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This invention relates to a safety intravenous (I.V.) Catheter and, in particular, to a
safety intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device with retractable needle. In particular, the
intravenous catheter device for the invention has been provided to reduce needle
stick injuries, spread of hospital acquired infections and also avoid environmental
concerns / hazards in its use and disposal. Importantly also apart from being safe
and user friendly the intravenous catheter device is cost effective to favour wide
scale application and use of the catheter device.
BACKGROUND ART
It is well known that in health care, one of the most relevant concerns relate to
provision of safe hospital environment, in particular, members of hospital and
medical staff are required to be assured that they are not subject to any unwanted
infection while caring for patients. Such adequate care and concern for safe
medical attention and treatment is important not only in hospitals but also for any
health care environments such as those required in nursing homes, health homes
and related health care facilities and provisions.
Intravenous (I.V.) Catheters are well known medical devices used to obtain
continuous vascular access in patients. Such a device generally consists of a
hollow-bore needle and an over-the-needle plastic tubing used to access the lumen
of a blood vessel of a patient. The intravenous (I.V.) Catheter for such purpose is
advanced into the vessel and is used in administering intravenous fluids,
medications or blood products. Importantly, in such application and use since the
(I.V.) Catheter is placed percutaneously, the hollow-bore needle stylet becomes

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blood contaminated and when the blood vessel lumen is accessed, the needle-
stylet becomes blood -filled.
In the conventional Catheter units presently in use, the basic steps followed in
catheter application/use include (i) using alcohol wipes (ii) puncturing skin using
needle tip enclosed in a thin plastic tube (iii) moving needle tip forward to
puncture vein (iv) blood flashback in the blood collection chamber (v) initiating
withdrawal of the needle out from the cannula and leaving the tubing inside the
body (vi) The butterfly portion attached to the tubing is fixed by tape to the body
of the patient and medicines etc. are given through the opening provided in this
portion, (vii) discarding needle with the tip remaining exposed in the sharp's
container. Thus the exposed needle remains a potential source for contamination
and infection. Infection from such needle stick injuries is a greatest risk for the
medical and paramedical staff.
Needle stick injuries from intravenous (I.V.) Catheter stylets are in the high risk
category for potential transmission of blood borne pathogens to the injured health
care worker, since the same are hollow bore needles which are usually filled with
undiluted blood. The blood borne pathogens of greatest concerns include human
immuno deficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of the acquired immuno
deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus.
As per hospital reports, one-third nurses and laboratory staff suffer from needle
stick injuries every year. HIV transmission through needle injuries is 0.3% of all
modes of contaminations. The rate of HIV transmission through needle stick

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injuries is 2-7% of all means. Injuries from used needle or contact with infected
blood on the needle pose serious dangers to health care workers. The nurses are
most vulnerable to needle stick injuries among health workers. Apart from health
care workers, cleaners, laundry workers, porters, ragpickers etc. are also prone to
health hazards caused by improper waste disposal methods. Blood exchange
through needle stick injuries can pass on over about 20 deadly pathogens and
microorganisms. Health staff with significant exposure to HIV is 6-30% risk of
getting infected. Atleast one in eight, health care workers is exposed to fatal
infection through needle stick injuries.
To avoid the above hazards of needle stick injuries guidelines have also been
provided to benefit medical staff, laboratory staff and employees for protection
and minimizing the risk of such contamination / transmission of infection through
needle. However, it is obvious that the effectiveness of such precautionary
guidelines would depend on accountability, education, training and vigilant
compliance. Such precautionary guidelines while being important and most
certainly required to be followed, negligence and non-compliance of such
guidelines can and usually lead to the afore-discussed problems and complexities
of needle stick injuries and hospital acquired infection. It is, therefore, important
not only to provide the guidelines but also human care systems/devices, which
would minimize the risk of such unwanted contamination especially due to human
lapses which can take place any moment and lead to injuries / contaminations of
even serious nature such as the HIV / HCB transmission.

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OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is thus the basic object of the present invention to provide a safety intravenous
(I.V.) Catheter needle which would favour safe and user friendly application and
disposal of the needle in a safe manner.
Another object of the present invention is directed to provide a safety (I.V.)
Catheter device adapted to reduce needle stick injuries, spread of hospital
acquired infection and the like and thereby ensure safety for the staff involved in
the hospital and medical care facilities.
Another object of the present invention is directed to provide for an intravenous
(I.V.) Catheter device which would favour safety and effective use of (I.V.)
Catheter which would not be subjected to any high risk in its use and application
as a potential vehicle for transmission of blood borne pathogen to the health care
workers.
A further object of the present invention is directed to an intravenous (I.V.)
Catheter device which would be simple and cost effective to manufacture and
would also be safe for wide scale application and use without fear or
accompanying hazards of needle stick injuries or spread of hospital acquired
infection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus according to the basic aspect of the present invention there is provided an
intravenous (I.V.) Catheter safety device with retractable needle comprising:

