FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relate to intravenous catheter apparatus. More particularly this invention relate to an intravenous catheter apparatus in which the flash back chamber is separated from the wing housing by a fine tube such that the blood which gushes back at the time of piercing the vein by the needle takes longer time to reach the flash back chamber. This gives sufficient time to the medical professional attending the patient to connect the nutrient supply to the luer opening.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Intravenous Catheter Apparatus known from prior art is used to inject various nutrients and medicines in liquid form directly into the body of the patient during their treatment. An IV Catheter Apparatus consist of an assembly of needle covered by Catheter, wing housing having wings and flash back chamber with luer lock. In the prior art all constituent parts of IV Catheter Apparatus are provided as a single unit. The prior art suffers from certain disadvantages. The needle attached to the IV Catheter Apparatus is inserted by medical professional into the vein of patient. The moment the needle of the IV Catheter Apparatus pierces the vein, blood in the vein gushes in the hollow cavity of the needle. Thereafter, the needle is withdrawn from the vein leaving the catheter inside the vein for injecting nutrients and medicines. When needle is
withdrawn, blood due to pressure comes through catheter tube and gushes towards the end of IV Catheter Apparatus. Paramedic has to quickly put the luer lock at the end of the wing housing to avoid blood from coming out. But usually, some blood comes out of wing housing and spills on the patient/paramedic. A luer lock or a IV extension line is attached at the end to stop blood lose. Also, when the luer lock is removed, the opening left by the removal of luer lock (luer opening) has to be immediately and swiftly connected to nutrient/medicine supply. The paramedic requires a very high degree of skill because he/she has to act very quickly to connect the luer opening with the nutrient supply. It is not uncommon that while connecting nutrient supply to the luer opening some blood comes out of that opening due to the pressure of the blood in the body of IV Catheter Apparatus. This is inconvenient to the medical personal attending to the patient and is also unhygienic.
Another disadvantage of prior art is that the needle some time result in cross venipuncture (needle enters vein from one side and comes out from other side) because paramedic does not know soon enough whether the needle has entered the vein. The cross puncture of the vein result in additional trauma to patients as in such a case paramedic has to find another site for venipuncture.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of this invention is to propose a Rubber Stopper IV Catheter Apparatus in which disadvantages of the prior art are overcome.
Another object of this invention is to propose a Rubber Stopper IV Catheter Apparatus in which the flash back chamber is separated from the wing housing by a fine tube of approximately 3 cm. to 4 cm. in length, consequently blood which gushes back at the time of piercing the vein takes longer time to reach the flash back chamber which gives sufficient time for the medical professional to connect the nutrient supply to the luer opening and prevents the possibility of the blood flowing out of the Catheter Apparatus.
Yet another object of this invention is to propose IV Catheter Apparatus in which rubber stopper fitted inside the wing housing prevents the outflow of blood from the wing housing when the blood gushes inside the main body after the needle enters the vein.
Another object of this invention is to propose a rubber stopper IV Catheter Apparatus wherein the rubber automatically closes the passage created by the needle when the needle is removed from wing housing after veni-puncture.
Yet another object of this invention is to propose a Rubber Stopper IV Catheter Apparatus in which a clip is provided which closes the passage inside the fine tube that slows the blood flow to the flash back chamber.
Another object of this invention is to propose a Rubber Stopper IV Catheter in which a slit is provided in the needle near the needle tip so that the flash back of blood is visible as soon as needle enters the vein.
Another object of this invention is to propose a Rubber Stopper IV Catheter which is smaller is size and simple in operation.
Yet another object of this invention is to propose a rubber stopper IV Catheter which is inexpensive to manufacture.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description.
To the accomplishment of above and to such further objects as may hereinbelow appear, the present invention relates to providing a rubber stopper intravenous catheter apparatus as described in the following specification and as considered with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention a needle covered by the flexible catheter is attached to wing housing of IV Catheter Apparatus. Inside the wing housing a rubber stopper is fitted and the needle passes through the rubber stopper, needle extending upto the catheter. The needle has a slit or a cut on the circumference near the tip to show quick flash back of blood. The assembly of needle, catheter, wing housing is connected by a thin tube of 3 cm. to 4 cm. in length to a separate assembly which consists of flash back chamber, a luer lock and a port having a port cap.
