Protective device for a needle

• US 20040225260A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Med S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Delta Med S.p.A.
• Inventors: Minari, Emanuele, Villa, Danilo
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/164.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3101 Leak prevention means for proximal end of syringes, i.e. syringe end opposite to needle mounting end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0681 Systems with catheter and outer tubing, e.g. sheath, sleeve or guide tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1081 having sheaths or the like for covering the balloon but not forming a permanent part of the balloon, e.g. retractable, dissolvable or tearable sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0612 Devices for protecting the needle; Devices to help insertion of the needle, e.g. wings or holders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0618 having means for protecting only the distal tip of the needle, e.g. a needle guard
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3273 freely sliding on needle shaft without connection to syringe or needle

Abstract

Protective device for a needle, more particularly for a catheter introducing needle or so-called cannula needle, whereby this protective device comprises protective means which slidably cooperate with the needle, characterized in that said protective means comprise a combination of at least, on one hand, safety means having at least one part which, upon retraction of the needle through the protective means, is placed in front of the needle point and prevents the re-use of the needle, and, on the other hand, blocking means which cooperate with the safety means and which, when the protective device passes from a non-operative state into an operative state, release said safety means from a blocked position into an unblocked position.

Claims

1. A protective device for a needle, more particularly for a catheter introducing needle or so-called cannula needle whereby this protective device comprises protective means which slidably cooperate with the needle, characterized in that said protective means comprise a combination of at least, on the one hand, safety means having at least one part which, upon retraction of the needle through the protective means, is placed in front of the needle point and prevents the re-use of the needle, and, on the other hand, blocking means which cooperate with the safety means and which, when the protective device passes from a non-operative state into an operative state, release said safety means from a blocked position into an unblocked position.

2. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety means and the blocking means are configured in such a manner that, upon retraction of the needle, the safety means, more particularly the part or parts which are placed in front of the needle point, remain at a distance from the needle during the entire retraction thereof.

3. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking means are shiftable in respect to the safety means, such that, by means of a shifting movement of the blocking means, the safety means are released from a blocked position into an unblocked position, whereby said blocking means cooperate with the needle in such a manner that a displacement and retraction of the needle also causes the above shifting movement of the blocking means.

4. The protective device according to claim 3, characterized in that the blocking means substantially consist of a sliding ring located around the needle.

5. The protective device according to claim 3, characterized in that the needle, at its proximal end, is attached in a needle hub, and in that this needle hub comprises at least one part which, in the most forward position of the needle, cooperates with the protective means, more particularly is inserted in the protective means, thereby preventing the blocking means from carrying out the above-mentioned shifting movement.

6. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that said part of the safety means is elastically bendable, such that it is urged into the path of the needle, respectively said parts are elastically bendable, such that they are urged into the path of the needle, whereby said part, parts, respectively, in their blocked position, are kept at least substantially out of the path of the needle by means of said blocking means.

7. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that said part, parts, respectively, of the safety means consist of safety tongues.

8. The protective device according to claim 7, characterized in that the safety means consist of a pair of safety tongues, which, from opposite sides of the needle, can be brought onto the path of this needle.

9. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective means and the needle comprise stopping means, acting as abutment means between the protective means and the needle, which define an end position when retracting the needle.

10. The protective device according to claim 9, characterized in that the stopping at the needle comprise an annular groove or a ridge or thickening or the like on the outside of the needle and in that the stopping means at the protective means are formed by said blocking means or by parts cooperating with said blocking means.

11. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety means and the blocking means are housed in a hollow body, said hollow body being provided with passage openings for the needle.

12. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective means are realized as an extension piece for a catheter hub, whereby this extension piece is provided with coupling means for releasably coupling it to said catheter hub.

13. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with scraping means to dry the needle when the device itself passes from the non-operative state to the operative state.

14. The protective device according to claim 13, characterized in that the scraping means are formed by and/or fixed at the blocking means.

15. The protective device according to claim 13, characterized in that the scraping means comprise a ring or the like, more particularly a plastic O-ring, which is provided around the needle.

16. The protective device according to claim 1, characterized in that the needle is attached in a needle hub and that said needle hub is provided with one or more prolongations which at least partially surround the protective means.

17. A protective device for a needle, more particularly for a catheter introducing needle, whereby this protective device comprises protective means which slidably cooperate with the needle, characterized in that said protective means comprise one or more safety tongues which upon retraction of the needle are automatically positioned in front of the needle point, thereby preventing the needle from being re-used, whereby these tongues upon the complete retraction movement of the needle remain at a distance from the needle.

18. A protective device for a needle, more particularly for a catheter introducing needle, whereby this protective device comprises a hollow body forming a housing, which body slidably cooperates with the needle such that the needle can be retracted into a position in which the needle point is located in said hollow body, characterized in that said protective device comprises a scraping ring which cooperates with the needle, whereby this scraping ring is located inside the housing, at a distance from the rear side of the rear wall of said housing.

19. A needle or safety cannula needle assembly, characterized in that it is provided with a protective device comprising a protective means which slidably cooperates with the needle, characterized in that said protective means comprises a combination of at least, on the one hand, safety means having at least one part which, upon retraction of the needle through the protective means, is placed in front of the needle point and prevents the re-use of the needle, and, on the other hand, blocking means which cooperates with the safety means and which, when the protective device passes from a non-operative state into an operative state, releases said safety means from a blocked position into an unblocked position.

20. A catheter introducing needle comprising a protective device including a protective means for slidably cooperating with the needle and the protective means including one or more safety tongues wherein upon retraction of the needle are automatically positioned in front of a needle point of the needle for preventing the needle from being re-used and the tongues upon the complete retraction movement of the needle remain at a distance from the needle.

21. A catheter introducing needle comprising:

a protective device including a hollow body forming a housing,

the body slidably cooperating with the needle such that the needle can be retracted into a position in which the needle point is located in the hollow body, and

a scraping ring which cooperates with the needle and is located inside the housing at a distance from the rear side of a rear wall of the housing.