Vascular Access Devices and Methods

Abstract

Some embodiments of a vascular access device are configured to reduce the likelihood of blood leakage during installation, even when the device is optionally installed using a single hand. In particular implementations, the vascular access device is configured as a peripheral intravenous (IV) device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of installing a vascular access device, comprising:
 piercing a distal tip of an introducer needle through a skin surface and positioning the distal tip in a blood vessel while the introducer needle is slidably disposed with a lumen of a catheter assembly such that a distal tip of the catheter assembly is also positioned in the blood vessel;   withdrawing the introducer needle from the patient while leaving the catheter assembly positioned in the blood vessel, wherein the introducer needle is slidably withdrawn through a sealing septum housed within the catheter assembly such that the septum seals a blood flow path through the catheter assembly after the introducer needle disengages the septum and the catheter assembly; and   mounting a connector assembly with the catheter assembly into an operative configuration by pressing a connector body of the connector assembly into engagement with a catheter hub of the catheter assembly so that a connector needle of the connector assembly penetrates through the sealing septum previously occupied by the introducer needle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connector needle extends through the sealing septum without deflecting an outer periphery of the sealing septum. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the connector needle penetrates the sealing septum at substantially the same location from which the introducer needle is withdrawn from the sealing septum. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said piercing, said withdrawing, and said mounting are performed using a single hand. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the pressing the connector body into engagement with the catheter hub comprises snapping the connector body and the catheter hub together. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pressing the connector body into engagement with the catheter hub snaps the connector body together with the catheter hub when an annular protrusion that extends around an entire circumference of the connector body seats within an annular recess that extends along an entire circumference of the catheter hub. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said piercing, said withdrawing, and said mounting are performed to provide peripheral intravenous access to the blood vessel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising infusing fluid into the blood vessel through the connector assembly and the catheter assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising infusing fluid into the blood vessel through the connector needle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connector needle is comprises a non-coring tip 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the catheter assembly comprises (i) the catheter hub, (ii) a catheter tube extending distally from the catheter hub and said lumen that is configured to be positioned in the blood vessel, and (iii) the sealing septum disposed within an interior space defined by the catheter hub; and   the introducer needle is attached to and extends from an introducer needle hub which is slidably coupled to a needle guard, and a distal end of the needle guard is removably connected to a proximal end of the catheter hub during said piercing of the distal tip of the introducer needle through the skin surface.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said withdrawing the introducer needle from the patient causes the distal tip of the introducer needle to move in a proximal direction to a position inside the needle guard. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, after withdrawing the introducer needle from the patient, detaching the needle guard from the proximal end of the catheter hub while the distal tip of the introducer needle is contained inside the needle guard. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said mounting the connector assembly with the catheter assembly into the operative configuration comprises pressing the connector body of the connector assembly into engagement with the proximal end of the catheter hub after said detaching the needle guard from the proximal end of the catheter hub. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the catheter hub comprises an annular recess that extends along an entire circumference of the catheter hub and the connector body comprises an annular protrusion that extends along an entire circumference of the connector body, the annular recess and the annular protrusion having complementary shapes to mating with one another. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the catheter hub deflects as the connector body is pressed into a mated condition with the catheter hub. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the catheter hub deflects as the connector body is pressed into the mated condition with the catheter hub because an outer circumferential diameter of the connector body including a protrusion on the connector body is larger than an inner circumferential diameter of at least a portion of the catheter hub. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said withdrawing the introducer needle and detaching the needle guard from the proximal end of the catheter hub while the distal tip of the introducer needle is contained inside the needle guard are performed using a single hand. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said pressing the connector body of the connector assembly into engagement with the proximal end of the catheter hub causes the connector needle to extend through the sealing septum without deflecting an outer periphery of the sealing septum. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the connector needle penetrates the sealing septum at substantially the same location from which the introducer needle is withdrawn from the sealing septum.