Vascular access device

摘要

An access device for placing a medical article within a body space includes a needle, a dilator, and a sheath. The dilator can be coaxially and slideably disposed about the needle, and the sheath can be coaxially and slideably disposed about the dilator. The access device can further include a inner member coaxially disposed between the needle and dilator. The needle can include a fenestration in fluid communication with a space between the needle and inner member. When the needle punctures a blood vessel, the fenestration allows blood to flow into the space between the needle and inner member to provide a visual indicator to a physician or healthcare professional that the needle is in a vessel.

主权项

1. A splittable sheath comprising:
a splittable sheath body comprising a generally flexible tubular structure, a proximal end, and a distal end, the sheath body defining a longitudinal axis and being splittable into two portions along a pre-determined line generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; a splittable sheath hub extending from the proximal end of the sheath body defining a longitudinal axis generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the sheath body, the sheath body and sheath hub forming an inner cavity along their respective longitudinal axes; and a valve element comprising:
a resilient plate comprising a sealing portion extending radially inwardly from a side of the inner cavity;a sealing element comprising a domed first sealing surface and being supported by the resilient plate such that the sealing element is biased toward a position against a second sealing surface to substantially seal the inner cavity; andan annular member comprising the second sealing surface, the annular member having a central bore and a tapered surface that slopes from an outer edge of the annular member to the central bore such that the annular member decreases in thickness from the outer edge to an inner edge of the annular member proximate to the central bore, the domed first sealing surface corresponding to the central bore of the annular member.