Disposable self-shielding unit dose syringe guard

• US 20050033242A1
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Safety Syringes Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Safety Syringes Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Mitchell, David W., Firth, John R., Perez, Anthony R.
• Application Number:
  US10/941,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033242A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3139 Finger grips not integrally formed with the syringe barrel, e.g. using adapter with finger grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31508 provided on the piston-rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3271 with guiding tracks for controlled sliding of needle protective sleeve from needle exposing to needle covering position

Abstract

An improved guard for a medical cartridge, such as a unit dose pre-filled glass syringe, comprising a body for receiving the cartridge, and a shield slidably attached to the body which are pre-assembled and ready to receive a cartridge therein. The body has a mechanism on a proximal end thereof which holds the cartridge therein. The body and shield have cooperating detents and detent pockets which allow the shield to be directed distally, from an unguarded position in which the needle on the cartridge is uncovered for delivery of medication, to a guarded position in which the needle is permanently covered for disposal. The body may also include a substantially rectangular-shaped finger grip on its proximal end for receiving a similarly shaped proximal flange on the cartridge, whereby the cartridge is received in a predetermined orientation. The body may also include one or more ribs within the cavity for accommodating a cartridge with a large needle cap, such as a 0.5 mL capacity pre-filled syringe. In addition, the guard may include a finger grip plug lockably attachable to the proximal end of the body, and a plunger insertable through the finger grip plug to engage a piston in a cartridge not having its own plunger. The plunger may include a one-way locking member to prevent removal of the plunger from the finger grip plug after assembly.

Claims

1. A guard for a medical cartridge comprising proximal and distal ends, the distal end having a needle extending therefrom, the guard comprising:

a substantially rigid body having a cavity for receiving the cartridge axially therein through an open proximal end of the body, and having a distal end including an opening through which the needle may extend when the cartridge is received within the cavity;

a finger grip on the proximal end of the body, the finger grip comprising;

(i) lateral sides substantially surrounding a space for receiving the proximal end of the cartridge therein when the cartridge is received in the cavity,

(ii) the lateral sides comprising detents defining slots in the lateral sides, said detents having sloped proximal surfaces and a blunt distal edge to permit one-way entry of the proximal end of the cartridge into the slots when the cartridge is received in the cavity, thereby preventing the cartridge from being removed from the body;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, thereby uncovering and covering, respectively, the needle on the cartridge; and

cooperating detents on the body and the shield for mutually engaging to hold the shield in the guarded position.

2. The guard of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises a lip on its proximal end, and wherein the slots are configured for receiving the lip therein, thereby preventing the cartridge from being removed proximally from the body.

3. The guard of claim 1, wherein the detents have blunt distal edges that prevent the cartridge from being removed proximally from the body, thereby substantially permanently encapsulating the cartridge in the body.

4. The guard of claim 1, wherein the cooperating detents comprise a detent and first and second pockets formed in the body and the shield, the first and second pockets being adapted to receive the detent to hold the shield in the unguarded and guarded positions, respectively.

5. The guard of claim 4, wherein the first pocket has a sloping distal edge for releasably engaging the detent.

6. The guard of claim 4, wherein the second pocket has a blunt proximal edge for engaging the detent and preventing the shield from being proximally moved from the guarded position.

7. The guard of claim 1, further comprising a pair of ribs extending along the body within the cavity, the pair of ribs being deflectable outward to accommodate a needle protector cap on the cartridge as it is being directed through the cavity, the pair of ribs resiliently returning to engage a barrel of the cartridge when the needle protector cap extends through the distal end of the body.

8. The guard of claim 1, wherein the lateral surfaces of the finger grip comprise a substantially flat wall, and the cartridge comprises a flange on the proximal end including a substantially flat portion, whereby the flat wall substantially engages the flat portion of the flange when the cartridge is received in the cavity, thereby providing a predetermined orientation of the cartridge within the body.

9. A syringe comprising:

a cartridge for holding medication having proximal and distal ends, and having a needle extending from the distal end and a lip on the proximal end;

a substantially rigid body having a cavity into which the cartridge is received, a finger grip on a proximal end of the body having lateral sides substantially surrounding a space for receiving the lip therein when the cartridge is received in the cavity, and a detent mechanism at least partially defining one or more openings in the lateral sides for engaging the lip to substantially permanently encapsulate the cartridge in the cavity, thereby restraining the cartridge from being removed proximally from the cavity, the body having a distal opening through which the needle extends;

a shield slidably attached to the body, the shield being slidable distally in relation to the body from an unguarded position where the needle extends beyond a distal end of the shield to a guarded position where the shield substantially covers the needle; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for locking the shield in the guarded position.

10. The syringe of claim 9, wherein the detent mechanism on the finger grip has tapered proximal edges and blunt distal edges for substantially permanently receiving the lip on the cartridge thereunder.

11. The syringe of claim 9, wherein the cooperating detents comprise one or more cooperating detents and detent pockets on the body and the shield, at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a sloping distal region for releasably holding the shield in the unguarded position, and at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a blunt proximal region for substantially securing the shield in the guarded position.

