US 12,251,528 B2
Cannula with light-emitting optical fiber
S. Ray Isaacson, Layton, UT (US); Ralph L. Sonderegger, Farmington, UT (US); and Jonathan Karl Burkholz, Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Assigned to Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US)
Filed by Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US)
Filed on Oct. 15, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/071,776.
Application 17/071,776 is a continuation of application No. 15/461,354, filed on Mar. 16, 2017, granted, now 10,835,718.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/314,258, filed on Mar. 28, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0023345 A1, Jan. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. A61M 25/09 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/15 (2006.01); A61B 5/153 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/01 (2006.01); A61M 25/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 25/09 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0059 (2013.01); A61B 5/15 (2013.01); A61B 5/15003 (2013.01); A61B 5/153 (2013.01); A61B 5/489 (2013.01); A61M 25/0067 (2013.01); A61M 25/06 (2013.01); A61M 25/0606 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0166 (2013.01); A61M 2205/583 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of assisting introduction of a single-lumen catheter into a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:
obtaining a cannula that is disposed within a single-lumen catheter, wherein the cannula comprises a distal tip, an elongated tubular shaft, and an inner lumen formed by the elongated tubular shaft, the distal tip of the cannula extending beyond a distal end of the single-lumen catheter, and wherein an optical fiber is positioned within the inner lumen of the cannula, the optical fiber having a rounded distal end that is positioned adjacent but proximal to the distal tip of the cannula, wherein the optical fiber is configured to emit light through discontinuities in the rounded distal end and through discontinuities positioned around a circumference of the optical fiber;
while the cannula remains disposed within the single-lumen catheter and the rounded distal end of the optical fiber remains adjacent but proximal to the distal tip of the cannula, inserting the cannula into the blood vessel of the patient, wherein the optical fiber illuminates the distal tip of the cannula as the cannula is inserted;
while the cannula remains disposed within the single-lumen catheter, advancing the optical fiber distally within the inner lumen of the cannula to cause the rounded distal end of the optical fiber including at least some of the discontinuities positioned around the circumference of the optical fiber to extend beyond the distal tip of the cannula to thereby illuminate the blood vessel; and
after advancing the optical fiber distally within the cannula to cause the rounded distal end of the optical fiber including at least some of the discontinuities positioned around the circumference of the optical fiber to extend beyond the distal tip of the cannula, advancing the single-lumen catheter distally relative to the cannula and along the optical fiber to guide the catheter into the blood vessel.