Introducer components, assemblies, and methods thereof
Disclosed are introducer components, assemblies, and methods. For example, an introducer assembly can include an access guidewire loaded in a needle assembly fluidly connected to a syringe. The needle assembly can include a needle and a valve thereover. The needle can include a needle shaft including a needle lumen, a needle slot in a proximal portion of the needle shaft, and a needle hub over the proximal portion of the needle shaft but proximal of the needle slot. The valve can be over the needle slot with a valve port aligned with the needle slot. The access guidewire can be loaded in the needle lumen and sealed therein by way of the valve port in a ready-to-deploy state of the introducer assembly. In this way, the access guidewire can be immediately advanced into a blood-vessel lumen of a patient upon establishing a needle tract thereto with the needle assembly.
1 . An introducer assembly, comprising:
a vacuum-generating device;
a needle assembly fluidly connected to the vacuum-generating device, the needle assembly including:
a needle including:
a needle shaft including a needle lumen;
a needle slot in a proximal portion of the needle shaft; and
a needle hub over the proximal portion of the needle shaft but proximal of the needle slot; and
a valve over the needle slot, the valve including an elastomeric sleeve having a valve port aligned with the needle slot; and
an access guidewire loaded in the needle lumen and sealed therein around an outer diameter of the access guidewire by way of the valve port in a ready-to-deploy state of the introducer assembly,
wherein the access guidewire includes a ‘J’-shaped guidewire tip that assumes a straightened state in the ready-to-deploy state of the introducer assembly and a curved state when the guidewire tip is advanced beyond a distal end of the needle shaft in a deployed state of the introducer assembly.
2 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric sleeve is adhered to the needle shaft over the needle slot.
3 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve port includes a hole in the elastomeric sleeve aligned with the needle slot, the hole having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the access guidewire.
4 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve port includes a slit in the elastomeric sleeve aligned with the needle slot.
5 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve port includes a plurality of intersecting slits in the elastomeric sleeve aligned with the needle slot.
6 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve further includes a rigid housing over the elastomeric sleeve.
7 . The introducer assembly of claim 6 , wherein the valve port further includes a through hole in the rigid housing aligned with the needle slot.
8 . The introducer assembly of claim 7 , wherein the valve port further includes an ‘O’-ring disposed in the through hole having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the access guidewire.
9 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the access guidewire includes a bare-wire portion and a wound-wire portion proximal of the bare-wire portion, the bare-wire portion distally extending through the valve port in at least the ready-to-deploy state of the introducer assembly.
10 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the access guidewire includes a proximal portion proximally extending from the valve port in the ready-to-deploy state of the introducer assembly, the proximal portion of the access guidewire disposed in a sterile barrier configured to maintain sterility of the access guidewire.
11 . The introducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the needle hub further includes a needle-hub connector including a needle-hub bore in a proximal portion of the needle hub, a syringe tip of a syringe as the vacuum-generating device disposed in the needle-hub bore, thereby fluidly connecting the needle assembly to the vacuum-generating device in the ready-to- deploy state of the introducer assembly.
12 . A needle assembly, comprising:
a needle including:
a needle shaft including a needle lumen;
a needle slot in a proximal portion of the needle shaft; and
a needle hub over the proximal portion of the needle shaft but proximal of the needle slot; and
a valve including:
an elastomeric sleeve over the needle slot, the valve including a valve port aligned with the needle slot; and
a rigid housing over the elastomeric sleeve.
13 . The needle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the elastomeric sleeve is adhered to the needle shaft over the needle slot.
14 . The needle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the valve port includes a slit in the elastomeric sleeve aligned with the needle slot.
15 . The needle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the valve port includes a plurality of intersecting slits in the elastomeric sleeve aligned with the needle slot.
16 . The needle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the valve port further includes a through hole in the rigid housing aligned with the needle slot.
17 . The needle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the needle hub further includes a needle-hub connector including a needle-hub bore in a proximal portion of the needle hub, the needle-hub bore configured to accept a syringe tip of a syringe inserted therein for fluidly connecting the needle assembly to the syringe.