Syringe needle abstract
A guide of the device is engageable with a hypodermic syringe barrel
for secure placement thereon. A slide carried by the guide includes
a shroud extensible from a stowed position adjacent the barrel forward
over the end of a used syringe needle. The guide and an elongate
slide therein embody locking means retaning the slide in an extended
position after syringe use. A rib on the slide is provided at one
end with a finger contactible surface for convenient slide positioning.
The guide includes inwardly turned flanges to further support the
slide against lateral displacement.
Syringe needle claims
We claim:
1. A device for shielding the distal end of a used needle of a
hypodermic syringe having a barrel with a cylindrical portion and
a coupling collar for attaching a needle thereto, said device including,
a guide including attachment means having a first arcuate surface
for engageably attaching the device to the coupling collar and a
second arcuate surface for engageably attaching the device to the
cylindrical portion of the barrel, wherein the first and second
surfaces are spaced apart so as to permit manual grasping of the
barrel to be positioned therebetween,
an elongate slide carried by said guide and having a shroud at
one end, said slide having a retracted inoperative position in juxtapositon
with the syringe barrel with the shroud in place about the coupling
collar, said slide having an operable extended position locating
said shroud about the distal end of a used needle, and
locking means on said guide and said slide operable upon extension
of the slide for locking the slide extended in place relative the
guide.
2. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said attachment means
arcuate surfaces are ring members.
3. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said attachment means
additionally includes a tang for engagement with the syringe barrel.
4. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said slide includes a
lengthwise extending rib imparting rigidity to the slide and the
rib thereon, a connector attaching said slide to the shroud.
5. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking means includes
an arm carried detent biased toward a recess positionable proximate
said detent concurrent with shroud advancement into the operable
extended position.
Syringe needle description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns the provision of a shroud or guard
for disposition about the point of a used hypodermic syringe needle
to prevent contact with the needle by medical personnel.
A risk exits to medical personnel of coming into accidental contact
with a used hypodermic syringe needle and transmission of an infection
from a previously treated individual such as hepatitis and the AIDS
virus. While great care is normally exercised by medical personnel
to avoid such contact with a used hypodermic needle, such contact
does occur. Several solutions to the problem, termed needle stick,
have been disclosed in various U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5411492 shows a hypodermic syringe provided with
a needle and hub assembly for attachment to the coupling socket
integral with the syringe barrel. The needle hub supports a rail
or guide which in turn carries an arm positionable lengthwise of
the needle to locate a cap about the poined end of the needle. A
cap is normally retracted in place about the needle and hub and
repositioned over the needle end subsequent to syringe use. A problem
encountered by such an arrangement is that a needle and hub assembly
cannot be readily interchanged with another needle and hub assembly
as such a change incurs the replacement of the protective device.
Further, the manufacturing cost of the a needle and hub assembly
with rail structure attached would appear to increase the cost of
same. Some risk additionally is encountered upon inadvertent application
of a fingertip to the cap of the device which in some instances
could displace the cap axially to permit exposure of the needle
end therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5000740 is of interest in that a needle housing
is slidably disposed on a flash chamber and extensible therefrom
to locate a needle guard tip about the used needle of the catheter
device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4985021 discloses a slidably mounted tubular housing
on a syringe barrel with a helical spring operable to extend the
housing about the end of a needle of the syringe with provision
made for preventing retraction of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5215534 discloses a needle guard which is positionable
by a spring along the length of the needle to its end. A shaft carries
a shielding cap with retraction of the cap prevented after extension
over the needle end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5019051 discloses an assembled protective enclosure
for a used needle which encloses the syringe barrel to hinder viewing
barrel markings and after use, positioned along the barrel to overlie
the needle and needle hub.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention is embodied within a guide with attachment
means for placement along the syringe barrel to receive a slide,
the distal end of which carries a shroud which isolates the needle
end from contact. The guide and slide may be locked to prevent slide
retraction after placement about the needle end. The guide insertably
receives the syringe barrel and additionally includes a tang for
engagement with a syringe flange for retention against displacement
relative the barrel. A shroud is stowed about the coupling collar
of the syringe and permits interchanging of needles on the syringe
when desired. The locking arrangement prevents shroud displacement
subsequent to positioning about the needle with locking means concealed
from convenient access to prevent accidental shroud retraction.
The guide engages the barrel in a manner securing the guide against
axial and rotational displacement. An elongate slide in the guide
is readily positionable by fingertip pressure to advance the shroud.
