Medical device
This invention relates to a medical device ( 20, 40, 60 ) for use in aiding the successful placement of a needle tip in a blood vessel. The medical device comprises a resiliently deformable collapsible body ( 21 ) defining a pressure chamber therein. The body further comprises a port ( 29 ) for engagement of a hub of a needle, the port defining a fluid passageway from the exterior of the body to the interior of the pressure chamber. The device further comprises means to generate an audible noise ( 31, 41 ) upon expansion of the collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. In this way, as the tip of the needle enters the lumen of the blood vessel, the collapsible body is configured to transition from a contracted to an expanded configuration, thereby causing the auditory cue. This auditory cue indicates to the medical professional that the tip of the needle is in the lumen of the blood vessel.
1 . A medical device for use in aiding the successful placement of a needle tip in a blood vessel, the medical device comprising a resiliently deformable collapsible body defining a pressure chamber therein, a biasing means operable to urge the resiliently deformable collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, a port for engagement of a hub of a needle, the port defining a fluid passageway from the exterior of the resiliently deformable collapsible body to the interior of the pressure chamber, and in which the medical device further comprises means to generate an audible noise upon expansion of the collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, in which the resiliently deformable collapsible body has a bellows-like configuration with a pair of sides and a bladder therebetween, in which the bladder is concertinaed and in which the means to generate an audible noise comprises a scraper arm, one end of which is connected to one of the pair of sides of the body and the other, free end of which is inwardly depending towards and for engagement of one or more of the folds of the concertinaed bladder.
2 . The medical device as claimed in claim 1 in which the free end of the scraper arm is resiliently biased towards the folds of the concertinaed bladder.
3 . The medical device as claimed in claim 1 in which the scraper arm is dimensioned so that when the concertinaed bladder is in a fully collapsed configuration, the inwardly depending end of the scraper arm extends beyond and along a portion of the other side of the body and is operable to releasably secure the two sides of the body together.
4 . The medical device as claimed in claim 3 in which one of the inwardly depending end of the scraper arm and the side of the body is provided with a protrusion and the other of the inwardly depending end of the scraper arm and the side of the body is provided with a complementary recess for reception of the protrusion.
5 . The medical device as claimed in claim 3 in which the scraper arm further comprises a tab extending outwardly therefrom beyond the inwardly depending end of the scraper arm.
6 . A medical device for use in aiding the successful placement of a needle tip in a blood vessel, the medical device comprising a resiliently deformable collapsible body defining a pressure chamber therein, a biasing means operable to urge the resiliently deformable collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, a port for engagement of a hub of a needle, the port defining a fluid passageway from the exterior of the resiliently deformable collapsible body to the interior of the pressure chamber, and in which the medical device further comprises means to generate an audible noise upon expansion of the collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, in which the resiliently deformable collapsible body has a bellows-like configuration with a pair of sides and a bladder therebetween, in which the bladder is concertinaed and in which the means to generate an audible noise comprises a surface coating on the folds of the concertinaed bladder that generate a noise when two abutting surfaces are separated apart from each other.
7 . A medical device for use in aiding the successful placement of a needle tip in a blood vessel, the medical device comprising a resiliently deformable collapsible body defining a pressure chamber therein, a biasing means operable to urge the resiliently deformable collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, a port for engagement of a hub of a needle, the port defining a fluid passageway from the exterior of the resiliently deformable collapsible body to the interior of the pressure chamber, and in which the medical device further comprises means to generate an audible noise upon expansion of the collapsible body from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, in which the resiliently deformable collapsible body has a bellows-like configuration with a pair of sides and a bladder therebetween, in which the bladder is concertinaed and in which the means to generate an audible noise comprises a spring force holding the folds of the concertinaed bladder together that generate a noise when two sides of a fold are separated apart from each other.