HK1066491B - Self-retracting iv catheter introducer - Google Patents

Description

Self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer

This application is a divisional application of an inventive patent application having application number 99806634.6(PCT/US99/11255), international application date 5/20/1999, and entitled "self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a medical device for facilitating insertion of a catheter into a patient.

Background

Catheterization devices are well known in the art. When a catheter is inserted into a patient for intravenous fluid delivery, a puncture is made with a single use needle that passes through the catheter cannula, thereby allowing the tip of the catheter to enter the patient. The needle is then withdrawn, leaving the catheter in place for hanging directly on an infusion bottle, or capped for later use. The needle, which has been contaminated with blood or other body fluids, must be discarded without risk of needle stick injury to the medical practitioner performing the catheterization. If the used needle cannot be rendered harmless in some way, it may pose a danger to the personnel performing the cleaning and disposal of the medical waste. The use of caps or sleeves that can be mounted on the needle is not ideal as they must be put in place and may come loose to expose the used needle. The problems associated with various versions and uses of catheterization products are discussed in U.S. patent 4,747,831 to Kulli, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

It has been recognized that a retrievable (retracted) needle is the best solution to these problems. The aforementioned U.S. patent 4,747,831 discloses a number of solutions including an externally located locking mechanism which, upon actuation, releases a spring loaded needle for retraction into the cavity of the device. In some embodiments there is a slider and retraction finger which can press a spring loaded lug to retract the needle holder and there is a detent means which can release the lock of the needle holder by rotation of the member, even a frangible member which breaks when the plunger is pushed forwardly. Dysarz, U.S. patent 5,129,884, is another example of an externally disposed lock that can be unlocked to allow a needle holder to retract a needle into the device body. U.S. patent 4,828,548 to Walter discloses a needle holder having a plunger that is vacuum operated to retract the needle. Erkine, U.S. patent 5,501,675, is a more recent form of lock-operated device in which a needle holder may be released by means of an external lock.

These prior art devices often have too many complex parts to manufacture, particularly at high speeds. Many devices are prone to premature activation during operation, making it difficult to know when the needle is safe. Detachment of the catheter assembly from the retrieval device is not entirely under the timing and control of the medical practitioner, as retrieval can result in immediate detachment of the retrieval device from the catheter assembly. In the present invention, the assembled catheter introducer is handled as a unit. When the operator realizes that the needle is correctly inserted, the connector, which remains attached to the patient's body, can be held with one hand while the retraction body is detached with the other hand, the retraction body being automatically retracted when detached, without any need to position or press any buttons or moving parts. A portion of the hand abuts the cannula to prevent blood flow until the other hand inserts a conventional tube into the catheter connector to begin infusing fluid. After detachment, the retraction body can safely contain the withdrawn needle, whereupon the removed component can be safely discarded.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer comprising: a recovery tube having a body portion with an opening at a rear portion thereof and a front portion extending forwardly from the body portion; a recovery body mounted for linear movement within the body portion of the recovery tube and having a front portion from which a needle projects forwardly; a biasing spring mounted within said recovery tube, said spring having a compressed position for applying a recovery force to said recovery body; and a catheter connector, wherein the front portion of the recovery tube comprises a plurality of arms surrounding a channel formed between the arms and opening into the body portion; the recovery body may be mounted from the rear side of a recovery tube with a front portion projecting forwardly from the passage between the arms, the conduit connectors being slidably mounted and frictionally retained at the front portion of the recovery tube, pressing against the arms, thereby clamping the arms to the front portion of the recovery body and holding the recovery body in place against the compression force of the spring; wherein the recovery body is automatically retractable into the recovery tube when the catheter connector and the recovery body are separated by hand.

A self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer, as illustrated in two embodiments, is particularly suited for automated mass production and assembly. In both embodiments, an operative portion comprising a recovery tube has an exposed front portion that frictionally and releasably engages the open rear end of a conventionally shaped cannula connector for delivering fluid into a patient. When an operating part consisting of the recovery tube and the operating body is separated from the cannula connector by hand, the recovery body with the hard needle is automatically and immediately withdrawn.

