ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND GUIDED ACCESS NEEDLE

An access needle includes a hollow shaft having a lumen sized and shaped to slidably receive a guidewire therein and having a distal end including an angled surface extending proximally and transversely from a sharpened distal-most tip of the shaft to a beveled smoothed area of the shaft proximal and transverse to the sharpened tip. The beveled smoothed area is positioned to slidably engage a guidewire extended distally out the distal end of the needle so that, as the guidewire is retracted proximally into the needle, the beveled smoothed area slidably engages the guidewire to minimize abrasion to the guidewire.