The medical personal holds the IV Cathter Apparatus at the wing housing and pricks the skin of the patient by the needle which enters the
vein of the patient. Thereafter as the needle tip is pushed in the vein, blood gushes into the needle and the same shows at the slit on the circumference near the needle tip. This assists the medical personal to conclude that the needle had entered the vein. As the needle is withdrawn from the vein, blood enters the catheter and reaches the wing housing. The needle is withdrawn further till the needle tip reaches the rubber stopper inside the wing housing. When the needle is withdrawn further the needle tip goes through the rubber stopper and consequently out of the wing housing. The vent or passage made by such withdrawal of the needle through the rubber stopper is quickly and automatically filled/ closed by the flexible rubber as the rubber compresses back immediately after the needle is removed. Thus the blood in the wing housing does not come out of the wing housing. Since the assembly is closed from all sides blood coming from vein into the IV Catheter Apparatus-does not spill out. When the luer lock is opened to attach the IV line, blood from wing housing reaches the flash back chamber through the tube. The medical personal gets sufficient time to connect the flash back chamber to the nutrient supply. Thus there is no blood loss during the use of the rubber stopper IV Catheter. An additional safeguard is provided in the from of a clip which squeezes the connecting tube thereby delays blood flow from wing housing to flash back chamber. Therefore blood flow in the fine tube can be controlled. This gives some more time to the medical professional to connect nutrient supply to flash back chamber without fear of outflow of blood from wing housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIGURE- 1 : represent side view of the present invention of
rubber stopper IV catheter apparatus
FIGURE 2 : represent cross section view of the Figure-1
FIGURE 3 : represent side view of the wing assembly of rubber
stopper IV catheter apparatus
FIGURE 4 : represent the side view of flash back assembly
FIGURE 5 : represent cross section view of Figure-3
FIGURE 6(i): represent the top view of needle of IV catheter
apparatus FIGURE 6(ii): represent side view along line X-X of Figure 6(i) FIGURE 6 (iii): represent enlarged cross section view of section
. Y-Y of Figure 6 (ii).
FIGURE 7 : represent the enlarged views of rubber stopper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Figure 1 shows an IV Catheter apparatus 10 of present invention. The IV Catheter apparatus 10 is viewed as a finished product prior to use and includes a needle cover 16, a wing housing 14 having wing 12 and channel 18, ending to needle hub 36 constituting unitary wing assembly 20. The channel 18 is connected to a fine tube 22 which extend to flash back assembly 24 consisting of flash back chamber 26, port 28 closed by port cap 30 and luer opening 60 closed by luer lock 32. The fine tube 22
has a clip 34 which can be used to squeez the fine tube 22 thus resulting in decrease in internal diameter of the fine tube 22.
Figure 2 represent cross section figure of IV Catheter apparatus 10 of Figure 1. The needle 56 extends from needle hub 36, through rubber stopper 46 in wing housing 14, and ends in needle tip 38 under the needle cover 16. The needle 56 is covered by flexible catheter 40 which originate from catheter base 42.
Wing housing 14 has wing housing chamber 44 which has a cylindrical rubber stopper 46. The rubber stopper 46 is placed between the needle hub 36 and channel opening 48. The rubber stopper 46 is made very elastic and in assembled condition the needle passes through it.
The intravenous catheter apparatus 10 of present invention is provided as two units or assemblies. Figure 3 represent wing assembly 20 which consist of needle 56 passes through catheter base 42, wing housing 14, needle hub 36 attached to wing 12. Figure 4 shows second assembly i.e. flash back assembly 24 consist of flash back chamber 26, port 28 with port cap 30 and the luer lock 32. The port 28 is aligned at 60 degree angle to the line carrying flash back chamber 26. Such a diagonal alignment of port 28 makes attaching of the nutrient supply to the port 28 easier and convenient as compared to the perpendicular alignment of port 28 in prior art.
Figure 5 is cross section of wing assembly of Figure 3. The wing housing 14 has blocker 58 along the internal surface of wing housing 14
which sets in the under cut 54 of rubber stopper 46. Thus the rubber stopper 46 cannot be displaced from the wing housing 14.
Figure(s) 6(i) to 6(iii) shows needle 56 of IV catheter apparatus 10. Figure 6 (i) shows the needle tip 38 and slit or window 50 near the needle tip 38 made on the surface of needle 56. Figure 6(ii) is side view along line X-X of figure 6(i). While figure 6(iii) is enlarged cross section of section Y of Figure 6 (ii).
