IP Library Granted Patent US 12,403,286
Granted Patent B2
US 12,403,286 · App. 17/542,096 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Passive dilation in catheter insertion systems

Inventors: Joe Spataro (Cottonwood Heights, UT); Daniel B. Blanchard (Bountiful, UT); Kyle G. Thornley (Farmington, UT); Austin J. Mckinnon (Herriman, UT)
Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
A61M25/0662A61M25/0068A61M25/0082A61M2025/0687
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,403,286
App. No.
17/542,096
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein is a catheter, which in some embodiments includes a distal section configured to enter a skin insertion site. The distal section can include a tapered junction having one or more dilation structures configured to dilate the skin insertion site. The distal section can further include a distal portion extending from a distal end of the tapered junction, the distal portion having a diameter smaller than a proximal portion of the catheter. In combination, the tapered junction, the one or more dilation structures, and the specific actions of the user urging the catheter into the insertion site can result in an improved fit of the catheter in the insertion site.

Claims (14)

1. A catheter configured to enter a skin insertion site, comprising:

a hub disposed proximally and including one or more extension legs extending proximally therefrom;

a catheter tube extending distally from the hub and defining a first catheter lumen and a second catheter lumen, each of which are in fluid communication with an extension leg of the one or more extension legs;

a tapered junction coupled to a distal end of the catheter tube and including a dilation structure configured to dilate the skin insertion site, the dilation structure comprising:

a first protrusion extending along a longitudinal axis between a first distal edge and a first proximal edge and extending along a lateral axis to a first apex, the first apex disposed proximate a first mid-point between the first distal edge and the first proximal edge, the first protrusion including a first cutting edge; and

a second protrusion extending along the longitudinal axis between a second distal edge and a second proximal edge and extending along the lateral axis to a second apex, the second apex disposed proximate a second mid-point between the second distal edge and the second proximal edge, the second protrusion including a second cutting edge; and

a distal portion extending from a distal end of the tapered junction, the distal portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of a proximal portion of the catheter tube and defining a distal part of the first catheter lumen, the second catheter lumen terminating at an aperture disposed in a side wall and disposed adjacent the distal end of the catheter tube.

2. The catheter according to claim 1 , wherein an outermost lateral diameter extending between the first apex and the second apex, is greater than, the diameter of the catheter tube.

3. The catheter according to claim 2 , wherein an outermost transverse diameter of the dilation structure, extending perpendicular to the lateral axis is less than the diameter of the catheter tube.

4. The catheter according to claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion defines a first proximal face extending between the first apex and the first proximal edge, and the second protrusion defines a second proximal face extending between the second apex and the second proximal edge.

5. The catheter according to claim 4 , wherein the first protrusion defines a first distal face extending between the first apex and the first distal edge, and the second protrusion defines a second distal face extending between the second apex and the second distal edge.

6. The catheter according to claim 4 , wherein the first proximal face defines the first cutting edge extending longitudinally through a first midline of the first proximal face, and the second proximal face defines the second cutting edge extending longitudinally through a second midline of the second proximal face.

7. The catheter according to claim 5 , wherein the first distal face defines the first cutting edge extending longitudinally through a first midline of the first distal face, and the second distal face defines the second cutting edge extending longitudinally through a second midline of the second distal face.

8. The catheter according to claim 1 , wherein the tapered junction, the distal portion and the distal end of the catheter tube are configured to be placed subcutaneously through the skin insertion site.

Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63121761 · Dec 4, 2020
Related Publication 20220176081A1 · Jun 9, 2022
References Cited (106)
US 2566499A · Richter · 1951 [cited by applicant]
US 2842133A · Uhma · 1958 [cited by applicant]
US 3921631A · Thompson · 1975 [cited by examiner]
US 4601710A · Moll · 1986 [cited by applicant]
US 4693250A · Coons · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4889112A · Schachner et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4955890A · Yamamoto et al. · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 5279285A · Griggs · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5334157A · Klein et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5509900A · Kirkman · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 5755697A · Jones et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5800450A · Lary et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5843115A · Morejon · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6033388A · Nordstrom et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6517519B1 · Rosen et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6761725B1 · Grayzel et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 9114227B2 · Blanchard · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9480498B1 · Kessler · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 10028762B1 · Slupchynskyj · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10376675B2 · Mitchell et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20020040231A1 · Wysoki · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20040133227A1 · Shang et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20040181246A1 · Heppler · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20040181273A1 · Brasington et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20050177183A1 · Thorne et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20090024089A1 · Levine et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090076435A1 · Melsheimer et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090125030A1 · Tebbe et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100057056A1 · Gurtner et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20120130417A1 · Lepulu et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120226299A1 · Heppler · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130197558A1 · Ingold, Jr. et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20160128713A1 · Rauchwerger et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160346503A1 · Jackson · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170128700A1 · Roche Rebollo · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170296792A1 · Ornelas Vargas et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20190307485A1 · Kiev · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190351183A1 · Ishida · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200061322A1 · De Rezende Neto · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200086095A1 · Kleinhaus · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200155190A1 · Basadonna et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200222077A1 · Takahashi · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200246597A1 · Broniec et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210069471A1 · Howell · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210085927A1 · Howell · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210106351A1 · Hossack et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210113809A1 · Howell · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210113810A1 · Howell · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210121661A1 · Howell · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210212722A1 · Kiev et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220152368A1 · Thornley et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230141739A1 · Doctor et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230233227A1 · Lindekugel et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230241353A1 · Howell et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230241354A1 · Howell · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230255660A1 · Howell · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230255661A1 · Howell · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230277212A1 · Howell · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230277813A1 · Howell · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230277814A1 · Howell · 2023 [cited by applicant]
CN 2456639Y · 2001 [cited by applicant]
CN 210844555U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 111481303A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 112155683A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
DE 10100332A1 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
DE 202004012605U1 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO 9108709A1 · 1991 [cited by applicant]
WO 9412091A1 · 1994 [cited by applicant]
WO 02087666A2 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
WO 03022129A2 · 2003 [cited by applicant]
WO 2011024013A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO 2011057282A2 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO 2012087506A2 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO 2016176065A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017006323A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020076691A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2022104149A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO 2022120201A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023081465A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023122313A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023141170A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023150263A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023150314A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023158643A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023158645A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023167943A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023168005A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023168097A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2021/059256 filed Nov. 12, 2021 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Mar. 23, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Rauchwerger, Jacob Jeffrey, Michael Serle, and Jeffrey C. Astbury. “Novel Wire-Guided Scalpel to Facilitate Central Venous Catheter Insertion without a Skin Bridge.” Vascular Specialist International 37 (2021). [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2021/061857 filed Dec. 3, 2021 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Apr. 11, 2022. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2022/049134 filed Nov. 7, 2022 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Mar. 30, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2022/053889 filed Dec. 22, 2022 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Apr. 20, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/011067 filed Jan. 18, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated May 11, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/012270 filed Feb. 3, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 21, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/012345 filed Feb. 3, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 27, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/013056 filed Feb. 14, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 12, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/013058 filed Jun. 7, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 7, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/014298 filed Mar. 1, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 1, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/014384 filed Mar. 2, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 16, 2023. [cited by applicant]
PCT/US2023/014532 filed Mar. 3, 2023 International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jul. 10, 2023. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/525,774, filed Nov. 12, 2021 Non-Final Office Action dated Jan. 24, 2024. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/525,774, filed Nov. 12, 2021 Advisory Action dated Aug. 26, 2024. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/525,774, filed Nov. 12, 2021 Final Office Action dated Jun. 18, 2024. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/525,774, filed Nov. 12, 2021 Non-Final Office Action dated Jan. 28, 2025. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 18/098,607, filed Jan. 18, 2023 Non-Final Office Action dated Feb. 6, 2025. [cited by applicant]