Improved Intravenous Catheter and Delivery System

FEATURES
A common problem faced by practitioners introducing intravenous (IV) catheters is the uncertainty as to whether the catheter is properly positioned within the vein. A major reason for this uncertainty is that the practitioner bases his judgment of proper insertion upon the observation of fluid flowing back into a flash chamber. Often this flow of fluid is more related to placement of the tip of the insertion needle rather than the catheter. These false observations usually require the practitioner to reposition or re-inject the catheter into the patient resulting in increased discomfort for the patient and extra procedure time for the practitioner.

An Indiana University physician researcher has designed a novel IV catheter delivery system with a fundamentally different design than existing choices. This novel design makes certain the proper placement of the catheter by ensuring that any fluid seen in the flash chamber has flown through the catheter. The design consists of a hollow, solid tipped insertion needle which has a side opening that is aligned with a complimentary opening in the catheter. Fluid is observed only when the catheter has contacted fluid and not the needle.

BENEFITS
* allows quick and reliable placement of the catheter into a vein
* reduces the possibility that the practitioner may unnecessarily pierce a second wall of the vein
* is simple and economical to produce and is compatible with other devices and methods commonly used by the practitioner

Patents:
US 5,649,911

Inventor(s): Scott O. Trerotola, M.D.

Type of Offer: Licensing



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