VASCULAR PUNCTURE IN A PATIENT

This invention relates to apparatus for effecting a vascular puncture in a patient.

Known vascular puncture apparatus comprises a body portion, and a vascular puncture needle which extends from a front part of the body portion. The majority of vascular punctures are effected whilst the patient is conscious. The part of the patient to receive the vascular puncture needle should preferably be anaesthetised before the vascular puncture apparatus is used. The anaesthesia is effected by taking a vial of a liquid anaesthetic, loading an anaesthetic syringe with the liquid anaesthetic from the vile, and then using the anaesthetic syringe to inject the liquid anaesthetic into the part of the patient requiring to be anaesthetised. Thus a vascular puncture in a patient requires three separate items, namely the vial, the syringe, and the vascular puncture apparatus. These items are not always kept together, and it may occur that a doctor or nurse wishing to conduct a vascular puncture has to waste time looking for the required items.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem. Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for effecting a vascular puncture in a patient, and in which:

(A) the apparatus comprises an anaesthetising portion and a vascular puncturing portion;

(B) the anaesthetising portion comprises:

(i) a first body for containing liquid anaesthetic;

(ii) a first needle which extends from a front part of the first body and which is for injecting the liquid anaesthetic into the patient; and

(iii) a plunger which is slidably mounted in the first body and which is for forcing the liquid anaesthetic from the first body and through the first needle;

(C) the vascular puncturing portion comprises:

(iv) a second body; and

(v) a second needle which extends from a front part of the second body and which is for making the vascular puncture; (D) the first needle is positioned forwardly of the vascular puncturing portion;

(E) the second needle extends into the anaesthetising portion from a rear part of the anaesthetising portion; and

(F) the apparatus comprises first locking means which permits the anaesthetising portion to move relative to the vascular puncturing portion such that the anaesthetising portion is able to be removed from the vascular puncturing portion for allowing the second needle to make the vascular puncture.

The apparatus of the present invention is advantageous in that it simplifies the steps required for effecting an anaesthetised vascular puncture in a patient. The apparatus of the present invention is also advantageous in that it is able to be constructed to be compact in length and such that it does not require doctors or nurses effecting a vascular puncture to adopt an apparatus-holding technique that differs substantially from their usual apparatus-holding techniques for effecting anaesthesia of a patient and subsequent vascular puncturing.

The apparatus of the present invention may be one in which the anaesthetising portion includes a sheath which is mounted over the first body and which sheaths the first needle.

The apparatus may include second locking means which permits the sheath to move relative to the first body such that the first needle is exposed for use through an aperture in the sheath and is able to be sheathed after use. The second locking means may be a bayonet locking means. Other types of locking means may be employed.

The apparatus may be one in which bayonet locking means comprises a pin on the sheath, and a slot on the first body, in which the pin operates in the slot, and in which the slot has a radial extending portion and a longitudinally extending portion.

The first locking means may be a bayonet locking means. Other types of locking means may be employed.

The second locking means may include abutment means for preventing rearwards movement of the sheath such as to expose the first needle during separation of the anaesthetising portion from the vascular puncturing portion. The abutment means may be a clip abutment means. Other types of abutment means may be employed. The clip abutment means may comprise a clip operating in a recess in an end of the sheath remote from the aperture.

The aperture may be a slot. Alternatively, the aperture may be a hole or other formation.

The sheath may have a gripping formation for being gripped during the anaesthetising of the patient with the anaesthetising portion.

The gripping formation may be a pair of wings extending from opposite sides of the sheath. Other types of gripping formation may be employed.

The plunger may have a cone-shaped forward end. Other shapes may be employed for the plunger forward end of the plunger. The cone-shaped forward end is preferably made of a rubber material. Other materials may be employed.

The apparatus may be one in which the first needle is an angled first needle comprising a first portion which extends longitudinally of the first body, and a second portion which extends at an angle to the first portion. The angled first needle may enable the apparatus of the present invention to be held at a convenient position relative to the part of the patient requiring to be anaesthetised, and this may facilitate the anaesthetising procedure. If desired, the first needle may be a straight needle.

The apparatus of the invention may include the liquid anaesthetic in the first body. Alternatively, the apparatus of the present invention may be manufactured and sold without the liquid anaesthetic in the first body, in which case the liquid anaesthetic will need to be placed in the first body prior to use of the apparatus. The first body may comprise a chamber which is pre- filled with the liquid anaesthetic at the time of manufacture of the apparatus of the present invention. Alternatively, the first body may comprise a chamber which is constructed for receiving a separate vial containing the liquid anaesthetic.

The apparatus may be one in which the anaesthetising portion when discharged is unable to be removed from the vascular puncturing portion without the first needle being sheathed.

