Catheter inserter

Abstract

A catheter inserter has an inserter housing with a flat base and a cannula housing disposed within the inserter housing with a cannula extending generally parallel to the inserter housing longitudinal axis. Stop means are disposed at each end of the inserter housing. locking means on the cannula housing selectively engage the stop means to lock the cannula housing in a first disposition in which the cannula extends outwardly from the inserter housing and in a second disposition in which the cannula is retracted within said inserter housing. The cannula housing has a passage in fluid communication with the cannula which, together with means on the inserter housing and cannula housing, permit the external viewing of blood passing into the fluid passage from the cannula.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A catheter inserter comprising: an inserter housing of parti-cylindrical configuration having a flat base which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inserter housing;   a cannula;   a cannula housing disposed within the inserter housing and longitudinally slidable therewithin, said cannula housing having a main body portion of a cross-sectional configuration which is generally complementary with the inserter housing cross-sectional configuration;   said cannula housing including hub means for fixing said cannula to said cannula housing main body so as to extend generally parallel to the inserter housing longitudinal axis;   first stop means disposed at said first end of said inserter housing;   locking means formed on said cannula housing so as to be selectively engageable with said first stop means to lock said cannula housing in a first disposition in which the cannula extends outwardly from the inserter housing at a first end of said inserter housing; and   second stop means formed on said inserter housing remote from said first stop means and selectively engageable with said locking means to lock said cannula housing in a second disposition in which said cannula is retracted within said inserter housing.   
     
     
       2. A catheter inserter according to claim 1, and in which: said inserter housing has a longitudinal slot formed along one side thereof so as to be displaced from said flat base;   said locking means includes a locking arm fixed to the cannula housing so as to extend outwardly from the inserter housing through the longitudinal slot; and   said second stop means includes a ramp formed on one side of the longitudinal slot remote from the first end and inclined away therefrom, whereby movement of the locking arm away from the inserter housing first end so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking arm to override the ramp and become locked thereby against movement toward the inserter housing first end, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing.   
     
     
       3. A catheter inserter according to claim 1, and in which: said inserter housing has a longitudinal slot formed along one side thereof so as to be displaced from said flat base;   said first stop means includes a locking stem extending transversely across the longitudinal slot adjacent to said first end;   said locking means includes a locking arm fixed to the cannula housing so as to extend outwardly from the inserter housing through the longitudinal slot; and   said locking arm includes a locking recess formed therein so as to be engageable with said locking stem to selectively lock said cannula housing in said first disposition, said locking arm being of a cantilever-type configuration whereby digital pressure thereon normal to the inserter housing longitudinal axis causes the locking recess to move inwardly away from the locking stem so as to permit longitudinal movement of the cannula housing away from the inserter housing first end to move the cannula into the inserter housing.   
     
     
       4. A catheter inserter according to claim 3, and in which the second stop means includes a ramp formed on one side of the inserter housing longitudinal slot remote from the first end and inclined away therefrom, whereby movement of the locking arm away from the inserter housing first end so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking arm to override the ramp and become locked thereby against movement toward the inserter housing first end, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing. 
     
     
       5. A catheter inserter according to claim 3, and in which the inserter housing has a first pair of oppositely facing ramps formed along one side of the longitudinal slot so as to be inclined away from one another to form a locking slot therebetween remote from the first end and a second pair of ramps formed along the other slot side opposite the first pair of ramps so as to be mirror images thereof, whereby movement of the locking arm away from the inserter housing first end so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking arm to override the two ramps closest to the first end and become locked in the locking slots, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing. 
     
     
       6. A catheter inserter as in any one of the preceding claims, and in which the cannula housing has a passage formed therein so as to be in fluid communication with the cannula; and means on said inserter housing and said cannula housing to permit the external viewing of blood passing into the fluid passage from the cannula. .Iadd.   
     
     
       7.  A catheter inserter comprising: an inserter housing of parti-cylindrical configuration having a flat base which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inserter housing;   a cannula;   a cannula housing disposed within the inserter housing and longitudinally slidable therewithin, said cannula housing having a main body portion of a cross-sectional configuration which is generally complementary with the inserter housing cross-sectional configuration;   said cannula housing including hub means for fixing said cannula to said cannula housing main body portion so as to extend generally parallel to the inserter housing longitudinal axis;   first stop means disposed at said first end of said inserter housing and operable to stop said cannula housing in a first disposition in which the cannula extends outwardly from the inserter housing at a first end of said inserter housing;   second stop means formed on said inserter housing remote from said first stop means; and   locking means formed on said cannula housing so as to be selectively engageable with said second stop means to lock said cannula in a second disposition in which said cannula is retracted within said inserter housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A catheter inserter according to claim 7, and in which said inserter housing has a longitudinal slot formed along one side thereof so as to be displaced from said flat base;   said locking means includes a locking arm fixed to the cannula housing so as to extend outwardly from the inserter housing through the longitudinal slot; and   said second stop means includes a ramp formed on one side of the longitudinal slot remote from the first end and inclined away therefrom, whereby movement of the locking arm away from the inserter housing first end so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking arm to override the ramp and become locked thereby against movement toward the inserter housing first end, hereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A catheter inserter according to claim 8, and in which the inserter housing has a first pair of oppositely facing ramps formed along one side of the longitudinal slot so as to be included away from one another to form a locking slot therebetween remote from the first end and a second pair of ramps formed along the other slot side opposite the first pair of ramps so as to be mirror images thereof, whereby movement of the locking arm away from the inserter housing first end so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking arm to override the two ramps closest to the first end and become locked in the locking slots, thereby locking   
     
