Bard Access Systems, Inc.

Disclosed are two-piece rapidly insertable central catheter (“RICCs”), introducers, and methods. For example, an introducer and a distal catheter piece of a RICC can be combined in an introducer assembly configured to be actuated with a single finger of a hand while the introducer is held between a thumb and another finger or fingers of the same hand. A catheter-advancement hub of the introducer includes a manifold coupled to a proximal portion of a distal catheter-hub piece of the distal catheter piece. An introducer needle of a syringe of the introducer has a needle shaft extending through the manifold and a distal end of the distal catheter piece. An introducer housing is over a syringe tip, the manifold, and the proximal portion of the distal catheter piece. The introducer housing of the introducer configured to provide column strength to a catheter tube of the distal catheter piece during a venipuncture.

Ultrasound gel-treating stations, systems, and methods enable at least germicidal ultraviolet (“UV”)-light treatment of ultrasound gel. For example, an ultrasound gel-treating station can include a housing, a cavity within the housing, and one or more UV-light sources disposed in the cavity or the housing about the cavity. The cavity within the housing can be configured to hold one or more bottles of ultrasound gel. The one-or-more UV-light sources can be configured for irradiating the one-or-more bottles of ultrasound gel with germicidal radiation when the one-or-more bottles of ultrasound gel are disposed in the cavity. Heat dissipated by the one-or-more UV-light sources can warm the one-or-more bottles of ultrasound gel. Additionally or alternatively, the ultrasound gel-treating station can further include one or more heating elements disposed in the cavity or the housing about the cavity for warming the one-or-more bottles of ultrasound gel.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a vessel assessment system configured to image a target vessel and determine which vascular access device (VAD) to use to access the target vessel while remaining within one or more insertion parameters of percentage vessel occupancy, and dwell length given a predetermined range of insertion angles. The system can superimpose a target vessel sizing ring to measure a diameter or cross-sectional area, or to measure a depth of the target vessel. Further, the system can provide a list of VAD's that can access the target vessel within one or more insertion parameters. The system can provide an icon representing the VAD superimposed over the target vessel to provide a visual representation of the vascular access device within the target vessel.

Disclosed herein are medical systems and devices that include an elongate probe configured for insertion into a patient, where the elongate probe includes an electrically conductive (EC) medium extending along probe. The EC medium may take several forms, including a conductive cannula, an ionic solution, a flex circuit, wires, or platings. The probe includes a conductive tip for exchanging electrical signals with a patient. The probe includes optical fiber having shape sensing core fibers, illuminating core fibers and imaging core fibers. A console of the system includes logic executed by one or more processors to perform operations that include providing and/or receiving electrical signals to and from the patient. Operations further include shape sensing of the probe, projecting illuminating light, and receiving imaging light.

A blood vessel detection device includes a pair of light sources that project lights having different wavelengths through the skin into a detection area of a patient and a photodetector that receives reflected lights originating from the light sources. Logic of a microcontroller of the device processes the intensity data related to the reflected lights having the different wavelengths to determine the presence of a blood vessel within the detection area and/or the identity of the blood vessel as a vein or an artery. The wavelengths are chosen such that hemoglobin within a blood vessel reduces the reflected light intensity different amounts according to an oxygen content of the hemoglobin. The intensities of one or both reflected lights is used to detect the presence of a blood vessel and a difference or a ratio of the intensities is used to identify the blood vessel as a vein vs an artery.

A two-step rapid insertion central catheter (“RICC”) system that can include an introducer placement system, a docking station and a catheter placement system. The introducer placement system can place an introducer within a vasculature, which is supported by a docking station that detaches from a distal end of the introducer placement system. A catheter placement system can be configured to couple with the docking station, and a catheter can be advanced through the introducer into the vasculature. The introducer can then be split and retracted before the catheter placement system disengages the docking station. The docking station can be configured to split and disengage from the catheter. The RICC system can include a guidewire hub to prevent guidewire embolisms, collapsible sterile barriers to prevent contamination, and locking features to prevent premature advancement of guidewires, dilators and the like.

A rapidly inserted central catheter can include a catheter tube, a catheter hub, and one or more extension legs. The catheter tube can include a single-piece catheter tip coupled to a distal end portion of the catheter tube having a first section, a second section, and a third section. The first section of the catheter tip can have a uniform taper over an outer diameter thereof for dilating tissue around a needle tract from a size commensurate with an outer diameter of a needle shaft to a size commensurate with an outer diameter of the second section of the catheter tip. The third section of the catheter tip can have a non-uniform taper over an outer diameter thereof for dilating the tissue from the size commensurate with the outer diameter of the second section of the catheter tip to a size commensurate with an outer diameter of the catheter tube.

An intraosseous access system includes a driver, a needle, and an obturator positioned in the needle to prevent entry of bodily tissues into the lumen. The driver includes control logic configured to modify operation of the driver upon an indication that a change in modality is detected. The obturator includes a sensor such as an electrical impedance sensor. The electrical impedance sensor can include a passive RFID chip configured to activate when the change in modality is detected.

The ultrasound probe cover system comprises a cradle arm supporting an ultrasound probe in a predetermined position, a first applicator arm articulating relative to the cradle arm and housing a sterilizer applicator and a gel applicator for applying a sterilizing agent and a gel to the probe head, and a sheath arm with a sheath holder supporting an open sheath. The sheath arm articulates relative to the cradle arm to position the sheath opening over the probe head. The sheath includes a biasing member extending helically and configured to bias the sheath to an extended configuration to facilitate placing the sheath over the probe. The cover system provides a convenient and efficient solution for covering and preparing ultrasound probes for medical procedures, enhancing hygiene and usability in healthcare settings.

Procedural barrier-breaching connectors and connection-establishing devices, as well as systems and methods thereof, for establishing portals in procedural barriers are disclosed. For example, a connection-establishing device can include a cap and an extension arm. The cap is configured to sit over a protruding portion of a first medical device with a procedural barrier between the connection-establishing device and the first medical device. The extension arm is configured to push a male connector of a second medical device through the procedural barrier and into a female connector of the first medical device with the extension arm, which establishes one or more functional connections across the procedural barrier between the second medical device and the first medical device. An exemplary method for the connection-establishing device includes a cap-placing step, an articulating step, and a functional connection-establishing step for establishing the one-or-more functional connections.