In a first embodiment, a recovery tube having a front end portion and a rear end portion (with an opening) includes an operating portion containing a recovery body configured to move linearly within the recovery tube. The recovery body has a rear portion mounted in the recovery tube and a front portion carrying a needle and protruding from the mouth of the recovery tube. The biasing member tends to drive the recovery body back into the recovery tube by applying a recovery force to the recovery body. The protruding and exposed front portion of the retraction body comprises a connection surface that can releasably engage a catheter connector located at the front portion of the retraction body. A hollow catheter connector is configured with a mating connection surface that is frictionally and releasably mountable on the connection surface of the retrieval body with a retention force sufficient to overcome the retrieval force and limit retrieval of the retrieval body. The movement of the connector in the recovery direction is restricted by the recovery pipe. When the connector and the retraction body are separated from each other by forcibly pulling the connector away and/or triggering (toggling) the operation portion while keeping the connector stationary, the connector is separated from the front portion of the retraction body due to the loosening of the connection surface, so that the retraction body is automatically retracted immediately by the biasing member and the needle is pulled to the rear thereof.

The connection of the catheter connector and the retraction body is preferably tapered to facilitate a press fit and preferably includes an arcuate and continuous surface, although a discontinuous mating surface may be employed on the exposed front of the retraction body and the connector may be used to frictionally engage and hold the retraction body until detachment occurs. The exposed front part of the recovery body preferably extends far enough towards the hollow connector that the device can be operated through the recovery tube without any feeling of looseness between the operating part and the connector. It is thus possible to fit the connector directly onto the exposed front part of the recovery body and hold it in place against the recovery force exerted by a spring.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the connector is releasably and frictionally engaged in front of an operating portion comprising a recovery tube holding a recovery body with a needle. The recovery tube has a body portion with a rear opening and a front portion extending forwardly from the body portion and including a plurality of arms surrounding a passage between the arms and into the body portion. A retraction body is mounted for linear movement within the body portion of the retraction tube, the body portion being mounted from the rear so that a front portion thereof projects forwardly of the passageway between the arms and is exposed with the needle projecting forwardly from the front portion. The recovery force in the recovery direction is provided by a biasing spring mounted within the recovery tube.

A catheter connector slidably sleeved over and frictionally held at the front of the retraction body presses against the arms, thereby clamping the arms to the front of the retraction body and holding the retraction body in place against the compressive force of the spring. Each arm and the front of the retraction body may have a mating groove or protrusion, respectively, that mate when the arms are clamped or pressed by the catheter connector to hold the retraction body in place for use. The arms are forwardly elongated and have an arcuate lip which acts as a projection and the front portion of the retraction body has an arcuate slot which cooperates with the lip so that the cooperating arcuate projection and arcuate slot retain the retraction body against retraction.

The arms are resilient arms that are normally resiliently spread apart when not compressed by the connector. The recovery body can automatically retract the recovery tube when the catheter connector and the recovery body are separated by hand. The recovery tube preferably has a continuous wall including an elongated arm. The arms preferably extend forwardly from a small diameter portion of the recovery tube which can act as a seat for supporting the forward end of the compression spring. The recovery body has a step portion between the inside of the recovery body and each arm, the step portion having a diameter larger than the small diameter portion and serving as a stopper of the recovery body in mounting the recovery body from the rear of the recovery pipe. When the recovery tube is detached by hand, it can be automatically retracted, completely pulling the needle into the recovery tube behind it. Both embodiments preferably include a spill cavity in the retraction body so that the operator can visually see through the transparent wall of the introducer when blood begins to flow.

Both embodiments are very suitable for mass production, i.e. the recovery bodies are loaded from the rear of the recovery tube, so that most of the recovery bodies are nested inside springs, which are almost as long as the recovery bodies inside and have almost the same diameter. Thus, when the recovery body is pushed into the recovery tube with a tool, the recovery tube and the portion of the recovery body nested in the spring together act as a guide to prevent the spring from bending or moving laterally. Once the recovery body is in front of the recovery tube and exposed in front of it, the needle can be mounted and then the connector can be installed by friction to hold the recovery body and put the device in a ready-to-use state.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is an exploded side view of a first embodiment of the invention showing a cannula and cannula connector, a recovery tube, a biasing member, a recovery body and a closure member;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view through the centerline of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 2 showing how the retraction body is held in an undeployed position by the catheter connector;

FIG. 4 is a partial side sectional view of the self-retracting catheter introducer in a retracted position of the several previous figures;

FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a partial side sectional view of the second embodiment showing the catheter connector and the retrieval tube and all of the retrieval bodies;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of each of the working members of FIGS. 5-7, showing the retraction body partially retracted after the connector has been removed;

fig. 9 is a partial side sectional view of the second embodiment shown in fig. 5-8, shown fully retracted after disconnecting the recovery tube from the connector.

