Syringe needle abstract
A hand tool for holding a syringe needle cover prevents accidental
pricking when it is replaced, and comprises a slot between parallel
plates, into which the needle cover flange can be wedged. Tapered
needle covers are gripped by holes in the tool, providing a safe
method for handling syringes.
Syringe needle claims
I claim:
1. A device for grippingly supporting a flanged needle cover comprising:
A. a base,
B. A back platelike member comprising at least one flat wall extending
from said base,
C. two coplanar platelike members, each comprising at least one
flat wall, extending from said base generally parallel to said back
member, said two members being spaced from said back member said
flat wall of said back member and said flat walls of said two members
defining a slot gripping the flange of said cover,
D. said two members comprising edges defining a channel portion
narrower than said flange for the reception of said cover, and
E. handle means extending from said base oppositely to said platelike
members, whereby said cover can be held with human fingers that
are remote from the line of insertion of a needle therein.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said slot is tapered toward said
base.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said channel is tapered toward
said base.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said base and said platelike members
are homogeneously integral with said handle.
5. The device of claim 4 comprising a synthetic polymeric material
of construction.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said flat wall of said back platelike
member is spaced about 0.04 in. (1 mm) from said flat walls of said
two platelike members and said channel comprises an opening of about
0.28 in. (7 mm).
7. The device of claim 1 comprising a plate comprising walls defining
at least one aperture therethrough, said aperture being dimensioned
to grippingly support a tapered syringe needle cover.
8. The device of claim 7 comprising three of said apertures, said
aperatures being circular with diameters of about 5/16 9/32 and
1/4 inches (7.9 7.1 and 6.35 mm).
9. The method of safely replacing a tapered syringe needle cover
comprising the steps of:
A. inserting said cover into an aperture through both faces of
a plate of the device of claim 1 said hole being dimensioned to
grippingly support said cover,
B. holding said plate with one hand at a location remote from said
aperture,
C. bringing together said plate and said needle so that said needle
enters and fits snugly into said cover, and
D. While grasping said cover in one hand and said plate in the
other, withdrawing said cover, inclosing said needle, from said
plate.
10. The method of safely replacing a flanged syringe needle cover,
comprising the steps of:
A. inserting the flange of said cover into a slot between a back
member and two spaced coplanar platelike members extending from
a base that is attached to handle means,
B. holding said handle means with one hand at a location remote
from said slot,
C. bringing together said platelike members and said needle so
that said needle enters and fits snugly into said cover, and
D. while grasping said cover in one hand and said handle means
in the other, withdrawing said flange, said cover including said
needle, from said slot.
Syringe needle description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Accidental pricking is a serious problem for persons who must handle
hypodermic needles. The pricking is most apt to occur to the fingers
that hold a needle cover, in the act of replacing the cover, and
almost all covers must be replaced, even for disposable needles
for it is hazardous to throw a used syringe into the trash with
an exposed needle. Needles with plastic needle covers are used in
large quantities and in standard sizes and shapes. Widely used disposable
insulin needles have covers of ridge lined cylindrical shape, with
flanged tops, while most, including luer lock, other needles have
tapered covers, varying in length to fit different length needles
but being provided in a short range of diameters.
When the needles are re-covered it is usually after they have been
removed from a patient and are contaminated with the patient's microorganisms,
such, possibly, as AIDS virus. It is thus a matter of grave concern
to nurses and hospital assistants that they be protected from the
danger of pricking their fingers when they replace a needle cover.
The covers, however, present a very small target when held in one's
hand, and if this target is missed by the syringe needle, a dangerous
skin breaking by the contaminated needle is almost inevitable. In
practical terms there has been no solution to this problem prior
to the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have invented a safety device for grippingly supporting a flanged
syringe needle cover, comprising a base with a back platelike member
extending from it. Two other coplanar platelike members extend from
the base, generally parallel to the back platelike member. These
are spaced from the back member enough so that a flat wall of the
back member and opposing flat walls of the other two members define
a slot for receiving the flange of the cover, and the edges of the
other two members define a channel, at least a portion of which
is narrower than the flange but wide enough for the reception of
the cover. Handle means extend from the base oppositely to the platelike
members so that the cover can be firmly held but any human fingers
are remote from the line of insertion of a needle into the cover.
In some embodiments either the slot or the channel or both may be
tapered toward the base, and in a preferred embodiment the platelike
members and the base are homogeneously integral with the handle.
My device may advantageously comprise a plate comprising walls defining
at least one aperture that is dimensioned to grippingly support
a tapered syringe needle cover.
