are designed to incorporate special covers for the needle or mechanisms for retracting the needle inside a protective chamber. Such devices are described, for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,747,831, 4,828,548, 5,129,884, 5,501,675, 5,817,058, 5,989,220, 7,771,394 y 7,740,615. Many of the devices described in these patents have numerous pieces which substantially increase manufacturing costs and are sometimes difficult to handle. Other devices require both hands to operate or are prone to untimely activation of the safety system while it is being transported, stored and handled. Besides, other devices only encapsulate the sharp end of the needle which allows blood or fluid stuck to the rest of the body of the needle to contaminate users and others who are in contact with the needle.

[0005] As may be inferred from the text, there are various qualities which an intravenous catheterization device should have. Among these are: (a) a device which does not require specialized training to use; (b) reduces the possibility of multiple punctures; (c) a device with a passive protection system in order to prevent accidental punctures; and (d) to be easy to handle. These are the characteristics claimed in the present invention.

[0006] In a catheterization device with rapid and painless puncturing, a means for protecting the needle has been presented, in order to protect the user and prevent accidental puncture wounds with the tip of the needle. However, in a catheter without a rapid and painless puncturing system, there has not been any system presented for protecting the needle as indicated in the present application.

[0007] As an example of the kind of protection mentioned in the preceding paragraph, may be found in Mexican patent application MX/a/2011/013382 made by the same applicant as the present application.

[0008] The main objective of the invention is to achieve a simple device which possesses a passive protection system which protects against accidental puncture wounds and at the same time is easy to activate.

[0009] Another objective is to reduce the need for experience, of the person using the device, in using it and reducing the risk of contamination to the user with the patient's bodily fluids.

[0010] All of these objectives and advantages will become apparent through the reading and drawings which accompany it with purely illustrative, non-limiting ends and which form an integral part of the present description.

[0011] The present invention refers to a system for introducing an intravenous catheter with a cannula with retractable needle in a manual billows mechanism in order to prevent its re-use, accidental puncture wounds and to assure its safe disposal.

[0012] The present invention refers to a double system which presents, in one of its components, a compact, easy-to-use system for performing the placing of a peripheral intravenous catheter in a patient's circulatory system. The second component is a manual safety mechanism which after carrying out the puncturing, withdraws the contaminated cannula into a protective billows chamber which prevents later contact with users or other persons, thus preventing accidental puncture wounds and the transmission of diseases.

[0013] Moreover, the characteristics of the passive retractable system assure that there is no contact at all with the cannula after placing the catheter in the patient and it allows for placing it at a safe distance within the protection chamber of the billows type security system.

[0014] The peripheral intravenous catheter assembly with a bellows-type passive safety system IVCBTS of the present invention is made up of a hollow hub with two opposing longitudinal openings. On one of the ends of the catheter hub, there is coaxially aligned and anchored, a catheter tube; while the other open end opposite allows the passage of an introducing needle which remains within the catheter tube presenting a Luer connection, once the catheter is in the patient's vein, to connect to the infusion lines for medication or IV solution.

[0015] The hollow hub connects, on the side opposite the placement of the catheter, to an affixing body, which has an opening for the introducing needle to pass through. This first affixing body, in the first stage of operation of IVCBTS is used by medical personnel, who will place the catheter in the patient, to hold the device and carry out the catheterization procedure. In the second stage of operation of IVCBTS it blocks the sharp point of the introducing needle in order to avoid accidental puncture wounds.

[0016] Attached to the other end of the affixing body is a flexible billows tube, which will be used to house the introducing needle when the IVCBTS safety system is activated. Initially the billows is compressed, while the other end of the billows butts up against the mounting body which acts as a base for mounting the introducing needle. With this configuration the introducing needle passes through the flexible billows tube, from the affixing body, crosses the hub of the catheter and is placed inside the catheter. All of these components of the aforementioned configuration make up the IVCBTS in its puncturing embodiment.

[0017] Also attached to one end of the mounting body is a hollow translucent cylinder or filter, which allows the technician responsible for the catheterization procedure to see the flashback of blood when the far introducing tip of the needle is inserted into the patient's vein.

[0018] Once the catheterization procedure has been carried out and the introducing needle along with the catheter are in the patient's vein, the technician responsible for carrying out the procedure, without moving the affixing body, pulls the mounting body away from the catheterization area. This process withdraws the introducing needle from the patient's vein, leaving the catheter in place. The billow is also deployed in order to cover the part of the cannula which was in contact with the bodily fluids including blood and the introducing needle is encapsulated so as to prevent possible accidental puncture wounds and the flow of contaminated fluids from the patient.

[0029] We shall use the drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention to support our detailed description.

[0030] An exploded view of the seven elements which make up the peripheral intravenous catheter with a bellows-type passive safety system IVCBTS is shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen in this FIG. 1, the parts which make up the IVCBTS are: (1) catheter, (2) affixing body, (3) flexible billows tube, (4) puncturing cannula, (5) mounting body, (6) flashback chamber and filter and (7) filter paper.

