Syringe needle abstract
A portable hand tool, for holding an elongate needle cap so that
a syringe needle can safely be inserted into the cap, has a lever
structure comprising a pair of juxtaposed, mating, pivotally connected
levers. The levers at their front ends have marginal edges defining
a cap receiving opening parallel to the axis of pivot. The structure
provides a wall functioning as a base for the opening and a spring
normally biases the front ends of the levers to a closed cap gripping
position. The levers are operated by squeezing their rear ends to
achieve a cap receiving and releasing position.
Syringe needle claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable hand tool for use in holding an elongate needle receiving
tubular cap, having a closed base end held by the tool and an exposed
open end, so that a syringe needle can be safely inserted into the
cap comprising:
a. a pair of interfitting, elongate, longitudinally extending co-extensive
levers having remote front and rear ends, one of the levers having
side wall portions receiving the other lever, the said other lever
having side wall portions which are lapped by the side wall portions
of said one lever;
b. the levers being configured to have confronting jaw portions
at their front ends with abutting planar, longitudinal surfaces
having mating, semi-cylindrical openings therein forming a socket
with an axis for receiving said cap axially between said jaws, and
rear ends which are spaced apart when the said jaw surfaces are
in abutting relation; and
c. laterally extending pivot structure connecting the lapped side
wall portions of the levers interjacent said front and rear ends;
d. spring means cooperable with said pivot structure to normally
bias said jaw portions to a pivoted position in which the said jaw
surfaces abut and a needle cap may be clamped in said socket;
e. one of said jaw portions being cut away laterally perpendicularly
to the axis of said socket to define a notch and the other jaw portion
having a laterally extending protruding ledge extending into said
notch perpendicularly to said socket to fully underlie said socket
and prevent a needle from axially passing through the cap and tool
and injuring someone.
Syringe needle description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the disposing of used syringe needles
in hospitals, physician offices and medical laboratories and more
particularly to a safety tool of a portable nature which is particularly
useful in recapping a syringe needle, and which is also useful for
uncapping it in the first place. Hypodermic syringes, when uncapped,
have relatively fine diameter needles which are extremely sharp,
so that even the most casual contact with the skin results in penetration.
With the danger today of transmitting very debilitating and fatal
diseases in this manner, used syringes need to be handled with great
care. However, when syringes are handled routinely in work settings,
even when the utmost care is exercised, it is inevitable that accidental
penetration of the skin will occur when the user is holding the
needle cap in one hand and seeking to insert the needle of the syringe
into the cap with the other A number of devices have been previously
proposed in connection with this problem as follows:
______________________________________ 4485918 Mayer 4636201
Ambrose et al 4573975 Frist et al 4659330 Nelson et al 4596562
Vernon 4664259 Landis 4623336 Pedicano et al 4717386 Simmons
______________________________________
The foregoing prior suggestions have not, to my knowledge, met
with particular success for a variety of reasons which the present
invention obviates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is characterized as a portable hand-held
tool of simple and economic character which the user can readily
move from place to place so that it will be available at any needle
recapping site. The tool is elongate in nature and is manipulatable
from an end which is remote from a cap clamping end so that the
hand of the user holding the tool is never proximate the cap clamping
end and the needle, as it is being inserted into the cap following
use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
hand tool, which, with safety considerations paramount, is designed
to clamp and release a needle cap via the remote manipulation of
the tool, so that, even if the person recapping the needle misses
the cap when attempting reinsertion, there is no likelihood that
the needle will accidentally penetrate the hands of the person using
it.
Another object of the invention is to provide a reusable tool which
promotes the safe disposal of a contaminated needle, and eliminates
the danger to health presented by ordinary needle recapping operations.
A further object of the invention is to provide an elongate tool,
manipulatable from one end to readily open and close a remote cap
or sheath clamping opening which has a closed safety base for receiving
the base of the needle cap, and which also facilitates the positioning
of the cap in the tool.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out
specifically, or will become apparent from the following description,
when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and
the accompanying drawings.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a needle cap clamped
in the tool, and a syringe needle as having been inserted in the
cap;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the tool only, with portions broken
away in the interest of clarity to better illustrate the clamp spring;
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional elevational view taken on the
line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an end elevational view taken on the line 4--4 of FIG.