Detailed Description

In the following description, the same components will be given the same reference numerals. The drawings of the preferred embodiments are generally true to scale and the parts are circular. The second of the two embodiments may use the same reference numbers or the same reference numbers with a "'" to indicate certain variations.

Fig. 1 shows a self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer assembly 10, except without the protective cover typically provided over the needle. A protective cover (not shown) is required because the catheter introducer is shipped in an assembled ready-to-use state. The primary components shown in the figures are a catheter connector assembly 12, a recovery tube 14, a biasing member 16, a recovery body assembly 18, and a closure member 20.

The catheter connector assembly 12 includes a flexible plastic or rubber cannula 22 and a connector 24 having a needle slot 26 and a hollow portion 28, the hollow portion 28 having a flange 30 with an opening 32. The hollow portion 28 has a tapered inner surface 33 constituting a connecting surface.

The recovery tube 14 has a front end 36 with a front end having a front surface 38 and an opening 40. The recovery tube 14 is preferably defined by a continuous wall 42, and one or more stops 44 may be provided on the wall 42 to retain a conventional needle cover. The recovery tube 14 has a middle section 46 and a rear end section 48 with an opening 50 at the rear end. The wall 42 has an inner surface 52 and defines an interior space or reclamation space. As is conventional, the tube is molded of clear plastic to allow the operator to see that the catheter is properly inserted into the patient. The biasing member 16 is preferably a coil spring.

The retraction body assembly 18 includes a retraction body 56 having a front portion 58 to which a catheter insertion needle 60 may be secured. The interior center of the front portion 58 has an irregular opening to facilitate bonding of the needle in place. The hollow needle may create a fluid passage to access chamber 62 immediately behind front portion 58. A step 64 forms a slightly larger diameter portion in the middle of the retraction body 56. A connecting surface 66 is formed along the outer surface of forward portion 58 between a forward end 68 of forward portion 58 and step 64. The second step 70 formed in the middle of the recovery body 56 may serve as a spring seat. The relief is the beginning of an enlarged rear portion 72. the rear portion 72 has an outer surface slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the recovery tube 14 and encloses a flash chamber 74. The rear portion 72 has an open rear end on which a porous plug 76 fits snugly to allow air to pass but not fluid. The spring 16 has a front end 78 and a rear end 80 that abuts the step 70. The spring 16 is fitted over the smaller diameter intermediate section 59.

Fig. 2 shows the assembled ready-to-use state of the self-retracting catheter introducer assembly 10. After the needle 60 is bonded to the front end of the retraction body 18, the spring 16 is sleeved from the front to the rear onto the middle section 59 of the retraction body 18, with the rear end of the spring abutting the ledge 70. The assembly is inserted from the opening 50 at the rear of the recovery tube 14 such that the spring 16 is pressed against the collar 82 formed at the front end of the recovery tube 14. Subsequently, the front part 58 of the recovery body 18 is pushed out of the opening 40 and projects forward to the front of the recovery pipe 14. The hollow catheter connector 24 is releasably mounted to the front of the retraction body, preferably by sliding friction between the mating connection surface 66 and the inner surface 33. The catheter connector 24 is capable of holding the retraction body 18 in place against a retraction force applied in a retraction direction by a compressed spring. A closure or end cap 20 is then fitted snugly into the opening 50 at the rear end of the recovery tube 14 to ensure that the recovered components do not fall out of the recovery tube. The rear portion of the recovery bodies 56 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity 54 so that the recovery bodies can freely slide linearly along the length of the recovery tubes 14. Depending on the tightness of the assembly, the closure 20 may include a vent to vent trapped air.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view to better illustrate the components shown in fig. 2. Here, the front end 78 of the spring 16 presses against the flange 82, and the rear end 80 of the spring 16 presses against the step 70. The step 64 is slightly larger than the opening 40 and thus also abuts the flange 82. It can be seen that the inner surface 33 or connecting surface 34 of the connector 24 tightly fits over the connecting surface 66 of the front portion 58 of the retraction body 56. The coupling surfaces 34, 66 are assembled sufficiently tightly relative to each other to overcome the retraction force exerted by the spring 16. The coupling surfaces 34, 36 are preferably tapered to a smaller diameter to facilitate friction fit.