The apparatus of the present invention may be employed for effecting any suitable and appropriate vascular puncture in a patient, for example a vascular puncture in a vein or an artery. An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of apparatus for effecting a vascular puncture in a patient;

Figure 2 shows part of the apparatus of Figure 1 assembled and illustrates part of locking means employed in the apparatus;

Figure 3 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 assembled and illustrates another part locking means employed in the apparatus;

Figure 4 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 assembled and illustrates how a first needle forming part of an anaesthetising portion of the apparatus fits through an aperture in a sheath;

Figure 5 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 just prior to injection of a liquid anaesthetic;

Figure 6 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 after the injection of the liquid anaesthetic;

Figure 7 shows a first stage in the sheathing of the used first needle which has injected the liquid anaesthetic into a patient;

Figure 8 shows a second stage in the sheathing of the used needle;

Figure 9 shows a first stage in the removal of the used anaesthetising portion of the apparatus from the vascular puncturing portion; and

Figure 10 show the vascular puncturing portion of the apparatus after the anaesthetising portion has been removed. Referring to the drawings, there is shown apparatus 2 for effecting a vascular puncture in a patient. The apparatus 2 comprises an anaesthetising portion 4 and a vascular puncturing portion 6.

The anaesthetising portion 4 comprises the following parts:

(i) a first body 8 for containing liquid anaesthetic;

(ii) a first needle 10 which extends from a front part 12 of the first body 8 and which is for injecting the liquid anaesthetic into the patient;

(iii) a plunger 14 which is slidably mounted in the first body 8 and which is for forcing the liquid anaesthetic from the first body 8 and through the first needle 10; and

(iv) a sheath 16 which is mounted over the first body 8 and which sheaths the first needle 10.

The vascular puncturing portion 6 comprises the following parts:

(v) a second body 18; and

(vi) a second needle 20 which extends from a front part 22 of the second body 18 and which is for making the vascular puncture.

The apparatus 2 is such that the second needle 20 extends into the anaesthetising portion 4 from a rear part 24 of the anaesthetising portion 4. The apparatus 2 includes first locking means 25. The first locking means 25 permits the anaesthetising portion 4 to move relative to the vascular puncturing portion 6 such that the anaesthetising portion 4 is able to be removed from the vascular puncturing portion 6 for allowing the second needle 20 to make the vascular puncture.

The apparatus 2 is such that it comprises second locking means 26 which permits the sheath 16 to move relative to the first body 8 such that the first needle is exposed for use through an aperture 28 in the sheath 16, and is able to be sheathed after use.

The second locking means 26 is a bayonet locking means. The bayonet locking means comprises a pin 32 on the sheath 16, and a slot 34 on the first body 8. The pin 32 operates in the slot 34. The slot 34 has a radial extending portion 36 and a longitudinally extending portion 38.

The second locking means 26 includes clip abutment means 30. The clip abutment means 30 comprises a clip 40 operating in a recess 42 in an end 44 of the sheath 16 remote from the aperture 28. The aperture 28 is a slot.

The sheath 16 has a gripping formation 46 for being gripped during the anaesthetising of the patient with the anaesthetising portion 4. The gripping formation 46 is in the form of a pair of wings 48 which extend from opposite sides of the sheath 16.

The plunger 14 has a cone-shaped forward end 50. The forward end 50 is made of a rubber material. The first needle 10 is an angled first needle 10 which comprises a first portion 52 which extends longitudinally of the first body 8, and a second portion 54 which extends at an angle to the first portion 52. The angled first needle 10 may facilitate easy anaesthetising use of the apparatus 2 in order to get an appropriate entry angle into the part of the patient requiring to be anaesthetised. The second needle 20 is a straight needle.

The apparatus 2 is such that the liquid anaesthetic is in a required amount in the first body 8. This is advantageous in that the apparatus 2 then does not have to contain a large amount of liquid anaesthetic. This in turn means that the apparatus 2 is able to be stored in an open storage area in a hospital or other premises. This compares favourably with current arrangements where the liquid anaesthetic is in larger quantities and is usually stored under lock and key.

The apparatus 2 is such that it is of an overall length which is compact and which enables the apparatus 2 to be used in a similar manner to existing anaesthetising apparatus and also to existing vascular puncturing apparatus. This thus avoids the need for persons using the apparatus 2 to have to adopt new techniques. The compact structure of the apparatus 2 is made possible by the location of the second needle 20 in the anaesthetic portion 4, together with the location of the plunger 14 in the first body 8.

