Device for facilitating intravenous needle insertion or cannulation with vacuum generation means and tourniquet fastener

1. A device for facilitating insertion of a needle or a cannula into a vein of a patient, the device comprising:

a fluid chamber comprising an interior fluid volume, an underside arranged to form a seal with the skin of a patient when the fluid chamber is in use, and an upper surface; and

a fastener arranged to extend about a limb of the patient so as to hold the interior fluid volume of the fluid chamber in fluid communication with a surface of the patient's skin; wherein

the fastener presses down on the upper surface of the fluid chamber on opposing sides thereof so as to promote the seal with the patient's skin;

the device being adapted to allow fluid to be expelled from the interior fluid volume of the fluid chamber and thereby create a volume of reduced pressure within the fluid chamber, so as to facilitate expansion of an underlying part of the vein, the device being arranged to enable insertion of a needle or cannula into the expanded part of the vein, whilst the fluid chamber remains operably engaged with the surface of the patient's skin,

wherein the device includes a first end adapted to be located, in use, downstream relative to a second end, with reference to blood flow within the vein,

wherein the fastener is configured to apply more pressure to the first end than the second end,

wherein the fastener acts as a tourniquet, during use,

wherein the tourniquet is defined by the fastener and the first end of the device, and

wherein the fastener extends from a portion of the fluid chamber that is offset from the centre of the fluid chamber relative to the vein, in the direction of the first end of the device.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fastener is integrally formed with the fluid chamber, such that the fluid chamber and the fastener are formed as a single component.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the device is manufactured by one shot injection moulding.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises an arm extending from each of the opposing sides of the fluid chamber, the fastener arms being adapted to connect together to form a loop about the patient's limb.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the fastener arms are connected together to form a loop about the patient's limb, and the connection between the fastener arms is releasable, and adjustable between a range of connected configurations, such that the fastener is adapted to be secured tightly about a range of differently sized limbs.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is adapted to create a volume of reduced pressure in the fluid chamber by providing the fluid chamber with an outlet, whereby expulsion of fluid from the fluid chamber through the outlet results in the creation of an area of reduced pressure within the fluid chamber.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the outlet has the form of a one-way valve.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a sealing member forms a seal between the fluid chamber and the patient's skin, and the valve is provided by a part of the sealing member in contact with the patient's skin that is more deformable than the remainder of the sealing member.

9. A device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein at least part of a wall of the fluid chamber is resiliently deformable, and the fluid chamber is adapted to be collapsed by a user so as to expel fluid through the outlet.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is adapted for use with a needle or cannula that is a separate component from the device.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first end of the device includes a projection for engaging the skin of the patient with a reduced contact surface.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the projection is a projecting rib that has a horseshoe shape, so that the projecting rib extends in a region of the first end of the device and the opposing sides of the device.

13. A method of inserting a needle or cannula into a vein, which method comprises the steps of using the device as claimed in claim 1 to create a volume of reduced pressure at a surface of the patient's skin, so as to facilitate expansion of an underlying part of the vein, and inserting a needle or cannula into the expanded part of the vein.