Important objectives include the provision of a device for enclosing
the end of a used hypodermic syringe needle with the device readily
attachable to a syringe and of a low manufacturing cost; the provision
of a device for isolating the end of a used hypodermic needle which
device does not hinder substitution of a needle assembly as the
needle and hub assembly is free of any encumbrance; the provision
of a device having a slide lockable in an extended position with
the slide being of a cross sectional shape including vertical and
horizontal cross section members preventing needle end exposure
upon inadvertent contact with the needle shroud; the provision of
a device providing for the enclosing of the end of a used hypodermic
syringe needle which permits lengthwise positioning of a guide of
the device along a hypodermic syringe barrel to virtually avoid
obscuring indicia thereon and which is fixed against displacement
along and about the barrel; the provision of a needle guard positioned
by a finger of the hand holding the syringe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTI0N OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a hypodermic syringe having
the present device for enclosing a used needle end thereon;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the device operatively
disposed with a shroud component enclosing the needle end;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view with fragments broken away of the
guide of the present device;
FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4 and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the slide component of the present
device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With continuing attention to the drawings wherein applied reference
numerals indicate parts similarly hereinafter identified, the reference
numeral 1 indicates the tubular cylindrical barrel of a hypodermic
syringe having a plunger 2 having an unseen end for loading as well
as for syringe discharge via a needle 3. The needle 3 is typically
part of a needle assembly including a needle hub 4 shown in inserted
engagement with a coupling collar 5 integral with syringe barrel
1. Typically needle hub 4 is provided with a lock for engagement
with a corresponding shaped internal wall of coupling collar 5.
A flange 6 is integral with the rearward end of the syringe and
provides fingertip receiving areas 7 and 8 during inward actuation
of plunger 2. Typically flanges 7 terminate in rounded ends with
intermediate parallel straight edges at 9 and 10.
With attention to the present device for shielding the end of a
hypodermic syringe needle, the device includes a guide indicated
generally at 14 including rails at 15 extending substantially the
length of a guide base 16 which lies lengthwise along barrel 1 and
recessed at 17 to receive the upper edge 9 of syringe flange 6.
Attachment means includes a first arcuate surface for engageably
attaching the device to the coupling collar and a second arcuate
surface for engageably attaching the device to the cylindrical portion
of the barrel wherein the first and second surfaces are spaced apart
so as to permit manual grasping of the barrel to be positioned therebetween.
One form of the attachment means includes a ring 18 at the forward
end of base 16 of a size to fit in a precise manner about coupling
collar 5 with a ring edge 18A seating against barrel end 1A and
a second ring 20. Accordingly, guide 14 is prevented from rearward
displacement along barrel 1 and prevented from moving in the opposite
direction by engagement of recess 17 at the rearward end of a base
being in seated engagement with edge 9 of barrel flange 6. The second
ring at 20 is adapted for positioning along cylindrical barrel 1
and is sized to accommodate the barrel in a manner preventing lateral
movement therebetween. A tang 19 abuts barrel flange 6.
Locking means are best viewed in FIG. 4 and include an arm 21 provided
with a detent 22 at its free end which is inherently biased above
the adjacent to surface of base 16. The arm is flexible to the extent
to admit rearward insertion of a slide indicated generally at 23
and having a recess 24 at its rearward end for locking engagement
with detent 22.
Slide 23 carries a shroud 25 which may be of circular configuration
and carried at the slide end by a connector 26 integral with a slide
main member 27 and with a rib 28 thereon extending therealong to
inhibit flexure of the slide. In a retracted or inoperative state
shroud 25 may be partially disposed about coupling sleeve 5 rearward
of the needle hub 4 to prevent hindering of needle removal and substitution.
A finger actuated appendage 31 facilitates imparting lengthwise
movement to slide 23 until engagement of slide recess 24 with lock
detent 22 which occurs simultaneously with the shroud 25 being circumposed
about the needle end.
In use, the shroud can be advanced to the extended or operable
position after an injection by the user exerting thumb or finger
pressure on slide recess 24. Such positioning is preferably done
with a finger or thumb of the hand holding the syringe which avoids
bringing the remaining hand into the proximity of the used needle.
While the attachment means are shown to include rings 18 and 20
in the preferred form of the device, in some applications of the
present device it may be desirable to alternatively provide legs
with arcuate surfaces thereon for engagement with, respectively,
the coupling collar and the barrel of the syringe.
While we have shown but one embodiment of the invention, it will
be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be
embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention. |