The apparatus 2 is such that a doctor, nurse or other authorised person injects the liquid anaesthetic into the patient. This is done by holding the wings 46 on the sheath 16, and causing the plunger 14 to be pushed in a forward direction. This forces the sheath 16 and the vascular puncturing portion 6 to engage via the first locking means 25. The anaesthetising portion 4 and the vascular puncturing portion 6 are locked together by the first locking means 25. The locking means 25 has to be unlocked in order to remove the anaesthetising portion 4 from the apparatus 2 and thereby expose the second needle 20 of the vascular puncturing portion 6 for allowing a vascular puncture such for example as a vascular puncture in a vein or an artery.

The procedure for unlocking the locking means 25 involves the following steps:

(i) Hold the sheath 16 behind the wings 48 and rotate the sheath 16 clockwise by 90°.

(ii) Push the sheath 16 forward for a small distance, for example approximately 10mm.

(iii) Hold the first body 8 that has now been exposed by steps (i) and (ii) above and rotate the first body 8 anti-clockwise by 90°. The anaesthetising portion 4 will then be unlocked from the vascular puncturing portion 6.

(iv) Slide the anaesthetising portion 4 forward and remove it from the vascular puncturing portion 6. The second needle 20 will then be exposed. The apparatus 2 is such that the plunger 14 never leaves the anaesthetising portion 4. The plunger 14 acts as a sheath for the second needle 20.

At step (ii) above, when the sheath 16 is pushed forward, it sheaths the first needle 10, thereby preventing needlestick injuries. The abutment means 30 pops up and permanently prevents the sheath 16 from sliding back towards the vascular puncturing portion 6, which would expose the first needle 10.

The pin 32 fits into the slot 34 in order to create a regimented movement sequence of 90° clockwise movement, followed by a forward pushing movement. There is then a movement of the anaesthetising portion 4 to remove the anaesthetising portion 4 from the vascular puncturing portion 6. This regimented sequence ensures that the first needle 10 will always be sheathed when separating the anaesthetising portion 4 from the vascular puncturing portion 6 when the anaesthetising portion 4 has been discharged.

The first body 8 and the sheath 16 act as one component until they are disengaged from each other during the sheathing procedure. For the injection of the liquid anaesthetic, the person conducting the anaesthesia may be given the impression that the anaesthetising portion 4 is nothing more than a standard syringe, except that the anaesthetising portion 4 appears to have a thick wall. However, when the first needle 10 is sheathed, it will then become apparent to the person that the first body 8 and the sheath 16 are two different components. The aperture 28 in the sheath 16 allows the first needle 10 to pass through the aperture 28 during the sheathing process. The aperture 28 is large enough to allow the first needle 10 to pass through the aperture 28 without the first needle 10 touching the sides of the sheath 16 defining the aperture 28 and thereby possibly contaminating the sheath 16 with blood. The aperture 28 is in the side of the sheath 16 so that when the sheath 16 is rotated clockwise by 90°, the aperture in the form of a slot aligns with the first needle 10 which is canted vertically upwards. An alternative needle to the illustrated angled first needle 10 is a straight needle. A straight needle would normally only need one aperture at the front of the sheath 16.

In the case of an unconscious patient, liquid anaesthetic will not be required, in this case, the person using the apparatus 2 can remove the anaesthetising portion 4 from the vascular puncturing portion 6 by simply rotating the anaesthetising portion 4 anti-clockwise by 90° with respect to the vascular puncturing portion 6. This rotation can only be made if the plunger 14 has not been depressed to cause operation of the anaesthetising portion 4. Any depressing of the components in the anaesthetising portion 4 will engage the locking means 25. Once the locking means 25 has been engaged, then the above mentioned procedure needs to take place to remove the anaesthetising portion 4 from the vascular puncturing portion 6. The reason for building into the apparatus 2 this above mentioned procedure is to prevent needlestick injuries. If the plunger 14 has been depressed, this will inevitably mean that the anaesthetising portion 4 has been used with the consequence that the first needle 10 will have been inserted into a patient and has therefore become dirty. This dirty needle needs to be rendered safe before using the vascular puncturing portion 6. The above mentioned unlocking procedure forces the sheathing of the first needle 10 to take place before the anaesthetising portion 4 can be removed from the vascular puncturing portion 6. This is an advantageous safety feature for preventing needlestick injuries.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus for example, the locking means 25, 26 are bayonet locking means 25, 26 but other locking mechanisms may be employed. The first needle of the apparatus of the invention will normally be sheathed by a cover during manufacture. The cover will then be removed and discarded before use of the apparatus as described above. The apparatus may also have an anti-depression tab provided during manufacture. The anti-depression tab prevents the anaesthetising portion being discharged prematurely. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.