Critikon, Inc

Johnson & Johnson Medical Gmbh

Other

Joseph J Chang

Mark A Panzera

Gerald J Kovalic

Dennis Bialecki

William Egolf

Michael O'Neil

Thomas Sloane

Mark Panzera

Maynard R Ramsey, Iii

Dennis M Bialecki

David L Bogert

Ronald C Brown

Julian E Cannon

Robert H Cameron

Richard M Bloom

Herbert Brown

Leonard C Ducharme

Philip D Schmidt

Jay M Patel

Thomas Tivendale

Graham R Lay

John V Yapp

An article for temporarily affixing to the skin of a wearer about the wearer's nose to support eyeglasses worn by the wearer includes a flexible body having a back surface and a front surface, with the back surface including an adhesive for temporarily retaining the article on the skin of a wearer. The body includes a pair of edges that define the width of the body with the body being sized to be disposed on a wearer's nose. A protrusion is disposed on the front surface of the body, with the protrusion extending above a plane defined by the front surface. The protrusion is configured for engaging eyeglasses worn by a wearer when the article is affixed to the wearer's nose to thereby inhibit the eyeglasses from slipping down the wearer's nose.

Article support device for applying to skin

Methods for forming a rib on a cannula for cooperation with a safety cover which securably and reliably locks the tip of a cannula in an interior chamber within the safety cover. The cover comprises an elongate body having the interior chamber and an axial through hole which extends along the entire length of the body, through the interior chamber and through which the cannula is slidably received. Displacing elements are positioned within the interior chamber, each of which includes a hole for receiving the cannula therethrough, and which displaces upon retraction of the tip of the cannula, thereby preventing subsequent advancement of the cannula tip. The cannula includes a thickened rib adjacent to the tip, and the safety cover should correspondingly include an annular section in the rear portion thereof. The through hole extending through the rear portion has a diameter which is smaller than the thickened rib of the cannula whereby the cannula tip may not be retracted from the safety cover. The rib is formed by a thermal method in which a sleeve is heated to expand its inside diameter to allow the sleeve to be slid onto the cannula. The sleeve is then cooled to room temperature so that the inside diameter contracts to attach the sleeve to the cannula. In another method, a sleeve is placed on the cannula and crimped at the desired location.

Method for forming a rib on a cannula for a tip protection device

In a first process described a tapered catheter tip is molded by placing a tubular catheter over a mandrel and inserting the mandrel and catheter assembly into a mold having an inner mold surface. The molded catheter with flash is thereafter removed from the mold and the mandrel removed from the catheter. The catheter and flash are inserted into a jig which defines an opening through which the flash extends. The opening is defined by a cutting surface and the flash extends above such cutting surface. A cutter is then moved along the cutting surface in order to severe the flash at precisely the appropriate point along the catheter length to leave a formed trimmed catheter. The catheter is thereafter removed from the jig for further processing.

Catheter tip mold and cut process

A catheter hub to nose engagement for securely engaging the hub of a catheter to the nose of a catheter emplacement unit is described. The attachment mechanism may be as simple as an elastic tube which provides an interference fit between the catheter hub and the nose of the emplacement unit. In an alternate embodiment the nose has a longitudinal slot to provide a split nose tip. The split nose tip is held in a separated position by the passage of a cannula therethrough and an enlarged burr end securely engages the hub and nose together. In another embodiment the nose has a longitudinally tapered nose tip and the tapered nose tip has an enlarged burr end to securely engage the hub and nose together. In a further embodiment the nose has an internal undercut in which an elastic plug is secured which is positioned between the catheter hub and nose. The elastic plus has a through hole having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of a catheter needle such that when the needle is inserted into the through hole the outer diameter of the elastic plug is expanded.

Catheter hub to nose engagement

A process for forming the tips on catheters is described in which the catheter is placed on a mandrel and molded in a mold. The mandrel may then be removed and a second mandrel inserted. The second mandrel having a larger diameter and adapted to contact inner surface of the mold to thereby cut any flash formed at the end of the catheter and separate the flash from the catheter tip. Alternatively, the mandrel and catheter are inserted into the mold to mold the outer surface of the catheter thereafter removed and inserted into a die to punch the flash from the tip of the catheter material. The punch process may be carried out by either the same mandrel or a second mandrel adapted to the purpose of cutting or punching the flash from the catheter.

Catheter beveling and die cut process

The disclosed invention provides a telescoping tip protector for reducing the risk of needle sticks in used catheter introducers. The pair of telescoping members are adapted such that they telescope from a housing which is gripped by the user with one of the telescoping members locking in a position extending from the housing and the second member locks in a position extending from the first member. The second member carries thereon a tip protecting portion which surrounds the cannula tip and prevents the inadvertent jabbing, piercing or sticking of the needle into a person after the use of the introducer and engagement of the protector.

Telescoping members for catheter introducer assembly

An improved self-capping disposable needle assembly for use in combination with a skin puncture apparatus is provided. More specifically, an improved self-capping disposable needle assembly for use with a catheter which assembly contains a pleated sleeve made from any natural or synthetic fiber material is provided. The fiber materials employed as the pleated sleeve optionally may be treated with a suitable agent that provides the fiber material with a hydrophobic coating and prevents fluids such as blood from seeping therefrom.

