Special receptacle or package – For a tool – Body treatment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-26
2001-08-21
Gehman, Bryon P. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For a tool
Body treatment
C029S240000, C604S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276527
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sharps container, and more particularly to a sharps container which precludes accidental dislodgement of needles therefrom.
The conventional prior art sharps container is a cup of plastic or other puncture-proof material defining a closed bottom, an open top, and a sidewall connecting the bottom and top. A cylinder of compressed foam is snugly fitted within the container so that contaminated needles, sharps and the like may be inserted into the foam and stored there for later disposal. This conventional prior art sharps container has not proven to be entirely satisfactory in use because, while the needles or other sharps placed therein are relatively firmly gripped in a frictional manner by the foam within the container, they remain susceptible to accidental dislodgement if a protruding non-sharp end of a needle or sharp is accidentally contacted (for example, by a nurse's hand in the operating room).
In the attempt to minimize accidental dislodgment of the needles and like sharps from the sharps container, sharps containers have been developed which do not rely upon foam to maintain the needle within the container, but rather trap the needle and a portion of the needle holder—for example, a needle hub or needle securing means—within the container against accidental dislodgement. These sharps containers have not proven to be entirely satisfactory in use, however, as they do not permit the needle or other sharp by itself (without any securing means or hub) to be maintained within the sharps container. As a result, fewer needles or other sharps can be stored in a given sharps container relative to the number which might be stored if it was not necessary to also store the needle hub or other securing mechanism.
Further, some sharps containers have become so complex that the mere downward insertion of a needle thereinto is not sufficient, and the needle must also be moved orthogonally to cause the sharps container to maintain and store the needle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sharps container for receiving and storing a plurality of needles against accidental dislodgement therefrom.
Another objective to provide such a sharps container which does not rely on a frictional engagement between the needles and other material within the sharps container.
A further object is to provide such a sharps container which positively grips the needles placed therein.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a sharps container wherein a simple downward motion of the needle relative to the sharps container is sufficient to cause receiving and storing of the needle, without the need for any orthogonal movement.
It is another object to provide such a sharps container which is easy and economical to manufacture, use and maintain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in a sharps container for receiving and storing a plurality of needles against accidental dislodgement. The sharps container comprises a plastic container defining a bottom, a top, a sidewall connecting the bottom and the top, and a vertically extending central wall disposed within and horizontally spaced from the sidewall. A resilient disc is disposed within the container and defines a plurality of slots and segments, the segments being intermediate the slots, and each segment having a free end spaced from the wall. A plastic cover for the container defines a plurality of needle-receiving passageways therethrough adjacent the wall and communicating with a space between the wall and the segment free ends. Each segment free end is individually deflectable toward the bottom adjacent the wall by insertion of a needle downwardly through one of the passageways and then into the space intermediate the wall and the segment free end. The disc is of a harder material than the needle deflecting the segment free end so that a segment free end resists withdrawal of the needle by biting into the needle as the segment free end attempts to return from its deflected orientation during withdrawal of the needle.
In a preferred embodiment, the slots extend radially outwardly from the wall. The segment free ends are closely disposed about the wall and spaced above the bottom. The segments, in the absence of deflection by a needle, define a generally horizontal plane, and the segment free ends are individually deflectable from the generally horizontal plane towards the bottom adjacent the wall by insertion of needles. The segment free ends are further spaced from the wall when deflected downwardly into the deflected orientation by needles than when in a generally horizontal plane and not deflected downwardly by needles. The segment free ends are deflected downwardly by the needles to an angle of 16-46° from a generally horizontal plane.
Preferably the cover is configured and dimensioned to be received atop the container, and the passageways are tapered downwardly and disposed along a circumference of the cover. Preferably, the container is a plastic cup, the cover is a plastic cover for the cup, and the wall is a central post within the cup.
In a preferred embodiment, the cover includes means for deflecting the segment free ends downwardly, and the segment free ends, in the absence of deflection by needles, extend downwardly at a slight angle (preferably about 10° from the horizontal) to provide slots of appreciable width therebetween and minimize accidental overlapping of adjacent segment free ends.
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Lape William H.
Vojtasek William J.
Amster, Rothstein & Eberstein
Arrow International Inc.
Gehman Bryon P.
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