The needle 56 is hollow and the needle tip 38 is cut diagonally. The surface of needle 56 near needle tip 38 is cut out a slit or a window 50 to show quick flash back of blood when the needle tip 38 enters the vein.
Figure 7 more clearly show the rubber stopper 46 which has under cut 54 running along the circumference at the center of the rubber stopper 46.
When the needle tip 38 is inserted into vein of a patient the needle tip 38 encounters fluid pressure and the blood shows at the window 50 which enable the medical professional to identify that needle tip 38 lies within the vein and this prevents chances of cross-vein puncture.
Blood gushes through the needle tip 38 into the needle 56 and reach wing housing chamber 44. The rubber stopper 46 in the wing housing chamber 44 blocks the blood flow beyond the wing housing chamber 44. After the blood has reached wing housing 14, the needle 56 is withdrawn from the vein which after passing out catheter 40 and rubber stopper 46 comes out of wing housing 14. The assembly of needle 56,
needle hub 36 and wing 12 is detached from wing housing 14 and disposed. The blood from the wing housing 14 does not spill out as the rubber stopper 46 acts as valve closing the wing housing passage 52. Rubber stopper 46 is made very elastic and after the needle 56 is withdrawn the rubber compresses back automatically thus closing the passage.. The incoming blood from needle 56 gets diverted towards channel opening 48 and enters the channel 18 and thereafter tube 22. The internal diameter of tube 22 can be reduced by means of clip 34. This decreases the blood flow in tube 22 to reach flash back chamber 26. The medical personnel gets enough time to connect the nutrient supply to luer opening 60 since the blood flow in tube 22 and flash back chamber 26 can be regulated by the use of clip 34 without spilling the blood.
The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. In the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

WE CLAIM:
1. An Intravenous Catheter Apparatus, the apparatus consisting of:
a needle covered by the flexible catheter attached to wing housing at catheter base;
cylindrical rubber stopper fitted inside wing housing;
fine tube which extend from wing housing to flash back chamber;
flash back chamber, a luer lock and a port having a port cap in unitary assembly;
2. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 which constitute of
two separate assemblies:
Wing assembly constituting needle under the needle cover, wing housing having rubber stopper, ending to needle hub attached to wing and channel attached to wing housing;
Flash back assembly constituting flash back chamber, port closed by port cap and luer lock.
3. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein wing assembly is separated from flash back assembly of claim 2 by a fine tube, consequently blood which gushes back at the time of piercing the vein takes longer time to reach the flash back chamber.
4. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein wing housing has a channel to which fine tube connects leading to flash back assembly of claim 2.
5. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein wing housing has blocker in the form of projection running along the circumference of the internal surface of wing housing.
6. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein a clip is provided to close the passage inside the fine tube that slows the blood flow to the flash back chamber.
7. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein slit/window is provided near the needle tip on the surface of the needle so mat the flash back of blood is visible as soon as needle tip enters the vein.
8. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein flash back assembly of Claim 2 such that the port is aligned at 60 degree to the flash back chamber.
9. The intravenous catheter apparatus of claim 1 wherein cylindrical rubber stopper is fitted inside the wing housing which prevents the outflow of blood from the wing housing.
10. The rubber stopper of claim 9 wherein under cut is provided along the circumference at the center of the rubber stopper which interact with the blocker in the wing housing.
11. The rubber stopper of claim 9 which is held in position between the needle hub and channel opening inside the wing housing.
12. The rubber stopper of claim 9 wherein the rubber is made very flexible such that it automatically closes the passage created by the needle when the needle is removed from wing housing after veni-puncture.
13. The method of using IV Catheter Apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:
Holding the IV Catheter Apparatus at the wing housing and pricking the skin of the patient by the needle which enters the vein of the patient. As the needle tip is pushed in the vein, blood gushes into the needle and the same shows at the slit/window on the surface of needle near the needle tip. This assists the medical personal to conclude that the needle had entered the vein. The needle is withdrawn from the vein, the catheter and the wing housing. The vent or passage made by such withdrawal of the needle through the rubber stopper is quickly and automatically filled/ closed by the flexible rubber. The luer lock is opened to attach the IV line, blood from wing housing reaches the flash back chamber through the tube. A clip squeezes the connecting tube thereby delays blood flow from wing housing to flash back chamber. The medical personal gets sufficient time to connect the flash back chamber to the nutrient supply. Thus there is no blood loss during the use of the rubber stopper IV Catheter.