Needle assembly and components thereof

1. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter hub comprising a wall having an interior wall surface defining a cavity;

a catheter tube having a distal opening extending distally of the catheter hub;

a needle, which has a lengthwise axis, a sharpened needle tip, and a crimp, a material build up, a bend or combinations thereof, passing through the catheter hub and the catheter tube with the sharpened needle tip extending distally of the distal opening in a ready to use position;

a tip protector assembly removably held within the catheter hub in the ready to use position, said tip protector assembly comprising a first protector body located in an interior of a second protector body in the ready to use position and in a protective position;

wherein the first protector body comprises a proximal wall, a perimeter defining an opening having the needle passing therethrough, a first arm, which is resilient and configured to produce a spring force when biased, extending distally of the proximal wall from a first side of the needle and crossing the lengthwise axis to a second side of the needle towards the sharpened needle tip, said first arm having a distal wall located at an end of the first arm and at an angle to the first arm, said distal wall having a free end biased by the needle in the ready to use position, a second arm having a free end extending distally of the proximal wall towards the sharpened needle tip and being shorter in length relative to the first arm; the free ends of the first arm and the second arm are spaced apart and movable relative to one another when transitioning from the ready to use position to the protective position;

wherein the second protector body comprises a plurality of walls, which include a distal wall and a proximal wall, a central access opening located between the distal wall and the proximal wall of the second protector body such that the first arm is located in the central access opening in the ready to use position, the proximal wall of the second protector body located proximally of the proximal wall of the first protector body, and the distal wall of the second protector body comprising an opening having the needle passing therethrough in the ready to use position;

wherein the crimp, the material build up, the bend or the combinations thereof on the needle is configured to engage the perimeter defining the opening of the first protector body to limit the tip protector assembly from displacing distally off of the needle and wherein the free end of the first arm extends across the lengthwise axis of the needle in the protective position; and

wherein the tip protector assembly is located entirely inside the cavity of the catheter hub.

2. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first arm has an arm width of a first dimension and an arm width of a second dimension, which is smaller than the first dimension.

3. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first arm, the second arm, and the proximal wall are unitarily formed.

4. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal wall of the second protector body is located distally of the first arm and the second arm.

5. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first arm contacts the interior wall surface of the catheter hub in the ready to use position.

6. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the proximal wall of the first protector body is located distally of the proximal wall of the second protector body in the protective position.

7. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second protector body comprises a dimple section.

8. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter hub comprising a wall having an interior wall surface defining a cavity having a proximal opening;

a catheter tube having a distal opening extending distally of the catheter hub;

a needle, which has a lengthwise axis, a sharpened needle tip, and a crimp, a material build up, a bend or combinations thereof, passing through the catheter hub and the catheter tube with the sharpened needle tip extending distally of the distal opening in a ready to use position;

a tip protector assembly located at least in part inside the proximal opening of the catheter hub in the ready to use position, said tip protector assembly comprising a first protector body and a second protector body;

wherein the first protector body comprises a first arm having a free end and a second arm having a free end spaced from the free end of the first arm and wherein the free ends of the two arms are independently movable relative to one another when the tip protector assembly transitions from the ready to use position to a protective position; wherein the first arm extends from a proximal wall, which has a perimeter defining an opening, and crosses the lengthwise axis of the needle, said first arm having a distal wall located at an end of the first arm and at an angle to the first arm, said distal wall having an end biased by a side of the needle in the ready to use position;

wherein the second protector body comprises a plurality of walls including a distal wall having an opening having the needle passing therethrough in the ready to use position and a proximal wall located proximally of the proximal wall of the first protector body, an interior space having the first protector body located therein, and a central access opening located between the distal wall and the proximal wall of the second protector body such that the first arm is located in the central access opening in the ready to use position;

wherein the crimp, the material build up, the bend or the combinations thereof on the needle is configured to engage the perimeter defining the opening on the proximal wall of the first protector body to limit the tip protector assembly from displacing distally off of the needle in the protective position, and wherein the free end of the first arm extends across the lengthwise axis of the needle in the protective position;

wherein the first protector body remains inside the second protector body in the protective position; and

wherein the first arm contacts the interior wall surface of the catheter hub in the ready to use position.

