Shroud for a used hypodermic syringe needle

Details Shroud for a used hypodermic syringe needle Shroud for a used hypodermic syringe needle

1999-08-02

2001-04-10

Bockelman, Mark (Department: 3762)

Surgery

Means for introducing or removing material from body for...

Treating material introduced into or removed from body...

C604S198000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213987

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns the provision of a shroud or guard for disposition about the point of a used hypodermic syringe needle to prevent contact with the needle by medical personnel.
A risk exits to medical personnel of coming into accidental contact with a used hypodermic syringe needle and transmission of an infection from a previously treated individual such as hepatitis and the AIDS virus. While great care is normally exercised by medical personnel to avoid such contact with a used hypodermic needle, such contact does occur. Several solutions to the problem, termed needle stick, have been disclosed in various U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,492 shows a hypodermic syringe provided with a needle and hub assembly for attachment to the coupling socket integral with the syringe barrel. The needle hub supports a rail or guide which in turn carries an arm positionable lengthwise of the needle to locate a cap about the poined end of the needle. A cap is normally retracted in place about the needle and hub and repositioned over the needle end subsequent to syringe use. A problem encountered by such an arrangement is that a needle and hub assembly cannot be readily interchanged with another needle and hub assembly as such a change incurs the replacement of the protective device. Further, the manufacturing cost of the a needle and hub assembly with rail structure attached would appear to increase the cost of same. Some risk additionally is encountered upon inadvertent application of a fingertip to the cap of the device which in some instances could displace the cap axially to permit exposure of the needle end therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,740 is of interest in that a needle housing is slidably disposed on a flash chamber and extensible therefrom to locate a needle guard tip about the used needle of the catheter device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,021 discloses a slidably mounted tubular housing on a syringe barrel with a helical spring operable to extend the housing about the end of a needle of the syringe with provision made for preventing retraction of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,534 discloses a needle guard which is positionable by a spring along the length of the needle to its end. A shaft carries a shielding cap with retraction of the cap prevented after extension over the needle end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,051 discloses an assembled protective enclosure for a used needle which encloses the syringe barrel to hinder viewing barrel markings and after use, positioned along the barrel to overlie the needle and needle hub.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention is embodied within a guide with attachment means for placement along the syringe barrel to receive a slide, the distal end of which carries a shroud which isolates the needle end from contact. The guide and slide may be locked to prevent slide retraction after placement about the needle end. The guide insertably receives the syringe barrel and additionally includes a tang for engagement with a syringe flange for retention against displacement relative the barrel. A shroud is stowed about the coupling collar of the syringe and permits interchanging of needles on the syringe when desired. The locking arrangement prevents shroud displacement subsequent to positioning about the needle with locking means concealed from convenient access to prevent accidental shroud retraction. The guide engages the barrel in a manner securing the guide against axial and rotational displacement. An elongate slide in the guide is readily positionable by fingertip pressure to advance the shroud.
Important objectives include the provision of a device for enclosing the end of a used hypodermic syringe needle with the device readily attachable to a syringe and of a low manufacturing cost; the provision of a device for isolating the end of a used hypodermic needle which device does not hinder substitution of a needle assembly as the needle and hub assembly is free of any encumbrance; the provision of a device having a slide lockable in an extended position with the slide being of a cross sectional shape including vertical and horizontal cross section members preventing needle end exposure upon inadvertent contact with the needle shroud; the provision of a device providing for the enclosing of the end of a used hypodermic syringe needle which permits lengthwise positioning of a guide of the device along a hypodermic syringe barrel to virtually avoid obscuring indicia thereon and which is fixed against displacement along and about the barrel; the provision of a needle guard positioned by a finger of the hand holding the syringe.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4985021 (1991-01-01), Straw et al.
patent: 5000740 (1991-03-01), Ducharme et al.
patent: 5019051 (1991-05-01), Hake
patent: 5026356 (1991-06-01), Smith
patent: 5053018 (1991-10-01), Talonn et al.
patent: 5215534 (1993-06-01), De Harde et al.
patent: 5215535 (1993-06-01), Getting et al.
patent: 5304149 (1994-04-01), Morigi
patent: 5385555 (1995-01-01), Hausser
patent: 5411492 (1995-05-01), Sturman et al.
patent: 5595566 (1997-01-01), Vallelunga et al.
patent: 5674203 (1997-10-01), Lewandowski
patent: 5928205 (1999-07-01), Marshall

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