Special receptacle or package – For a tool – Body treatment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-21
2004-03-30
Luong, Shian (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For a tool
Body treatment
C206S370000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06712207
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for unwinding a needle portion. More specifically, the invention relates to an adapter configured to unwind a needle portion from a needle holder so that the needle can be deposited in a disposal container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Due to concerns regarding contamination and injury, it is desirable to have a safe and simple method of disposing used medical needles (e.g. syringes, sharps). Emphasis has been placed on designing containers (e.g. phlebotomy disposal containers) that isolate the previously disposed needles from the medical professional that uses the container. Further, efforts have been made to provide a disposal container which a medical professional can operate easily and conveniently.
A typical needle disposal system is illustrated in FIG.
1
and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,164 issued to Richardson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference for its teachings related to needle disposal systems. The disposal container
2
shown in
FIG. 1
includes a container body
4
and a lid
6
. The lid
6
includes a skirt
8
which may be used to engage a top flange of container body
4
(not shown).
It is desirable to insert a used needle through an opening in the lid so that the used needle may be dropped into the container body
4
through the opening. Accordingly, lid
6
includes a first aperture
10
and a second aperture
12
. Aperture
10
may be covered by a pivotal closure
14
, and aperture
12
may be covered by a pivotal closure
16
. Pivotal closures
14
and
16
may be joined by a bridge
18
so that they may be operated in tandem. Aperture
10
is sized larger than aperture
12
. With pivotal closure
14
open, medical waste that fits through aperture
10
is simply deposited through aperture
10
and drops into container body
4
.
Aperture
12
is specifically sized to receive a needle system
19
, which is also illustrated in FIG.
1
and described by Richardson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,164. Needle system
19
includes a needle holder
22
and a needle
26
. Needle holder
22
includes a lower opening (not shown) that receives and retains needle
26
. In order to retain the needle
26
using the lower opening, needle holder
22
includes two spring loaded side locks
24
. When side locks
24
are depressed inwardly, the lower opening expands. When side locks
24
are not depressed inwardly, as shown in
FIG. 1
, the lower opening is in a retracted position. When the lower opening (not shown) is in the expanded position, needle
26
separates from needle holder
22
. When the lower opening is in the retracted position, needle
26
is retained by needle holder
22
. Aperture
12
includes tapered sides (not shown) which receive a lower portion of the outer wall
23
of needle holder
22
. As needle
26
is guided into aperture
12
, the tapered sides (not shown) contact and depress side locks
24
, so that the lower opening expands and needle
26
is separated from needle holder
22
. Needle
26
drops into container body
4
, and needle holder
22
is retained or discarded in an appropriate manner.
Lid
6
also defines needle detaching device
20
adjacent to aperture
12
. Needle detaching device
20
may be used to unscrew needles which are threaded to a needle holder.
While the disposal system illustrated in
FIG. 1
provides an effective disposal system for certain medical waste, it does not efficiently accommodate every type of needle system in use. Particularly, many unwinding type needle systems can not be unwound and discarded by using the system illustrated in FIG.
1
. An unwinding type needle system typically includes a needle and a needle holder, often threaded together. In order to dispose of a needle of an unwinding type needle system, the needle is preferably unwound from the needle holder so that the needle may drop into an accompanying disposal container.
Aperture
12
is not configured to unwind a needle from every configuration of needle holder. For example, while needle detaching device
20
may be used to unwind some types of needles from some types of needle holders, it can not accommodate every type of needle system which requires unwinding for disposal.
As such, medical professionals are often forced to choose one needle system and a corresponding disposal system over another type of system, or alternatively medical professionals stock numerous types of needle systems and disposal systems (resulting in higher costs). Accordingly, there remains a need for a disposal system that can accommodate more than one type of needle holder system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of this invention, an apparatus is provided for adapting a disposal container with an opening having a first configuration for use with a needle system having a second configuration. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the invention provides an adapter to be inserted into an aperture of a disposal container lid, so that the container may be used to unwind needles from needle systems with varying configurations.
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US 6,019,218, 2/2000, Racicot et al. (withdrawn)
Arendt James A.
Japuntich John C.
Panek, Jr. Robert Joseph
Luong Shian
RatnerPrestia
Tyco Healthcare Group LP
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