A cooperating stop portion is provided between the connector and the recovery tube. These stop surfaces are formed by the rear surface 84 of the flange 30 of the connector 24 and the front surface 86 on the front end of the recovery tube 14. These stop surfaces cooperate to prevent rearward movement of the connector in the retraction direction to retain the retraction body 56. It should be noted that the front portion 58 of the retraction body 56 extends into the hollow connector 24 with the connection face 66 thereof in contact with the surface 34. As shown, the front portion 58 extends approximately half way into the hollow portion 28 of the connector assembly 12. This provides a stable connection between the two parts and, in combination with the abutment surfaces 84, 86, avoids any feeling of looseness during operation of the catheter introducer. This is not a very important point, however, and it is important that the connector 24, which is restrained by the retrieval tube, allow for relatively simple manual separation of the catheter connector assembly 12 and the retrieval body 56.

The connecting face 66 need not be a continuous face, as there is virtually no sealing requirement between the connector and the retraction body having a full internal fluid passage. It is contemplated that either or both of the attachment surfaces 34, 66 may have a separate ridge (lands), such as a visible longitudinal ridge, or may be a series of non-interlocking ridges or fins. It is contemplated that the attachment surface 66 and the inner surface 33 may have mating male (female) ridges (not shown) which may be threads having a male shape and a female shape provided on mating portions that require twisting to separate the connectors to initiate the retrieval action. In this case, it is desirable to include a device capable of preventing the recovery body from rotating in the recovery pipe. A transverse projection may be provided adjacent the step 64 and a corresponding stop in the recovery tube 14, or an anti-rotation may be provided by a non-circular shape. All these variations are based on the idea that the connection surface releasably holds the recovery body by means of the connector in the case of a compressed spring, whereby the recovery tube holds the connector which in turn holds the recovery body. The withdrawal action is automatically caused immediately after the connection face is disengaged.

Fig. 4 shows the fully retracted position. In this position, cannula 22 will be inserted into the patient with the connector ready for connection to the infusion line, while the recovery tube containing recovery body 56 and needle 60 can be discarded. It should be noted that the length of the retraction tube 14 should be sufficient to accommodate the retraction body and the entire insertion needle 60. The uncompressed state of the spring should be long enough to ensure that the retraction body is pushed back into the tube 14 far enough not to expose the needle 60.

Fig. 5-9 show a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is best understood in conjunction with fig. 6. This embodiment uses the same principle as the first embodiment in that there is an immediate self-recovery action when the recovery tube is manually disconnected from the connector. In this embodiment, however, the recovery body is actually held by the front portion of the recovery tube rather than by the connector. In the second embodiment, the connector does not actually contact the recovery body.

The primary components of the second embodiment 10 ' are the catheter connector assembly 12, the recovery tube 14 ' and the recovery body 18 '. The recovery tube 14 'has a body portion 88 having a wall 90 with a longitudinally extending tube inner surface 92 and an opening 50' at the rear end. After the recovery body 18 'is installed into the recovery pipe from behind, the opening 50' is blocked with the closing member 20. In addition to the body portion 88, the recovery tube 14' has a front portion 94 with a plurality of arms 96 on the front portion 94 surrounding a passage 98 into the body portion 88. The channel 98 is occupied by a forward extension 58' of the recovery body to be described below. The walls 90 turn inwardly to form the rim 82 ', with each arm 96 extending from the rim 82'. The arm 96 is an elongated member that extends forwardly from the rim 82' and terminates at a projection 100. The arm 96 has an arcuate outer surface 102 that extends from the front surface 86' of the body portion 88 to a projection 100. The arms 96 also have an arcuate inner surface 104 from which each projection 100 extends toward the centerline. The parts shown in the figures are symmetrical.