9. The catheter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first arm has an arm width of a first dimension and an arm width of a second dimension, which is smaller than the first dimension.

10. The catheter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first protector body comprises an opening having the needle passing therethrough in the ready to use position.

11. The catheter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the proximal wall of the second protector body comprises a slit.

12. The catheter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the proximal wall of the second protector body comprises an opening that is larger than the opening on the proximal wall of the first protector body.

13. The catheter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the distal wall of the second protector body is located distally of the first arm and the second arm.

14. The catheter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second protector body comprises a dimple section.

15. The catheter assembly of claim 14 , wherein the dimple section is located on an arm of the second protector body.

16. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter hub comprising a wall having an interior wall surface defining a cavity having a proximal opening;

a catheter tube having a distal opening extending distally of the catheter hub;

a needle, which has a lengthwise axis, a sharpened needle tip, and a crimp, a material build up, a bend or combinations thereof, passing through the catheter hub and the catheter tube with the sharpened needle tip extending distally of the distal opening in a ready to use position;

a tip protector assembly located at least in part inside the proximal opening of the catheter hub in the ready to use position, said tip protector assembly comprising a first protector body and a second protector body;

wherein the first protector body comprises a first arm having a free end and a second arm having a free end spaced from the free end of the first arm and wherein the free ends of the two arms are independently movable relative to one another when the tip protector assembly transitions from the ready to use position to a protective position; wherein the first arm extends from a proximal wall, which has a perimeter defining an opening, and crosses the lengthwise axis of the needle, said first arm having a distal wall located at an end of the first arm and at an angle to the first arm, said distal wall having an end biased by a side of the needle in the ready to use position;

wherein the second protector body comprises a plurality of walls including a distal wall having an opening having the needle passing therethrough in the ready to use position and a proximal wall located proximally of the proximal wall of the first protector body, an interior space having the first protector body located therein, and a central access opening located between the distal wall and the proximal wall of the second protector body such that the first arm is located in the central access opening in the ready to use position;

wherein the crimp, the material build up, the bend or the combinations thereof on the needle is configured to engage the perimeter defining the opening on the proximal wall of the first protector body to limit the tip protector assembly from displacing distally off of the needle in the protective position, and wherein the free end of the first arm extends across the lengthwise axis of the needle in the protective position; and

wherein the tip protector assembly is located entirely inside the cavity of the catheter hub.

17. A catheter assembly comprising:

a catheter hub comprising a wall having an interior wall surface defining an interior cavity having a proximal opening;

a catheter tube having a distal opening extending distally of the catheter hub;

a needle, which has a lengthwise axis, a sharpened needle tip, and a crimp, a material build up, a bend or combinations thereof, passing through the catheter hub and the catheter tube with the sharpened needle tip extending distally of the distal opening in a ready to use position;

a tip protector assembly located at least in part inside the interior cavity of the catheter hub in the ready to use position, said tip protector assembly comprising a first protector body and a second protector body;

wherein the first protector body comprises a first arm having a free end and a second arm having a free end spaced from the free end of the first arm and wherein the free ends of the two arms are independently movable relative to one another when the tip protector assembly transitions from the ready to use position to a protective position; wherein the first arm is longer than the second arm; wherein the first arm is unitarily formed with a proximal wall having a perimeter defining an opening and the first arm crosses the lengthwise axis of the needle; and wherein a finger section is located at an end of the first arm, is angled to the first arm, and is biased against a side of the needle in the ready to use position;

wherein the second protector body comprises:

a plurality of walls that include a distal wall having an opening having the needle passing therethrough in the ready to use position and a proximal wall located proximally of the proximal wall of the first protector body,

an interior space defined by the plurality of walls having the first protector body located therein, and

a central access opening between the distal wall and the proximal wall of the second protector body such that the first arm is located in the central access opening in the ready to use position;

wherein the crimp, the material build up, the bend or the combinations thereof on the needle is configured to engage the perimeter defining the opening on the proximal wall of the first protector body to limit the tip protector assembly from displacing distally off of the needle in the protective position, and wherein the free end of the first arm extends across the lengthwise axis of the needle in the protective position;

wherein the first arm contacts the interior wall surface of the catheter hub in the ready to use position; and

wherein the tip protector assembly is entirely disposed within the interior cavity of the catheter hub.