Infusion device with safety guard

• US 20040260250A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolf Medical Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Command Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Harris, R. Bradley, Reid, Bret
• Granted Patent: US 7,431,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/263
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1583 Needle extractors
• 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 5/3216 Caps placed transversally onto the needle, e.g. pivotally attached to the needle base

Abstract

An infusion device has a body, flexible wings and a needle projecting generally at right angles from one end of the body. A guard is pivoted to the one end of the body. On one side, the guard has a channel so that the guard overlies the body in a first position thereof during application of the needle to the patient. The guard is pivotable through about 180° to a position generally parallel to the body and on a side of the needle remote from the body. As the needle is withdrawn from the patient, the guard is pivoted about 90° further to receive the needle between one or more flexible contoured members along the opposite side of the guard. The needle is thus captured and encapsulated within the guard, with audible confirmation, the members precluding the guard from pivoting away from the needle.

Claims

1. An infusion device comprising:

an elongated body having a needle projecting from adjacent one end of said body and extending generally perpendicular to said body for transmitting fluid passing through the body into an injection site;

a pair of flexible wings extending laterally from respective opposite sides of said body and lying in a plane generally perpendicular to said needle; and

an elongated needle guard having a receptacle extending along one side thereof and coupled to said body adjacent said one end for pivotal movement through about 270°

between a first position overlying said body and a second position receiving said needle within said receptacle.

2. An infusion device according to claim 1 wherein said receptacle has an elongated entry slot formed by at least one elongated member.

3. An infusion device according to claim 2 wherein said entry slot is tapered inwardly toward the receptacle to facilitate entry of the needle into the slot and receptacle as the guard is pivoted toward said second position.

4. An infusion device according to claim 2 wherein said elongated member on said guard is resilient, enabling the needle to enter the slot by flexing the member and pass into the receptacle whereby the member precludes pivotal movement of the guard from the second position toward the first position.

5. An infusion device according to claim 1 wherein said receptacle has an elongated entry slot formed by at least one elongated member, said entry slot having a contour to facilitate entry of the needle into the slot and receptacle as the guard is pivoted toward said second position, said elongated member on said guard being resilient, enabling the needle to enter the slot by flexing the member to pass into the receptacle whereby the member precludes pivotal movement of the guard from the second position toward the first position.

6. An infusion device according to claim 1 wherein said guard includes a channel extending along a side thereof opposite said one side for receiving at least a portion of said body within said channel when said guard lies in said first position.

7. An, infusion device guard according to claim 1 wherein said guard includes a pair of slots adjacent said one end thereof and said body includes projections engaging in said slots enabling both pivotal and slidable movement of said guard relative to said body.

8. An infusion device according to claim 7 wherein said projections engage in said slots at one end thereof when said guard lies in said first position and at opposite ends thereof when said guard lies in said second position.

9. An infusion device according to claim 5 wherein said member flexes back upon the needle passing into the receptacle to provide an audible indication that said guard lies in said second position encapsulating said needle.

10. An infusion device according to claim 8 wherein said receptacle has an elongated entry slot formed by at least one elongated member, said guard being slidable relative to said projections and toward said opposite ends of said slots to orient the guard into a generally parallel relation to said needle upon movement of said guard into said second position.

11. An infusion device according to claim 8 wherein said one end of said guard includes a pair of projecting ears straddling said one end of said body, said slots in said ears extending in a direction generally parallel to the direction the needle extends from said body when said guard lies in said first position.

12. An infusion device comprising:

an elongated body having a needle projecting from adjacent one end of said body and extending generally perpendicular to said body for transmitting fluid passing through the body into an injection site;

a pair of flexible wings extending laterally from respective opposite sides of said body and lying generally in a plane perpendicular to said needle; and

an elongated needle guard having a receptacle extending along one side thereof and coupled to said body, said guard being movable between a first position overlying said body in generally parallel relation thereto and a second position receiving said needle within said receptacle, said guard in said second position extending generally perpendicular to said body and generally parallel to said needle.

13. An infusion device according to claim 12 wherein said receptacle has an entry slot formed by at least one elongated member.

14. An infusion device according to claim 13 wherein said entry slot has a contoured opening to facilitate entry of the needle into the slot and receptacle as the guard is pivoted toward said second position.

15. An infusion device according to claim 12 wherein said guard includes a channel extending along a side thereof opposite said one side for receiving at least a portion of said body within said channel when said guard lies in said first position.

16. A method of using and safeguarding an infusion device having an elongated body with flexible wings, a needle extending generally at right angles thereto and a guard pivotally carried by said body adjacent one end thereof comprising the steps of:

(a) grasping the wings and inserting said needle into an injection site while the guard lies in a first position overlying the elongated body;

(b) locating the guard in a position extended from said body and on a side of the needle remote from the body; and

(c) upon completion of the infusion, grasping the wings and rotating the guard into a second position to encapsulate the needle.

17. An infusion device according to claim 16 wherein step (b) includes pivoting the guard from said first position through about 1800 and into said extended position.

18. An infusion device according to claim 17 including releasably securing the infusion device to a patient'"'"'s skin.

19. An infusion device according to claim 16 wherein step (c) includes pivoting the guard from said extended position through about 90°

and into said second position.

20. An infusion device according to claim 16 wherein step (b) includes pivoting the guard from said first position through about 180°

and into said extended position, step (c) including pivoting the guard from said extended position through about 90° and

into said second position.

21. An infusion device according to claim 16 wherein step (b) includes pivoting the guard from said first position in a first rotational direction through about 180°

and into said extended position, pivoting the guard from said extended position through about an additional 90°

in said first rotational direction into said second position.

22. An infusion device according to claim 16 wherein step (c) includes providing an audible indication that the guard has been rotated into said second position to encapsulate the needle.

23. An infusion device according to claim 16 wherein step (c) includes linearly displacing the guard relative to the body into the second position to encapsulate the needle.