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a needle hub capable of holding the needle. The needle is different from the
ordinary needle as the needle is having a forming at a distance from the tip.
Importantly, the intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device comprises a one way valve
adapted to facilitate extra medication and prevent back flow. The said one way
valve preferably comprises a silicone tube. Also, the said one way valve is
provided with cap means incorporating a recessed plug with protective skirt to
effectively prevent contamination when the valve is not in use. Advantageously
also the said one way valve cap is adapted for resting the finger to facilitate
effective two-point grip for cannulation.
In accordance with yet further aspect of the invention, the intravenous (I.V.)
Catheter device comprises colour coded pot cap for gauge size identification.
Also, preferably, the intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device comprises angled and
grooved wings adapted for easy fixation and prevent pistoning and rolling of
cannula over the patient's body.
It would be apparent from the above that the above disclosed intravenous (I.V.)
Catheter device with retractable needle of the invention is adapted to ensure safe
and user friendly application and use of such catheter devices.
There is a specially designed locking insert placed in the body after the one way
valve and before the needle hub. The locking insert is made up of plastic in which
a stainless steel strip is fitted which is having hole on one end and a bending
profile on the other end.

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In particular, the catheter device of the invention apart from serving the basic need
of a catheter essentially takes care of problems of needle stick injuries and spread
of hospital acquired infection through the needle used for cannulation.
Importantly, the above catheter device is adapted such that when the needle is
withdrawn out from the butterfly portion, the needle tip gets enclosed within the
Locking Insert by means of the stainless steel clip fitted in the plastic housing and
the tip gets encaged in the body of the Locking Insert. The Locking Insert will
disengage itself from the butter fly and form a protective cover over the needle tip.
As also provided by way of invention, the safety (I.V.) Catheter is a safety device
adapted to protect the user against needle stick injuries.
Importantly, in accordance with preferred aspect, the safety (I.V.) Catheter
includes a one-way valve (Silicon tube) to facilitate extra medication and to
prevent back flow. Advantageously, the valve is provided with selectively
adapted pot cap incorporating a recessed plug with protective skirt to effectively
prevent contamination when the valve is not in use. Moreover, the pot cap is also
adapted for resting the finger to facilitate effective two-point grip for cannulation.
It offers safe and convenient needleless methods of atraumatic administration of
medicines.
In accordance with further preferred aspect the intravenous catheter device
comprises colour coded pot cap for gauge size identification. Moreover, the
provision is made for angled and grooved wings adapted to offer easy fixation and
prevent pistoning and rolling cannula over the patient's body. More importantly,
the above disclosed intravenous catheter device is adapted to facilitate simple and

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safe use of catheter without the need for specialized training for such range of
safety intravenous (I.V.) Catheter.
The details of the invention, its objects and advantages are explained hereunder in
greater detail in relation to non-limiting exemplary illustration as per the
following accompanying figures:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the intravenous (I.V.) catheter with Tip
Locking Insert.
Figure 2 is the complete intravenous (I.V.) catheter wherein the individual parts
have been numbered as below:
1. Portion marked as 1 is plastic tubing.
2. Portion marked as 2 is butterfly portion.
3. Portion marked as 3 is Pot cap.
4. Portion marked as 4 is Locking Insert.
5. Portion marked as 5 is needle hub.
6. Portion marked as 6 is Stainless Steel clip visible inside the transparent
Locking Insert.
7. Portion marked as 7 is leur lock.
8. Portion marked as 8 is needle.
Figure 3 is an illustration of the needle running its full length with tip locked
inside the Locking Insert.

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Figure 4 illustrates the intravenous catheter device with the needle retracted within
the Locking Insert, detached from the butterfly portion.
Figure 5 shows the needle tip with a forming at a distance from the tip.
Figure 6 shows the stainless steel clip.
Figure 7 shows the locking insert with stainless steel strip.
Reference is first invited to accompanying figure 1, which shows the intravenous
(I.V.) Catheter device in accordance with the present invention wherein the
product I.V. Catheter has a Locking Insert between the needle hub and the
butterfly portion. The needle is fitted in the needle hub and passes through the
Locking Insert having steel strip with hole facilitating passage of the needle and
the butterfly into the plastic tubing.
Reference is now invited to Figures 3 and 4, which go to illustrate the manner of
working of the invention. In figure 3, the insert remains within the butterfly
portion and needle runs its full length between the insert and the needle hub. In
figure 4, the insert is detached from the butterfly portion and the needle tip is
locked inside the insert with the help of the steel strip.
Reference is now invited to accompanying figure 5.
In Figure 5, the needle tip with a forming at a distance from the tip is shown. The
forming is marked as 'A'

