US 7,500,965 B2
Safety spring catheter introducer assembly
Thomas Menzi, Felsberg (Germany); Kevin Woehr, Felsberg (Germany); and Juergen Fuchs, Bad Emstal (Germany)
Assigned to B. Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen (Germany)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/109,797.
Claims priority of application No. 201 06 697 U (DE), filed on Apr. 18, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2002/0169418 A1, Nov. 14, 2002
Int. Cl. A61M 5/00 (2006.01); A61M 5/32 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 604—198  [604/164.08; 604/110] 41 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A safety catheter introducer unit comprising:
a catheter hub having an internal passage and a catheter tube mounted thereto, the catheter hub further having a proximal end and an external surface;
a needle having a sharp needle tip, a needle stop, and defining a longitudinal axis connected to a needle hub and disposed in the catheter tube; the needle hub comprising a shroud attached thereto and not separable during use, said shroud comprising a slit and an outer radial dimension relative to the longitudinal axis; and
a needle guard disposed about the needle; the needle guard comprising a proximal wall, which has an opening, an arm, which has a distal portion, extending from the proximal wall, and second arm; and wherein the arm and the second arm are removably engaged with the catheter hub when in a first position and block the needle tip when in a second position,
wherein when the arm of the needle guard extends through the slit on the shroud, the distal portion of the arm extends further radially than the outer radial dimension of the shroud.