Importance

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Abstract

A device is provided for feeding a guide wire into a hollow needle inserted into a patient's blood vessel to facilitate use of the wire for sliding a catheter over the wire into the blood vessel. The device includes an elongate coiled tube adapted to retain the wire with the wire in sliding engagement with the tube, and a discharge head coupled to one end of the tube. The head includes a guide opening adjacent the end of the tube, a platform having a surface adjacent the guide opening, and an outlet tip having a discharge opening. The platform is between the guide opening and the discharge opening the guide opening and discharge openings are proportioned to guide the wire in sliding contact with the wire and positioned to guide the wire over said surface. A depression in the platform faces the coiled tube and the depression is spaced from the end of the coiled tube sufficiently for the user to engage an index finger in the depression to stabilize the position of the device while the user pushes the wire along the surface on the platform using the thumb to thereby advance the wire out of the device.

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First Claim