ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 26 -- United States Patent no. 12,396,798, issued on Aug. 26, was assigned to Bard Access Systems Inc. (Salt Lake City).
"Probe shield" was invented by Tab Robbins (Layton, Utah) and Shayne Messerly (Kaysville, Utah).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Disclosed herein is a needle shield for an ultrasound probe. The needle shield fits closely with an ultrasound probe head, and any associated structures, and prevents accidental damage from needle punctures and the like. Further the needle shield includes a guide wedge that allows a user to stabilize the probe at an angle relative to the skin surface. This allows perpendicular needle access to the target vessel without the probe...