Medical needle guard

• US 20040220528A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raul Garcia, Jr.
• Original Assignee: Raul Garcia, Jr.
• Inventors: Garcia, Raul Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,125,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3275 being connected to the needle hub or syringe by radially deflectable members, e.g. longitudinal slats, cords or bands

Abstract

The present invention provides a needle guard comprising a base having a needle well to guide the point of a needle into the patient and, at the same time, for confining the pointed end of a needle within the walls of the needle well until the needle is inserted into a patient. The base is connected by at least a connector to a handle. The connector is constructed to allow the needle to be pushed beyond the needle well thereby exposing the needle. The connector also limits the extent to which the needle can be retracted. This prevents the needle from being pulled past the needle well as the needle is extracted from the patient. As a consequence of the construction, the point of the needle is substantially maintained within the needle well, except when the needle is inserted into the patient. The present invention also provides a method and an assembly for safely handling a medical needle by keeping the needle point confined within the needle well prior to insertion into a patient, and after retraction from the patient.

Claims

1. A needle guard comprising:

a base having a needle well;

a handle attached to the base by a connector; and

a needle holder capable of securing a medical needle having a pointed end,

wherein the extent to which the base can be moved away from the handle is limited by the connector, and the walls of the needle well completely surrounds the needle point when the handle is distally extended away from the base, and

wherein the connector is structured so that the handle is capable of being pushed towards the base such that the needle is guided beyond the needle well.

2. The needle guard according to claim 1, wherein the base and the handle are attached by two accordion connectors that fold out when the handle and the base are pushed towards each other.

3. The needle guard according to claim 1, further comprising a lock that, when locked, is capable preventing the base and the handle from being pushed towards each other.

4. The needle guard according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning gap on the base.

5. The needle guard according to claim 1, further comprising a cover capable of covering the needle well when the needle point is in the well.

6. The needle guard according to claim 1, wherein the holder is capable of holding a medical needle comprising a piercing section connected to a connector section by an angular section, such that the pointed end of the needle is at an end of the piercing section distal from the connector section.

7. The needle guard according to claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a guide attached to a top portion of the base and the guide has a guide aperture therethrough in communication with and contributing to the needle well.

8. The needle guard according to claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a guide attached to a bottom portion of the base and the guide has a guide aperture therethrough in communication with and contributing to the needle well.

9. The needle guard according to claim 1, wherein the holder is capable of holding a straight needle.

10. The needle guard according to claim 1, wherein the holder has enough play such that the holder is capable of sliding up and down the needle shaft.

11. A needle assembly comprising:

a base having a needle well;

a handle attached to the base by a connector; and

a needle holder securing a medical needle,

wherein the extent to which the base can be moved away from the handle is limited by the connector, and the walls of the needle well surrounds a pointed end of the needle when the handle is distally extended away from the base, and

wherein the connector is structured so that the handle is capable of being pushed towards the base so that the needle is guided beyond the needle well into a patient.

12. The needle assembly according to claim 11, wherein the base and the handle are attached by two accordion connectors that fold out when the handle and the base are pushed towards each other.

13. The needle assembly according to claim 11, wherein the base and the handle are attached by a connector selected from the group consisting of two accordion walls, two telescoping walls, a spring and a resiliently compressible material.

14. The needle assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a lock means that, when locked, is capable preventing the base and the handle from being pushed towards each other.

15. The needle assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a positioning gap on the base.

16. The needle assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a needle cover capable of covering the needle well.

17. The needle assembly according to claim 11, wherein the needle has a piercing section, connected to a connector section by a angled section, and wherein the piercing section has the pointed end distal from the connector section, and the connector section is connected to a medical tube.

18. The needle assembly according to claim 11, wherein the base further comprises a guide attached to a bottom portion of the base and the guide has a guide aperture therethrough in communication with and contributing to the needle well.

19. The needle assembly according to claim 18, wherein a portion of the base is sufficiently resilient to deform the guide to a non-perpendicular angle.

20. A method of using a medical needle having a pointed end comprising:

providing a needle guard having a base comprising a needle well, a handle attached to the base by a connector, a locking means that, when locked, is capable of keeping the handle and the base at distal ends of the connector, a needle holder securing the needle to the guard, wherein the handle is initially extended away from the base, such that a pointed end of the needle is surrounded by the walls of the needle well;

placing the needle guard substantially against a patient so that the needle well is above an area for the needle to be inserted;

pressing the handle towards the base to insert the needle into the patient;

pulling the handle away from the base to retract the needle from the patient, such that the connectors directs the pointed end back within the needle well; and

locking the locking means.