Importance

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Abstract

A catheter introducer adapted to facilitate insertion of a catheter into a patient without requiring a large aperture be made in the patient wherethrough a separate catheter may be inserted; the catheter introducer includes an elongate narrow wire adapted to pass through the catheter and be sufficiently long so as to protrude from an open distal end of the catheter, the wire being adapted to receive an electrical current charge therethrough so as to energize a protruding tip region of the wire and facilitate direct insertion of the catheter into the patient. The catheter introducer includes a removable lock head structured to be removably secured over a proximal hub portion of the catheter subsequent to insertion of the wire into the catheter, and is utilized as part of a method of inserting a catheter wherein a patient is first placed upon a grounded operating surface, the elongate wire of the catheter introducer is inserted into the catheter, current is introduced into the wire, the catheter is pushed easily through the patient's flesh as a result of contact by the energized protruding tip region of the wire with the patient's flesh, the catheter being inserted a desired distance into the patient after which the current is removed from the wire and the catheter introducer is removed from the catheter to allow normal use of the catheter.

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First Claim