[0031] The isometric view of the closed peripheral intravenous catheter and the puncturing and safety system m the stage of connection is shown in FIG. 2. The affixing body (2) meets, on the distal end, the flexible billows tube (3) and at the same time meets the mounting body (5) which holds the puncturing cannula (4) which passes through the flexible billows tube (3) and the affixing body (2). While on the other end of the mounting body (5) the flashback camber and filter (6) are attached: all of these components form the puncturing and safety system. The puncturing and safety system is attached to the peripheral intravenous catheter by means of a mounting post (21) on the affixing body (2), through which the puncturing cannula (4) passes concentrically to enter the catheter (1) and this in tom rests on the flat surface (22) of the affixing body (2).

[0032] Once the safety and puncturing system are connected to the peripheral intravenous catheter, the peripheral intravenous catheter with a bellows-type passive safety system IVCBTS is formed, a symmetric view of which may be seen in FIG. 3. The IVCBTS is made up of the mounting body (5) which is connected to the flexible billows tube (3) and the affixing body (2) to which the catheter (3) is attached. The puncturing cannula (4) is attached to the mounting body (5) and passes concentrically through the flexible billows tube (3) and the affixing body (2) to cross it and remain inside the catheter (1).

[0033] In the puncturing stage of the IVCBTS as shown in a cross-section in FIG. 4, the puncturing cannula (4) joins the mounting body, not shown in this figure, at one of its ends while on the other end is attached the flashback chamber and filter(6) forming the channel through which the blood signal passes when the introducing cannula penetrates the patient's vein and also to prevent overflow of blood from the channel of the puncturing system a filter paper (7) is placed on the free end of the filter and flashback chamber (6).

[0034] Attached to the affixing chamber (5) is the flexible billows tube (3) in a compressed state and it covers part of the puncturing cannula (4), while on the other end of the flexible billows tube (3) an affixing body is attached (2). The puncturing cannula (4) passes through the affixing body (2) crossing it and remaining housed inside the catheter (1) which is attached to the affixing body (2).

[0035] During the catheterization procedure the medical personnel in charge of the procedure holds the IVCBTS of the affixing body (2) and introduces the puncturing cannula (2) along with the catheter (1) into the circulatory system of the patient. By means of the flashback chamber and filter (6) the technician may confirm the correct placement of the peripheral intravenous catheter in the patient's circulatory system and may proceed to withdraw the puncturing cannula (4), activating the passive IVCBTS safety system.

[0036] The IVCBTS in its safety stage is shown in an isometric view in FIG. 5. Once the catheter (1) is correctly placed into the patient's circulatory system, the technician in charge of the procedure, holding the IVCBTS in place with the affixing body (2) pulls the mounting body (5) away from catheterization area and this causes the flexible billows tube (3) to expand and the puncturing cannula (4) is withdrawn from inside the catheter (1) and the patient's vein.

[0037] In FIG. 6 we can see how the puncturing cannula (4) has remained completely encapsulated within the flexible billows tube (3) which has stretched in length. The flexible billows tube is connected to the affixing body (2) and the mounting body (5) on opposite ends. When the technician pulls the mounting body (5), the flexible billows tube (3) expands and at the same time withdraws the puncturing needle which is at the end of the retraction within the flexible billows tube, thus preventing splashing with the patient's contaminated blood or fluids within the used puncturing cannula (4). The puncturing cannula passes through the opening in the affixing body (21) retained by the hatch of the affixing body (24) which makes the passage of the puncturing cannula (4) through the opening of the affixing chamber (21) difficult and disabling the sharp ends of the needle of the puncturing cannula (4).

[0038] Once the flexible billows tube (3) has expanded and the puncturing cannula (4) is encapsulated and the sharp ends of the needle disabled by the affixing body (2), the technician in charge proceeds to disconnect the previously activated safety system from the peripheral intravenous catheter as shown in FIG. 7. The peripheral intravenous catheter is firmly affixed to the area of catheterization and at this point the intravenous infusion line for medications may be attached.

[0039] Once the peripheral intravenous catheter is properly inserted into the patient's circulatory system, the puncturing cannula (4), contaminated with the patient's blood and fluids, may be disposed of. The puncturing cannula remains encapsulated inside the flexible billows tubing (3) and the sharp end of the needle blocked by the affixing body (11) so as to prevent possible accidental puncture wounds to medical personnel and their contamination with the blood which adheres to the used puncturing cannula (4).

[0040] The primary cover of the peripheral intravenous catheter with a bellows-type passive safety system IVCBTS is shown in FIG. 9. The primary cover consists of a protective tube (8) and a cap (9). The configuration shown in FIG. 9 presents the protective tube (8) and the cap (9) which together form a rigid capsule in which the IVCBTS is found with the characteristics that it does not permit the passage of sterilizing material and prevents the passage of microorganisms.

[0041] Once the patient has been prepared for catheterization, the technician removes the cap (8) by pulling away from the protective tube (9) so that the rear part of the IVCBTS can be seen but with the puncturing cannula (4) still covered by the rigid barrier of the protective tube (8) in order to prevent accidental puncture wounds as shown in FIG. 10. Once the technician is ready to carry out catheterization, he/she removes the protective tube from the IVCBTS, leaving the puncturing cannula (4) and the catheter (1) uncovered in order to carry out the puncturing procedure.

[0042] The invention has been sufficiently described so that a person with knowledge of the field can reproduce and obtain the results we mention for the present invention. However, anyone with knowledge of the field of the present invention is capable of making modifications not described in the present application, and if, for the application of these modifications in the determined structure or manufacturing process it is necessary to use the material claimed in the following claims, said structure should be considered within the scope of the invention.