Using my device I have originated a method for routinely replacing
tapered syringe needle covers without danger of pricking the hand
that holds the cover. In this method I follow the steps of inserting
the cover into a hole through both surfaces of a plate, the hole
being dimensioned to grippingly support the cover, holding the plate
with one hand at a location remote from the hole bearing the cover,
bringing the plate and needle together so that the needle enters
and fits snugly into the cover, and then grasping the cover in one
hand and the plate in the other, withdrawing the cover, including
the needle, from the plate.
I have also originated another method, for routinely replacing
flanged syringe needle covers, without danger of pricking the hand
that holds the cover. In this method I follow the steps of inserting
the cover flange into a slot between platelike members extending
from a base that is attached to a handle means, holding the handle
means with one hand at a location remote from the slot, and bringing
together the platelike members and the needle so that the needle
enters and fits snugly into the cover. Then while grasping the cover
in one hand the handle means in the other, I withdraw the flange,
with the cover including the needle, from the slot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an enlarged front view of a device of my invention.
FIG. 2 shows an end view of the device of FIG. 1 holding an insulin
syringe by its flanged cover.
FIG. 3 shows an enlarged end view of the device of FIGS. 1 and
2.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a method of using the device of my invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1 which shows a preferred one of my devices
11 about double size, a back platelike member 12 extends from a
base 13 from which also extend coplanar platelike members 14 and
16 whose respective edges 17 18 comprise a channel 19 that is wide
enough to receive a needle cover 21 but narrow enough to engage
a flange 22 of the cover 21 when the latter is pressed into a slot
23 created by opposing flat walls 2426 of the respective platelike
platelike members 16 14 and 12. The channel 19 tapers toward the
base 13 so that, while an upper opening 24 of the channel is wider
than the diameter of the cover 21 a bottom 26 of the channel 19
is narrower than the cover. Thus the cover will be wedged into the
channel if it is forced down far enough. In the preferred illustrated
example the opening of the channel is 0.375 in. (9.53 mm), tapering
down to 0.219 in. (5.56 mm). However, wedging of the cover 21 into
the tapered channel 19 does not necessarily occur because the slot
23 is also tapered toward the base 13 from a top slot width, in
the present example, of 0.047 in. (1.2 mm) to a width at the bottom
of the slot of 0.034 in. (0.86 mm) and, surprisingly, the flange
22 wedges in the slot 23 firmly enough to support not only the cover
21 but also an attached syringe 27 before the walls of the cover
21 engage the edges 17 18.
The cover can safely be inserted into the device 11 by finger pressure
against the top of the flange 22. However, the circular outline
of the top portion of the device facilitates "rolling"
it over the cover of a syringe that is lying on any rigid flat surface,
and thus engaging the cover flange in the slot 23 without manually
holding the syringe at all.
The base 13 might, within the scope of my invention, be secured
to a cylindrical handle, not shown, but I prefer that the base 13
comprise the top portion of an integral slab or block which comprises
a plate portion 28 and a handle portion 29. Three holes 31 32
33 having respective diameters of 5/16 9/32 and 1/4 inches (7.9
7.1 and 6.35 mm) are machined through the plate portion 28 since
I have found that at least one of these holes in the plate portion
28 will grippingly support any of the commonly used tapered needle
covers, such as a cover 34 (FIG. 4) and provide a safe method for
re-covering the needle. This is due to the fact that human fingers
36 holding my device by its handle 29 are remote from the line
of motion of a needle 37 being inserted into the cover, where it
will fit snugly due to a conventional needle hub 30 engaging a conventional
cylindrical portion 35 of the cover.
My device my advantageously be made of synthetic polymeric material
such as, but not limited to methyl methacrylate, nylon, and polycarbonate.
It may also be made of stainless steel or glass, but synthetic polymer
has an advantage of economy. The material used should be capable
of polishing to a smooth, washable surface, and should be stable
at sterilization temperatures. Although I have tapered the slot
23 and channel 19 I have found that, if the slot is not tapered
but has a width somewhat smaller than that of the flange, it will
assume a tapered contour when a flange is forced into it. And, if
the flange is gripped sufficiently by the slot, the edges 1718
may be parallel, forming a straight channel so long as its width
exceeds that of the cover 21 and is sufficiently less than that
of the flange 22.
Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5 after the needle has been safely
inserted into the cover the cover is removed from the plate portion
28 by grasping it in the other hand 41. A similar method is applied
to flanged needle covers. Here the cover is held by its flange in
the slot 23 the fingers 36 being, in this case, also remote from
the line of motion of the needle.
A preferred example of my invention, comprising homogeneous synthetic
polymer has an overall length between a bottom 38 of the handle
29 and a top 39 of the platelike member 12 of 31/8 in. (8.25 cm),
a width W of the device 11 of 11/8 in. (2.9 cm), and a thickness
T (FIG. 2) of 0.25 in. (6.35 mm).
The foregoing description has been exemplary rather than definitive
of my invention for which I desire an award of Letters Patent as
defined in the appended claims. |