Access device

Abstract

An access device places a medical article within a body space of a patient. The device has a needle that includes a needle body and hub. The device further includes a dilator coaxially disposed and slideable over the needle body and a medical article. A viewing space is disposed between the dilator and the medical article with at least one passageway or conduit connecting the viewing space with the interior bore of the needle body. The passageway is defined at least in part by openings through the sides of the needle and dilator. At least a portion of the conduit or passageway can be defined by one or more grooves between the needle and dilator. The device can further include a guidewire and an interlock between the guidewire and the needle and/or dilator. The device can further include one or more stops disposed between the guidewire and the needle and/or dilator to limit the extent to which the guidewire can be moved (e.g., advanced) relative to the needle or inhibit such relative movement (e.g., backwards movement).

1 . An access device for placing a medical article within a body space, comprising:
 a needle having a needle body and an interior bore;   a dilator coaxially disposed about the needle body and having a dilator shaft;   a medical article coaxially disposed about the dilator;   a plurality of openings extending through a side of at least one of the needle body and the dilator shaft;   at least one opening in the other one of the needle body and dilator shaft, the plurality of openings being spaced about the one of the needle body or dilator shaft so that at least one of the plurality of openings at least partially overlaps the at least one opening in the other one of the needle body and dilator shaft when the needle body is rotationally clocked relative to the dilator shaft in a first position and in a second position, the second position being different than the first position;   a viewing space disposed between the dilator and the medical article; and   at least one passageway connecting the viewing space with the interior bore of the needle body, the passageway being defined at least in part by the plurality of openings and the at least one opening.   
     
     
         2 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the medical article is a catheter. 
     
     
         3 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the medical article is a sheath. 
     
     
         4 . The access device of  claim 3 , wherein the sheath comprises a body and a hub. 
     
     
         5 . The access device of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the sheath is clear. 
     
     
         6 . The access device of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the sheath is translucent. 
     
     
         7 . The access device of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the sheath is semi-opaque. 
     
     
         8 . The access device of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the sheath is transparent so as to provide a visual indication when blood or other body fluids flow into the needle body, through the plurality of openings and the at least one opening, and into the viewing space. 
     
     
         9 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of openings at least partially overlaps the at least one opening in the other one of the needle body and dilator shaft regardless of a rotational orientation of the dilator shaft relative to the needle body. 
     
     
         10 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings is irregularly spaced about the one of the needle body or dilator shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening and the plurality of openings define a plurality of passageways, each passageway connecting the viewing space with an interior bore of the needle body. 
     
     
         12 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one passageway has an incongruous shape between the needle outer surface and the dilator inner surface, the incongruous shape being a radial cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         13 . The access device of  claim 12 , wherein an inner side surface of the dilator shaft has an oval shape and an outer side surface of the needle body has a circular shape. 
     
     
         14 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the viewing space is disposed at a distal portion of the medical article. 
     
     
         15 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the viewing space has a linear shape along at least a portion of an axial length of the medical article. 
     
     
         16 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the viewing space has a curved shape along at least a portion of an axial length of the medical article. 
     
     
         17 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the viewing space has a spiral shape along at least a portion of an axial length of the medical article. 
     
     
         18 . The access device of  claim 1 , wherein the viewing space has an annular shape. 
     
     
         19 . The access device of  claim 18 , wherein an axial length of the viewing space is substantially coextensive with a length of the medical article. 
     
     
         20 . The access device of  claim 18 , wherein an axial length of the viewing space is substantially less than a length of the medical article. 
     
     
         21 . An access device for placing a medical article within a body space, comprising:
 a needle having a needle body;   a dilator coaxially disposed about the needle body and having a dilator shaft;   a guidewire; and   an interlock between the guidewire and at least one of the needle and the dilator.   
     
     
         22 . The access device of  claim 21 , wherein the interlock is configured to retain the guidewire to the access device. 
     