     
        the cannula within the inserter housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10.  A catheter inserter according to claims 7, 8 or 9, and in which the cannula housing has a passage formed therein so as to be in fluid communication with the cannula; and means on said inserter housing and said cannula housing to permit the external viewing of blood passing into the fluid passage from the cannula. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A medical device for inserting a catheter which is detachably mounted to the exterior of said device into a patient comprising:   an elongated hollow inserter housing of a pre-selected interior cross-sectional configuration and with a generally continuous external surface formed about a longitudinal axis, said external surface having a narrow longitudinal slot formed along one side thereof so as to be generally parallel to said longitudinal axis;   a cannula housing disposed within the inserter housing and longitudinally slidable therewithin along said longitudinal axis, said cannula housing having a main body portion of an external cross-sectional configuration which is generally complementary to the inserter housing interior cross-sectional configuration;   said cannula housing including hub means for fixing said cannula to said cannula housing main body portion so as to extend generally parallel to the inserter housing longitudinal axis;   first stop means disposed at a first end of said inserter housing and operable to stop said cannula housing in a first disposition in which the cannula extends outwardly from an opening in the inserter housing at said first end so as to be insertable into said catheter;   second stop means formed on said inserter housing remote from said first stop means; and   locking means formed on said cannula housing so as to be selectively engageable with said second stop means to lock said cannula housing in a second disposition in which said cannula is retracted from said catheter and disposed within said inserter housing;   said locking means including an arm on the cannula housing extending outwardly through the inserter housing longitudinal slot so as to be manually operable externally of the inserter housing to withdraw the cannula from the catheter and lock the cannula within the inserter housing by moving the cannula housing from said first disposition to said second disposition. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A medical according to claim 11, and in which the inserter housing pre-selected interior cross-sectional configuration is a parti-cylindrical configuration having a flat base which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inserter housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A medical device according to any one of claims 11 or 12, and in which said second stop means includes ramp means formed along one side of and extending into the longitudinal slot, said ramp means being remote from the first end and inclined away therefrom, whereby movement of the locking means arm to move the cannula housing from the first disposition to the second disposition retracts the cannula within the inserter housing and causes the locking means arm to override the ramp means and become locked thereby against movement toward the inserter housing first end, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing in said second disposition. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A medical device according to claim 13, and in which the ramp means has   a first pair of oppositely facing ramps formed along one side of the longitudinal slot so as to be inclined away from one another to form a locking slot therebetween remote from the first end and   a second pair of ramps formed along the other side of the slot opposite the first pair of ramps so as to be mirror images thereof, whereby movement of the locking means arm to move the catheter housing away from the first disposition so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking means arm to override the two ramps closest to the first end and become locked in the locking slots, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A medical device according to claim 13 and in which the cannula housing has a passage formed therein so as to be in fluid communication with the cannula and including   means on said inserter housing and said cannula housing to permit the external viewing of blood passing into the fluid passage from the cannula.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  A medical device according to claim 14 and in which the cannula housing has a passage formed therein so as to be in fluid communication with the cannula and including means on said inserter housing and said cannula housing to permit the external viewing of blood passing into the fluid passage from the cannula. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A catheter inserter comprising:   an elongated hollow inserter housing of a pre-selected interior cross-sectional configuration and with a generally continuous external surface formed about a longitudinal axis, said external surface having a narrow longitudinal slot formed along one side thereof so as to be generally parallel to said longitudinal axis;   a cannula housing disposed within the inserter housing and longitudinally slidable therewithin along said longitudinal axis, said cannula housing having a main body portion of an external cross-sectional configuration which is generally complementary to the inserter housing interior cross-sectional configuration;   said cannula housing including hub means for fixing said cannula to said cannula housing main body portion so as to extend generally parallel to the inserter housing longitudinal axis;   a catheter detachably mounted on the inserter housing at a first end thereof so as to extend away therefrom in longitudinal alignment with said longitudinal axis, said catheter terminating, at one end, at an opening formed in said inserter housing first end;   first stop means disposed at said inserter housing first end and operable to stop said cannula housing in a first disposition in which the cannula extends outwardly through the first end opening into said catheter;   second stop means formed on said inserter housing remote from said first stop means; and   locking means formed on said cannula housing so as to be selectively engageable with said second stop means to lock said cannula housing in a second disposition in which said cannula is retracted from said catheter and disposed within said inserter housing;   said locking means including an arm on the cannula housing extending outwardly through the inserter housing longitudinal slot so as to be manually operable externally of the inserter housing to withdraw the cannula from within the catheter through the first end opening into and lock the cannula within the inserter housing by moving the catheter housing from said first disposition to said second disposition. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.18.  A catheter inserter according to claim 17, and in which said second stop means includes ramp means formed along one side of and extending into the longitudinal slot, said ramp means being remote from the first end and inclined away therefrom, whereby movement of the locking means arm to move the cannula housing from the first disposition to the second disposition retracts the cannula within the inserter housing and causes the locking means arm to override the ramp means and become locked thereby against movement toward the inserter housing first end, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing in said second disposition. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. A catheter inserter according to claim 18, and in which the ramp means has a first pair of oppositely facing ramps formed along one side of the longitudinal slot so as to be inclined away from one another to form a locking slot therebetween remote from the first end and   a second pair of ramps formed along the other side of the slot opposite the first pair of ramps so as to be mirror images thereof, whereby movement of the locking means arm to move the catheter housing away from the first disposition so as to retract the cannula within the inserter housing causes the locking means arm to override the two ramps closest to the first end and become locked in the locking slots, thereby locking the cannula within the inserter housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. A catheter inserter according to claim 19 and in which the cannula housing has a passage formed therein so as to be in fluid communication with the cannula and including   means on said inserter housing and said cannula housing to permit the external viewing of blood passing into the fluid passage from the cannula. .Iaddend.