Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Patent
1991-01-24
1992-08-04
Yasko, John D.
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
604263, A61M 532
Patent
active
051355094
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to hypodermic syringes and in particular provides a syringe which is safe in use.
Because of the growing prevalence of serious diseases which are spread by contact with infected blood, e.g. infectious hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it is important to dispose safely of hypodermic syringes after use. Conventional practice is to supply needles separately packaged in a sealed tubular sheath. The needle can then be screwed onto a standard syringe barrel and the sheath removed to expose the needle for use.
After the injection has been given or the sample taken from the patient, the sheath is often replaced on the needle and the whole syringe placed in a disposal box for destruction. Unfortunately, the person administering the injection may accidentally touch the end of the needle, particularly when attempting to replace the sheath.
There is consequently a need to provide a safer method of protecting the needles of syringes, particularly after use.
According to the present invention, there is provided a hypodermic syringe having a needle guard which is pivotable between a first position in which it covers the tip of the needle and a second position in which the needle tip is exposed and the guard lies in a position which does not interfere with the use of the syringe.
Normally, the guard will include locking means for releasably holding it in said first and/or second positions. Particularly, when the guard is manufactured in a plastic material, such locking means preferably includes projections or recesses which engage corresponding recesses or projections formed in the base support for the needle or the needle boss.
Pivoting the needle guard between the second and first positions is conveniently achieved by application of finger pressure to a lever extension arm of the guard.
The needle guard is preferably moulded together with its operating arm and the needle boss of the syringe as a single entity or with a fitting, such as a sleeve, which can be slid over a standard needle boss.
Further features and advantages of the syringe of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hypodermic syringe needle fitted with a guard in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a section through the guard and needle showing in solid lines the guard in its first, closed position and in its second, open position in broken lines,
FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 2,
FIG. 3A is a section through the guard,
FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line A--A in FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the needle assembly with the guard removed,
FIG. 5A is a perspective view (partly sectioned) of the guard,
FIGS. 6A to 6D are various views of a second embodiment of the invention which includes an integrally moulded sleeve for attachment to a needle boss,
FIGS. 7A to 7C are views of a third embodiment of the invention in which the needle guard includes an integrally moulded needle boss,
FIGS. 8A to 8G are several views of a fourth embodiment of the invention, FIGS. 8E to G illustrating its operation,
FIGS. 9A to 9N are views of a fifth embodiment of the invention in which the needle guard is moulded integrally with the needle boss.
Referring to the drawings and particularly, FIG. 1, the needle and guard assembly comprises a needle 1 of standard design and dimensions which is supported by a moulded plastics boss 2. Boss 2 is generally of standard form in so far as it is designed to be fitted at its lower portion 4 to a conventional hypodermic syringe barrel (not shown) and is sealed to the lower end 3 of the hollow needle 1 in an upper portion 5 of reduced diameter (see FIG. 4). Moulded to the outside of base portion 4 is a pair of trunnions 6 on which a needle shroud 7 is pivotally mounted and constitutes the effective part of the guard.
Shroud 7 (and also needle boss 2) are preferably injection moulded from a thermoplastics material. As best seen in FIG. 1, shroud 7 has a generally tro
REFERENCES:
patent: 3658061 (1972-04-01), Hall
patent: 4681567 (1987-07-01), Masters et al.
patent: 4747836 (1988-05-01), Luther
patent: 4820277 (1989-04-01), Norelli
Kananen Ronald P.
Yasko John D.
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