Self-capping needle assembly

A safety cover which securably and reliably locks the tip of a cannula in an interior chamber within the safety cover. The cover comprises an elongate body having the interior chamber and an axial through hole which extends along the entire length of the body, through the interior chamber and through which the cannula is slidably received. Displacing elements are positioned within the interior chamber, each of which includes a hole for receiving said cannula therethrough, and which displaces upon retraction of the tip of said cannula, thereby preventing subsequent advancement of said cannula tip. In a first embodiment the displacing elements are annular rings. In a second embodiment, the elements are rigid balls having through holes. In a third embodiment, the displacing elements are a pair of conical elements, one of which is spring biased, each of which includes an offset hole. In each embodiment, it is preferable that the cannula should include a thickened rib adjacent to said tip, and the safety cover should correspondingly include an annular section in the rear portion thereof. The through hole extending through the rear portion has a diameter which is smaller than said thickened rib of said cannula whereby the cannula tip may not be retracted from the safety cover.

Tip protection device

A catheter needle tip protector which assures that the needle is secured against accidental punctures after it is withdrawn from a patient's body. A catheter comprises a catheter hub, and a needle tip protector positioned within the catheter hub. A catheter needle defines a needle tip, with the needle being secured to a needle housing by first and second unequal biasing wires which extend between the needle housing and the needle tip protector. When the needle is withdrawn from the catheter hub, the first and second biasing wires extend the needle tip protector relative to the needle to an oblique position caused by the unequal biasing in which the needle tip is positioned within the needle tip protector. The first and second unequal biasing wires can comprise first and second coiled wires, which can have different biasing strengths to bias the needle tip protector to the oblique position, or can have different lengths to bias the needle tip protector to the oblique position. In one embodiment, the first and second coiled wires are encased within a sleeve in a bellows-like structure.

Catheter needle tip protector

A new catheter stick protector is described having a metal flap clip which snaps down into place to prevent return of the needle through the protector device once withdrawn. The device is small and received over the needle to provide an interface between the needle hub and the hub of a catheter like product. A sleeve of hydrophobic or fluid impermeable material is provided and attached at one end to the needle hub and at a second end to the tip protector. The length of the material is selected to hold the tip protector in a position just extending beyond the tip of the needle of a catheter inserter.

Catheter with stick protection

An over-the-needle catheter assembly in which a restriction of the inner diameter of the catheter tube is formed in the proximity of the needle hub. The restriction is formed by heating a portion of the catheter tube to the softening point of the catheter material, stretching the catheter tube to cause the heated portion of the catheter tube to tighten about an inner needle or mandrel, then releasing the stretching force to allow the stretched portion to relax, leaving a small gap between the inner wall of the catheter tube and the outer diameter of the insertion needle. The small gap is preferably sized to be on the order of the size of the diameter of blood cells to restrict the flow of liquids past the restriction and into the catheter hub.

Method of forming a catheter with backflow restriction

A catheter assembly is provided with a needle guard that slides along the needle to shield the distal tip of the needle after the needle is withdrawn from a patient. The needle passes through an aperture at the distal end of the needle guard. To prevent the backflow of blood through the aperture and into the needle guard, a gasket is formed in the aperture about the needle. The gasket is formed with the needle in place by filling the aperture around the needle with adhesive. After the adhesive has substantially cured but before the adhesive has tightly bonded to the needle the needle guard is moved along the needle to prevent bonding of the adhesive to the needle. The needle guard will thereafter slide along the needle with the needle passing through the formed-in-place gasket.

Catheter with needle gasket

An over-the-needle catheter assembly is provided in which a restriction of the inner diameter of the catheter tube is formed in the proximity of the needle hub. The restriction is formed by heating a portion of the catheter tube to the softening point of the catheter material, stretching the catheter tube to cause the heated portion of the catheter tube to tighten about an inner needle or mandril, then releasing the stretching force to allow the stretched portion to relax, leaving a small gap between the inner wall of the catheter tube and the outer diameter of the insertion needle. The small gap is preferably sized to be on the order of the size of the diameter of blood cells to restrict the flow of liquids past the restriction and into the catheter hub.

Catheter with backflow restriction

A catheter device is described with a safety needle guard that covers and protects the needle after use of the device. The device includes a semi-tubular needle housing containing a flash chamber with a hollow needle extending from the distal end of the flash chamber. A tubular needle guard concentrically fits and slides within the needle housing. The needle guard has a longitudinal slot through which the mounting base of the flash chamber passes as the guard slides within the housing. The top of the semi-tubular housing is open so that a user may access the top of the tubular needle guard with a finger to urge the needle guard to an extended position from the distal end of the housing and in a surrounding position about the needle. As the needle guard attains its fully extended position about the needle, it locks in place in the needle housing.

Catheter with needle guard

A flash plug for an I.V. catheter is formed of a body of polymeric material, and has a narrow distal end for insertion within a catheter flash chamber and a larger proximal end which extends from the flash chamber. The flash plug has an aperture extending through it from the distal to the proximal end. An insert of a porous material is located within the aperture, and is capable of passing air and blocking the flow of blood. The catheter body is compatible with flash chamber material so as to remain securely located within the flash chamber and provides protection for the insert. The aperture diameter is sized to retain the porous insert securely within the flash plug body.

Growing community of inventors

Avon, CT, United States of America

Joseph J Chang