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Figure 6 shows the stainless steel clip which is having a hole on one end and a
bending profile on the other end.
In Figure 7, the locking insert with stainless steel strip is shown. The stainless
strip is fitted in a manner that the needle travels from one side through the hole
and through the bend.
Such a provision of the intravenous (I.V.) catheter device therefore achieves the
required safety in IV cannulation and adapted to protect the user against needle
stick injuries.
The method of application and use of the above safety (I.V.) Catheter of the
invention is further detailed hereunder:-
Thus in use of the catheter device initially the position of the catheter insertion is
cleaned using alcohol wipes. Thereafter, the skin is punctured by using the needle
tip which is inside a thin plastic tubiage. The needle tip is moved forward to
puncture the vein. Immediately blood flash back is noticed in the blood collection
chamber.
Subsequently, the needle withdrawing action is initiated by withdrawing the
needle out from the cannula and leaving the plastic tubing inside the body. The
butterfly portion of the catheter remains outside for giving medication. In this
process, the needle through the insert and its tip gets locked in the Locking Insert.
In this position, the needle run its full length between the Locking Insert and the
needle hub. The needle tip then gets locked inside the Locking Insert by means of

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stainless steel clip. The needle tip is locked in the manner that the tip cannot come
out of the bend of the stainless steel clip.
As would be apparent from the above, the intravenous (I.V.) safety catheter thus
achieves the locking of the needle tip within the Locking Insert free of any
exposure to avoid needle stick injury and / or any spread of hospital acquired
infection by way of unwanted needle contamination. Finally, by way of the above
safe and convenient locking of the needle within Locking Insert of the catheter
system of the invention, it is possible to safely discard the needle with Locking
Insert in the sharp container.
Advantageously, the above (I.V.) Catheter is adapted to function as a safe device
to protect the user against needle stick injuries. The above safety catheter device
involving the Locking Insert can be manufactured out of simple materials
including polypropylene, low density polyethylene, stainless steel, acronytrle
butadiene styrene, silicon rubber, Floropolymer/ Poly urathene.
The Locking Insert, needle hub, flash back, needle hub are made of
polypropylene. The needle and clip are made of stainless steel and pot cap is
made of low density polyethylene.
The one way valve can be obtained of silicon tube and adapted to facilitate extra
medication and prevent back flow. The valve is specifically adapted to incorporate
a recessed plug with protective skirt to effectively prevent contamination when the
valve is not in use. Advantageously also pot cap is adapted for resting the finger to
facilitate effective two-point grip for cannulation. The system offers safe and

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convenient needle less method for atraumatic administration of medicines.
Moreover, it is possible to provide colour coded pot cap for gauge size
identification. Angled and groove wings can be provided to offer easy fixation and
prevent positioning and rolling of cannula over the patient's body. The catheter
device so introduced to this invention is user friendly and provide a safe and
simple catheter device for doctors and paramedical staff.
WE CLAIM:
1. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device with retractable needle comprising:
a needle hub, Locking Insert fitted between the needle hub and butterfly, a needle
different from others where a forming is provided at a distance from the tip, where
the Locking Insert slides to the butterfly portion and the needle runs its length
between the Locking Insert and the butterfly portion and the needle tip forming
gets locked in the Locking Insert by means of a stainless steel clip provided inside
the Tip Locking Insert and the Tip Locking Insert comes out of the butterfly
portion fixed on the needle tip.
2. An intravenous (I. V.) Catheter device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the needle
hub is accompanied with a Locking Insert.
3. An intravenous catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the Locking Insert is
fitted between the needle hub and the butterfly.
4. The intravenous (I.V.) catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein Locking Insert
has a stainless strip.

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5. An intravenous (I.V.) catheter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the needle slides
from the butterfly portion and the needle runs its length between the locking insert
and the needle hub.
6. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device as claimed in claim 1 where the needle
tip forming gets locked in the Locking Insert and the stainless steel clip provided
in the hollow portion of the Locking Insert.
7. An intravenous (I.V.) catheter device as claimed in class 1 wherein the
stainless steel clip having hole on one side and a bending profile on the other end.
8. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
needle has a forming at a distance from the tip.
9. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one
way valve comprises a silicone tube.
10. An intravenous (I. V.) Catheter device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one
way valve is provided with cap means incorporating a recessed plug with
protective skirt to effectively prevent contamination when the valve is not in use.

11. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one
way pot cap is adapted for resting the finger to facilitate effective two-point grip
for cannulation.
12. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7
comprising colour coded pot cap for gauge size identification.

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13. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7
comprising angled and grooved wings adapted for easy fixation and prevent
pistoning and rolling of cannula over the patient's body.
14. An intravenous (I.V.) Catheter device with needle substantially as herein
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying figures.


Dated this 26th day of December 2007.

This invention relates to a medical safety intravenous (I.V.) catheter and in particular, a safety intravenous (I.V.) catheter device with a Tip Locking Insert fitted between the needle
hub and butterfly portion and the needle. At the time of cannulation, needle run its length between the Tip Locking Insert and the needle hub and wherein the forming on the needle gets locked inside the Tip Locking Insert by means of
stainless steel clip contained in the hollow of the Tip Locking Insert and the clip has a hole on one end and a bending profile on the other end and the Tip Locking Insert comes out fixed on the needle tip.