Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1996-11-25
2001-09-18
Seidel, Richard K. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S272000, C604S093010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290683
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to skin-piercing devices for medical use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The piercing of skin for purposes of administering medications and taking blood samples is well known in medical practice. Insertion of a needle into the skin is known to be accompanied by a localized sensation of pain. Accordingly, it would be an advantage to desensitize skin into which a needle is being introduced.
Various devices and methods are known in the prior art for local desensitization of skin. Among prior art publications which describe localized desensitization of skin are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,746,264; 2,982,112; 3,327,713; 3,826,264; 4,614,191 and 4,646,735.
In medical practice there is a known risk of accidental puncture by used hypodermic needles. Such accidents are particularly problematic with the spread of various infectious diseases, such as AIDS and Hepatitis B, which may be transmitted by infected blood.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide a needle assembly for medical or veterinary use, which has a needle and a retractable sleeve associated with the needle, so as to reduce the risks of accidental puncture by the needle and of contamination of the exposed needle, and so as also to limit the penetration depth of the needle. An object of the invention is to provide a needle assembly and needle protector with a device for aligning the needle with respect to an aperture formed in a plate placed between the needle assembly and a body to be pierced by the needle. The plate may be a cooling plate of cooling apparatus described herein.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a needle assembly for passing a needle through an aperture formed in a plate placed between the needle assembly and a body to be pierced by the needle, the needle assembly including a needle having a needle point, and a sleeve associated with the needle, wherein at least a portion of the sleeve has elastic properties in a generally longitudinal direction and is adapted to take up a generally extended state when the assembly is in a non-operative orientation so as to surround a portion of the needle including the needle point, and is further adapted to take up a compressed state when the assembly is in an operative orientation so as to expose a portion of the needle including the needle point, the needle point passing through the aperture in the operative orientation, and wherein the sleeve includes an aligning device for aligning the needle point with respect to the aperture.
There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for use with a needle assembly for passing a needle through an aperture formed in a plate placed between the needle assembly and a body to be pierced by the needle, the needle assembly including a needle having a needle point, a needle protector including a sleeve associated with the needle, wherein at least a portion of the sleeve has elastic properties in a generally longitudinal direction and is adapted to take up a generally extended state when the assembly is in a non-operative orientation so as to surround a portion of the needle including the needle point, and is further adapted to take up a compressed state when th e assembly is in an operative orientation so as to expose a portion of the needle including the needle point, the needle point passing through the aperture in the operative orientation, and wherein the sleeve includes an aligning device for aligning the needle point with respect to the aperture.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aligning device includes a piston slidably disposed inside the sleeve, the needle being fixedly attached to the piston.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aligning device further includes an end portion of the sleeve having an opening formed therein and the needle is arranged for passing through the opening.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aligning device further includes a proximal portion of the sleeve including a compliant member and the piston is mounted on a shaft which passes through the compliant member, wherein a misalignment of the shaft causes a deflection of the compliant member which substantially prevents misalignment of the piston and the needle.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve includes an end portion which has a generally cone-shaped end configured for mating engagement with a conical engagement surface formed in the aperture.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the needle has a length and the portion of the sleeve in the non-operative orientation surrounds the length of the needle entirely.
The portion of the sleeve having elastic properties may have the form of a helical coil or a bellows. The shaft may comprise a portion of a syringe.
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Erez Uri
Singer Yuval
Ladas & Parry
Mali-Tech Ltd.
Rodriguez Cris
Seidel Richard K.
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