     
         23 . The access device of  claim 21  further comprising a medical article coaxially disposed about the dilator. 
     
     
         24 . The access device of  claim 21 , wherein the interlock comprises an attachment connecting the guidewire to at least one area of at least one of the needle and the dilator. 
     
     
         25 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the one area is a surface on the needle body. 
     
     
         26 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the needle includes a needle hub, the one area being a surface on the needle hub. 
     
     
         27 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the dilator includes a dilator hub, the one area being a surface on the dilator hub. 
     
     
         28 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the attachment connects the guidewire to at least two areas, the two areas being on one of the needle, the dilator, and the needle and the dilator. 
     
     
         29 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the attachment is disposed relative to the guidewire so that the guidewire does not have a full range of motion in at least one direction when moving axially relative to the needle body. 
     
     
         30 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the attachment is disposed relative to the guidewire so that the guidewire is limited in moving in a proximal direction so as to prevent the guidewire from completely retracting into the needle body. 
     
     
         31 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the attachment is disposed relative to the guidewire so that the guidewire is limited in moving in a distal direction so as to prevent the guidewire from completely exiting the needle body. 
     
     
         32 . The access device of  claim 24 , wherein the attachment is disposed relative to the guidewire so that the guidewire is limited in moving in a distal direction so as to maintain a minimum length of the guidewire beyond a tip of the needle. 
     
     
         33 . A method of locking a guidewire to an access device, the method comprising:
 releasably locking a dilator to a needle so as to inhibit at least relative axial movement between at least a portion of the needle and at least a portion of the dilator;   sliding a release member and guidewire in a distal direction relative to the locked dilator and needle, the guidewire being attached to the release member; and   engaging the release member with at least one of the dilator and needle so as to unlock the dilator from the needle and inhibit at least relative axial movement between at least a portion of the guidewire and at least a portion of the needle.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising advancing the dilator in the distal direction relative to the needle. 
     
     
         35 . An access device for placing a medical article within a body space, comprising:
 a needle having a needle body;   a dilator coaxially disposed about the needle body and having a dilator shaft;   a guidewire; and   one or more stops disposed between the guidewire and at least one of the needle and the dilator.   
     
     
         36 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops have a maximum circumference that is greater than a minimum circumference of the guidewire. 
     
     
         37 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops comprise silicon. 
     
     
         38 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops have a generally round shape. 
     
     
         39 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops contacts an inner surface on the needle body at least when the guidewire is slid in a distal direction. 
     
     
         40 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops is disposed so as to connect the guidewire to at least an area of one of the needle and the dilator. 
     
     
         41 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops is disposed on the guidewire so that the guidewire does not have a full range of motion in at least one direction when moving axially relative to the needle body. 
     
     
         42 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops is disposed on the guidewire so that the guidewire is limited in moving in a proximal direction to prevent the guidewire from completely retracting into the needle body. 
     
     
         43 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops is disposed on the guidewire so that the guidewire is limited in moving in a distal direction to prevent the guidewire from completely exiting the needle body. 
     
     
         44 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops is disposed on the guidewire so that the guidewire is limited in moving in a distal direction to maintain a minimum length of the guidewire beyond a tip of the needle. 
     
     
         45 . The access device of  claim 35 , further comprising a medical article coaxially disposed about the dilator. 
     
     
         46 . The access device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more stops are attached to the guidewire. 
     
     
         47 . The access device of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more stops are movable along a length of the guidewire. 
     
     
         48 . The access device of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more stops are inhibited from moving along the length of the guidewire. 
     
     
         49 . The access device of  claim 46 , wherein an interference fit exists between the one or more stops and the guidewire. 
     
     
         50 . The access device of  claim 46 , wherein a friction fit exists between the one or more stops and the guidewire. 
     
     
         51 . The access device of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more stops are mechanically coupled to the guidewire. 
     
     
         52 . The access device of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more stops are adhered to the guidewire.