Johnson & Johnson Medical Gmbh

Ethicon, Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Critikon, Inc

Mark Panzera

Joseph Chang

William Egolf

Michael O'neil

Joseph J Chang

David L Bogert

Dennis Bialecki

Gerald J Kovalic

Philip D Schmidt

Thomas Sloane

Herbert Brown

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

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

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, CT, United States of America

Mark Panzera