Needle protection devices

• US 20040064103A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Original Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Inventors: Marshall, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 7,004,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3271 with guiding tracks for controlled sliding of needle protective sleeve from needle exposing to needle covering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion

Abstract

A syringe holder has a barrel (1) with a needle shroud (4) telescopic into its leading end and urged forwardly by a spring (5). The shroud is rotatable into several set positions, being located by snap action of a nib (18) into longitudinal grooves within a forward extension (3) of the barrel (1). An abutment (21,20) on the shroud is thereby aligned with a selected one of several abutments (12,9,14) within the barrel, these all being at different axial positions. One setting prevents needle exposure; the others permit different amounts of needle exposure as the barrel (1) is urged forwardly during an injection.

Claims

1. A needle shroud assembly for a syringe holder, the assembly comprising a barrel (1) and a tubular needle shroud (4) captively telescoped into the forward end of the barrel (1), there being mutually facing abutments (9, 12, 14, 21) some of which are on the barrel, to limit the rearward telescopic movement of the shroud (4) by different amounts according to the relative positions of those abutments rotationally about the axis of the barrel, characterised in that the shroud is rotatable to bring an abutment (12) thereon into direct contact with a selected abutment (9, 14) on the barrel.

2. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the barrel (1) and shroud (4) have mutually interengageable detents (7, 18) to register the shroud (4) in particular rotational positions, each interengagement allowing relative axial movement of the barrel (1) and shroud (4) so that abutments (9, 14, 12;

21) associated with the rotational position selected can engage.

3. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the detents are axially parallel grooves (7) in either the barrel (1) or shroud (4) and a projection (18) on the shroud (4) or barrel (i) that can snap into and out of the grooves (7).

4. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the projection (18) is on a thin element (19) integrally moulded with the shroud (4), the grooves (7) being in the barrel (1).

5. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the barrel (1) has a set of forward facing internal abutments (9, 14, 12) at different circumferential and axial positions, the shroud (4) having a rearward facing abutment (21).

6. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the barrel (1) has a main body with a reduced leading end (2) and an extension (3) that retentively telescopes over this leading end (2) and which is adapted to keep the shroud (4) captive.

7. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the set of forward facing abutments (9, 14, 12) is provided by the reduced leading end (2).

8. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the extension (13) is circumferentially located by longitudinal ribs (6) on the reduced leading end (2) engaging complementary grooves (7) in the extension (3).

9. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in claim 8 as appendant to claim 3, characterised in that said complementary grooves (7) extend beyond the main body of the barrel (1) to provide the detents for the projection (18) on the shroud (4).

10. A needle shroud assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the shroud (4) has a forward spring bias (5) to a limiting position where the needle of a syringe within the barrel (1) is concealed within the shroud (4).