The retraction body assembly 18 ' includes a retraction body 56 ' having a spill cavity 74 ' with a porous plug 76 thereon. The recovery body 56 ' has a rear portion 72 ' with a diameter substantially equal to the cavity 54 of the body portion 88 of the recovery tube 14 '. The recovery body 56 'also includes a reduced diameter mid-section 59' starting at the step 70. The front end 78 of the spring 16 is rearward of the ledge 82 'and the rear end thereof is forward of the ledge 70 and surrounds the mid-section 59'. There is a further reduced diameter portion 58 'from the step 106 which forms a forward portion 58' which extends forwardly through the passage 98 between and among the arms 96. The front portion 58 'preferably extends from the projection 100 and terminates at the front end 68'. The forward portion 58 'has an arcuate outer surface 108 extending between the step 106 and the forward end 68', which in the preferred embodiment is a conical surface that tapers in diameter from rearward to forward. A recess 110 is recessed along surface 108 at a location to receive the protrusion 100, i.e., the means provided on arm 96 for holding the retraction body 56' in the assembled ready-to-use condition shown in fig. 6. Irregular openings in the front portion 58' may receive adhesive to mount and secure the needle 60 forward into the cannula 22 in fluid communication with the spill cavity 74.

Referring now to fig. 5 and 7, there is shown a portion of the body portion 88 of the recovery tube 14 'with the recovery body 56' and compression spring 16 shown in phantom, and the arcuate face 102 of each arm 96 clamped in the open rear end of the connector 24, thereby retaining the protrusion 100 in the recess 110. The inner surface 33 and the outer surface 102 of the connector 24 are in contact and held by friction. The outer surface 102 preferably tapers outwardly to a smaller diameter as does the inner surface 33 of the connector 24.

In fig. 5, the body 88 has a flange 112, showing three arcuate arms 96 separated by gaps 114. A portion of the recess 110 is shown in phantom. The flange 112 includes a flat side 116 so that the assembled structure is conveniently prevented from rolling in a plane. Finally, a plurality of longitudinally extending fins 118 serve as supports for a protective cap (not shown) which is mounted to the front of the tube against the flange 112. The front portion 58' extends forwardly through the channel 98 between the arms. The compressed biasing spring applies a retraction force to the retraction body. Although the flange 30 is shown as being pressed against the front face 86 of the body portion 88, and this is a preferred configuration, it will be appreciated that resistance to the retraction force is provided solely by the cooperation of the projection 100 and the recess 110. Therefore, the recovery pipe itself holds the recovery body. Although three arms 96 are shown, there may be more or less as long as they can engage and hold the front of the retraction body.

Fig. 8 illustrates the partially retracted condition after removal of the connector 24 of the connector assembly 12. Here it can be seen that the arms 96 are resilient arms that can resiliently splay outwardly from the front portion 58' a sufficient distance to release the projection 100 from the recess 110. The recovery tube 14 ' has a continuous wall 90 forming the body portion 88 and the arms 96, wherein the body 88 has a stepped portion 106 behind the front surface 86 ' that forms a reduced diameter portion of the recovery tube 14 ' from which the arms 96 originate. In fig. 8, the entire recovery body 18 'can be seen as being moved backwards in the recovery body 14' in the recovery direction under the influence of the now partially compressed spring 16.

Fig. 9 shows the structure of fig. 5-8 in a fully retracted position. It can be seen that retraction tube 14 'is long enough to receive the entire retraction body assembly 18', including the entire needle 60 (retracted from passage 98), such that it is no longer exposed.

In the most preferred form, the recovery tube and recovery body are preferably made of clear molded grade polypropylene to allow the user to determine when fluid is flowing into the spill cavity. The second embodiment requires some flexible material and takes a "set" so that the arms have the ability to elastically expand to release the retrieval body.

Both embodiments are well suited for automated high speed molding production and assembly. There are only two main components and one common spring, except for the porous plug, needle and closed end cap. The first embodiment has no gaps that may require special molds and molding techniques, and the second embodiment also requires only a small amount of effort to form the recess 100.

The assembly of the main components is from the rear to the front. The spring can be inserted from the rear side opening of the recovery tube and the recovery body (preferably without a needle) from the rear side of the spring against the step 70 (which forms a stop). Then, a plunger tool is used to push against the rear side of the recovery body, which is moved forward in the recovery pipe to compress the spring. Since the recovery body is in close bearing relation to and within the spring and the spring is restrained by the recovery tube, the spring is prevented from buckling during high speed installation. The recovery tube may act as a guide for the spring. After the retraction body is fully advanced, the needle 60 is bonded in place while it is held. The needle is then passed through the cannula and a catheter connector, the latter being frictionally mounted on the exposed front of the retraction body or, in the case of the second embodiment, over an arm at the front of the retraction tube, holding the retraction body in place. Once completed, the tool is removed from the recovery tube and the end cap 20 is installed to retain the recovered portion after it has been recovered. Although it is preferred to mount the needles after the retraction body abuts the collar of the retraction tube, the needles may be glued first because the openings through which the needles are required to pass are relatively large and a slight bend in the needles is unlikely to cause a "snag" as the needles move forward.

