Catheter introduction set

Claim 1

A catheter introduction set for the introduction of a catheter tube into a blood vessel comprising: a flexible catheter assembly having a catheter tube and having a connector at one end of the tube, said connector having an input end; a hollow needle having a base end and a point and being slidably, removably fitted on the interior of said catheter tube, and having tubular hub means at its base end for holding the needle and catheter in an assembly, said needle having an interior, longitudinally extending passageway; and a flexible tube slidably mounted on the interior passageway of the needle, said flexible tube having a second small diameter passageway therein, said flexible tube having a first end portion extending outwardly from the base end of the needle and a short distance outwardly of an outer end of the hub means when the opposite end of the flexible tube is adjacent the point of the needle, whereby upon any penetration of the needle into a blood vessel an immediate feedback of blood is present in the flexible tube to provide a positive indication of blood vessel penetration, the flexible tube being slidable through the needle passageway into the interior of a blood vessel that is penetrated by the needle point, whereby the second passageway provides a passageway for blood flow directly from such blood vessel to the exterior, and wherein the flexible tube has sufficient length to permit it to be inserted to extend past the needle point into the interior of such blood vessel to provide a guide for the catheter tube that is mounted over the needle as the catheter tube is then slid over the needle and past the needle point into the blood vessel, the flexible tube having means thereon at the outer end for removal from the catheter tube and connector when the needle is removed from the connector.