2; and
FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing the fingers of the user manipulating
one end of the device to open the cap receiving opening in the opposite
remote end of the device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now more particularly in the first instance to FIG. 1
I have schematically illustrated a typical disposable syringe, generally
designated S, which has the usual cylindrical tubular container
10 with a movable plunger 11 and an extending needle support 12
for a hypodermic needle 13. The needle 13 is, of course, hollow
and has communication with the lower end of tubular body 10. A plastic
sheath or cap 14 which is gripped by the novel and improved tool
T of the present invention, has an open upper end with a tapered
marginal wall 14a receiving the needle mount portion 12 of the syringe
in a detachable, press-fit relationship. Normally, the cap or sheath
14 is frictionally held on the lower end of needle mount 12. The
cap 14 is of cylindrical configuration and has a closed bottom end
14b.
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 2 through 5 the tool
T of the present invention is shown as comprised of a pair of side
by side levers, generally designated 15 and 16 which are pivotably
connected by a pin 17. At their rear ends, levers 15 and 16 are
channel-shaped and the lever 16 is received within the lever 15
lever 16 being cut away as at x to accommodate this. The levers
15 and 16 respectively, have side walls 15a and 16a in lapped relationship
so that pin 17 can extend through openings which are provided in
the side walls 15a and 16a to mount the pin 17. It is to be noted
that walls 15a and 16a taper and gradually reduce as at y, as they
proceed in a rearward direction, to leave the opening 18 between
them at their rear ends.
The front end of each of levers 15 and 16 is provided with a semicircular
mating recess, 15b and 16b, respectively, to form a composite opening
O, which, when the tool is in the closed position shown in FIG.
2 is of the size and configuration to receive and tightly clamp
the needle cap 14. Cut in the lower end of lever 16 is a recess
19 for receiving a laterally protruding bottom lip or wall 15d provided
on lever 15. The opening O then extends to a predetermined depth,
such that base 14b of the needle cap 14 bottoms on the marginal
base wall 15d provided on the lever 15.
In FIGS. 1 through 4 the levers 15 and 16 are shown as biased
to an opening closing position in which the vertical abutment surfaces
15f and 16f are in relatively tight engagement. This engagement
is maintained by the enclosed leaf spring, generally designated
20 which includes a loop portion 20a encircling pin 17 and a pair
of legs 19b and 19c which, respectively, engage the connecting web
walls 15e and 16e of levers 15 and 16 and force the levers 15 and
16 to the FIG. 2 position.
THE OPERATION
In operation, when a user's fingers press the rear ends of levers
15 and 16 and squeeze them together, the space 18 is reduced, as
the levers 15 and 16 pivot about pin 17 and opening O is enlarged
as the recessed portions 15b and 16b separate This operation, from
the remote rear ends of levers 15 and 16 opens the tool for reception
of the empty cap 14 which is placed in position then in the opening
O. The syringe which has been used can then be replaced in the cap
14 once the levers 15 and 16 are restored to normal position by
the spring 19 to tightly clamp the cap 14 in the position in which
it is shown in FIG. 1. As FIG. 1 indicates, the syringe S has been
moved vertically down until the needle 13 is encapsulated within
cap 14 and the needle mount 12 is frictionally engaged within the
upper end of the cap 14. When the cap 14 is in inserted position,
the base 14b has moved downwardly to engage the wall portion 15d
which properly positions the cap 14 for the recapping operation.
There is no possibility of the needle going all the way through
the plastic base 14b of the cap 14 and endangering the user, inasmuch
as surface 15d prevents further travel of the needle. Even if the
needle 13 should miss the cap 14 no harm is done because the user
is grasping the rear ends of the levers 15 and 16.
Once the syringe S is in engaged position, as shown in FIG. 1
the tool user can simply invert the tool and, with the levers 15
and 16 again squeezed, release the cap 14 and syringe S to a waste
container.
While one embodiment of the invention has been described in detail,
it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed
embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description
in all aspects is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting
in any way, and the true scope of the invention is that defined
in the following claims.
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