In the second embodiment, the flange in the housing behind the connector is preferably tapered to facilitate the nesting of the connector over the outer ends of the arms 96. It is desirable in both embodiments to be able to use conventional catheter connectors and cannulae.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. A self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer comprising: a recovery tube having a body portion with an opening at a rear portion thereof and a front portion extending forwardly from the body portion; a recovery body installed to be linearly movable within the body part of the recovery tube and having a front part, a needle being protruded forward from the front part of the recovery body; a biasing spring mounted within said recovery tube, said spring having a compressed position for applying a recovery force to said recovery body; and a catheter connector, wherein the catheter connector is characterized in that,

the front portion of the recovery tube comprises a plurality of arms surrounding a channel formed between the arms and opening into the body portion;

the recovery body may be installed from a rear side of the recovery pipe, a front portion of which protrudes forward from the passage between the arms,

said catheter connector being slidably mounted and frictionally held in the front of said recovery tube, pressing against each arm, thereby clamping the arm to the front of said recovery body and holding the recovery body in place against the compression force of the spring;

wherein the recovery body is automatically retractable into the recovery tube when the catheter connector and the recovery tube are separated by hand.

2. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 1 wherein said retraction tube and its forward portion have a continuous wall.

3. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 1 wherein said arms are resilient arms which are normally resiliently splayed when not compressed by said connector.

4. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 3 wherein each of said arms and the front portion of the retraction body have mating grooves or protrusions, respectively, which mate when the arms are gripped by the catheter connector to hold the retraction body.

5. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 4 wherein each of said arms is forwardly elongated and has an arcuate lip portion which is adapted to project therefrom, the front portion of said retraction body having an arcuate slot which is adapted to mate with said lip portion, whereby said arcuate lip portion and arcuate slot retain the retraction body against retraction when the catheter introducer is assembled and the connector is slidably received over each of said arms.

6. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 5 wherein said retraction tube and its forward portion have a continuous wall.

7. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 1 wherein said retraction tube has a continuous wall forming said body portion and arms extending forwardly from a small diameter portion of said retraction tube.

8. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 7 wherein said retraction body has a step rearwardly of said forward portion, said step having a diameter greater than said minor diameter portion and serving as a stop for said retraction body during installation of the retraction body from the rear of the retraction tube.

9. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 7 wherein said retraction body front portion extends from each arm of said retraction tube, said retraction body front portion and said retraction tube arms being covered by said catheter connector when said catheter connector is installed such that said retraction tube arms are pressed against said retraction tube front portion.

10. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 7 wherein said spring has a forward end abutting a ledge on a small diameter portion of said retraction tube to apply a retraction force to said retraction body.

11. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 10 wherein said spring is nested in the middle of said retraction body and has a rear end, said retraction body having a spring seat that receives the rear end of said spring, said spring being compressible between said spring seat and said collar to apply said retraction force to said retraction body.

12. The self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer of claim 11 wherein said retraction body has a rear portion which includes an overflow lumen in said retraction tube to detect when the catheter is properly inserted.

13. A self-retracting intravenous catheter introducer comprising: a recovery tube having a body portion and a small diameter front portion; a recovery body having a rear portion mounted in said recovery tube body portion and a front portion with a needle; a biasing member mounted between the recovery tube and the recovery body and tending to drive the recovery body into the recovery tube by a recovery force; and a catheter connector, wherein the catheter connector is characterized in that,

said minor diameter front portion of said recovery tube including a plurality of elastomeric members and a passage below the elastomeric members and opening into the body portion;

the recovery body is installed from the rear of the recovery pipe, and the front part of the recovery body can slide through a channel below each elastic component;

the front portion of the retraction body and the resilient members have cooperating surfaces which when in touching engagement, retain the retraction body;

said conduit connector having an open rear end slidably received over each resilient member whereby said cooperating surfaces are in contact engagement to retain the retraction body relative to the retraction tube;

thus, when the catheter connector and the recovery tube are separated by hand, the recovery body can be automatically retracted.