12. A guard for a medical cartridge having a proximal and a distal end, and having its own needle extending from the distal end, the guard comprising:

a body having a cavity adapted to receive the cartridge axially therein through an open proximal end of the body, and having a distal end including an opening through which the needle may extend when the cartridge is received within the cavity;

said proximal end of the body having sides substantially surrounding a space for receiving the proximal end of the medical cartridge, and having one-way detents at least partially defining one or more openings in the sides for substantially permanently engaging the proximal end of the cartridge received in the cavity within the space when the cartridge is received within the cavity;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, thereby uncovering and covering, respectively, the needle on the cartridge;

a finger grip on one of the body and the shield; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarded and guarded positions.

13. The guard of claim 12, wherein the detents are integrally molded as a unitary region of the shield.

14. The guard of claim 12, wherein the detents have tapered proximal edges and blunt distal edges for substantially permanently receiving a lip on the proximal end of the cartridge thereunder.

15. The guard of claim 12, wherein the cooperating detents comprise one or more cooperating detents and detent pockets on the body and the shield, at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a sloping distal region for releasably holding the shield in the unguarded position, and at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a blunt proximal region for substantially securing the shield in the guarded position.

16. The guard of claim 12, wherein the finger grip comprises a finger ledge on the body.

17. The guard of claim 12, wherein the finger grip defines a “

T”

shape.

18. A guard for a syringe comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a lip on the proximal end, and a needle extending from the distal end, the guard comprising:

a body comprising a cavity for receiving the syringe axially therein through an open proximal end of the body, and comprising an open distal end;

a finger grip on the proximal end of the body having one or more lateral surfaces substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of the syringe therein and for substantially permanently engaging the lip on the proximal end of the syringe received in the cavity;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, the needle on the syringe extending through the open distal end in the unguarded position and being covered by the shield in the guarded position; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarded and guarded positions.

19. The guard of claim 18, wherein the cooperating detents comprise one or more cooperating detents and detent pockets on the body and the shield, at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets releasably holding the shield in the unguarded position, and at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a blunt proximal region for substantially permanently locking the shield in the guarded position.

20. The syringe of claim 18, further comprising a finger ledge on one of the body and the shield.

21. A syringe comprising:

a syringe holding medication comprising proximal and distal ends, the syringe comprising a needle extending from the distal end and a lip on the proximal end;

a body comprising a cavity for receiving the syringe axially therein through an open proximal end of the body, and comprising an open distal end;

a finger grip on the proximal end of the body having one or more lateral surfaces substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of the syringe therein and for engaging the lip to substantially permanently encapsulate the syringe in the body;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, thereby uncovering and covering, respectively, the needle on the syringe; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the guarded and unguarded positions.

22. The syringe of claim 21, further comprising a finger ledge on one of the body and the shield.

23. The syringe of claim 22, wherein the finger ledge is on the proximal end of the body.

24. The syringe of claim 22, wherein the finger ledge comprises a finger hold on the shield.

25. The guard of claim 21, wherein the cooperating detents comprise one or more cooperating detents and detent pockets on the body and the shield, at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets releasably holding the shield in the unguarded position, and at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a blunt proximal region for substantially permanently locking the shield in the guarded position.

26. A guard for a syringe comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a lip on the proximal end, and a needle extending from the distal end, the guard comprising:

a substantially rigid body comprising a cavity for receiving the syringe axially therein through an open proximal end of the body, and comprising an open distal end;

a finger grip on the proximal end of the body having one or more lateral surfaces substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of the syringe therein;

one or more detents extending from the one or more lateral surfaces for engaging the lip to substantially permanently encapsulate the syringe in the body;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, thereby uncovering and covering, respectively, the needle on the syringe; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarded and guarded positions.

27. The guard of claim 26, wherein the one or more locking detents extend from the one or more lateral surfaces into the recess to lockably capture the lip of the syringe thereunder when the syringe is received within the cavity.

28. The guard of claim 26, wherein the locking detents have tapered proximal edges and blunt distal edges for substantially permanently receiving the lip on the syringe thereunder.

29. The guard of claim 26, wherein the cooperating detents comprise one or more cooperating detents and detent pockets on the body and the shield, at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets releasably holding the shield in the unguarded position, and at least one of the cooperating detents and detent pockets comprising a blunt proximal region for substantially permanently locking the shield in the guarded position.

31. The guard of claim 29, wherein the proximal end of the body comprises locking detents defining the slots.

30. A guard for a syringe comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a lip on the proximal end, and a needle extending from the distal end, the guard comprising:

a body comprising a cavity for receiving the syringe axially therein through an open proximal end of the body, and comprising an open distal end, the proximal end of the body having a finger grip with a plurality of slots for receiving a portion of the lip of the syringe therein for substantially permanently locking the syringe to the body;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, the needle on the syringe extending through the open distal end in the guarded position and being covered by the shield in the guarded position; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarded and guarded positions.

32. A guard for a syringe having a needle associated therewith, the guard comprising:

a body for receiving a syringe axially through an open proximal end of the body, and having an open distal end, the proximal end of the body having a finger grip with a wall for substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of a syringe therein, adapted to substantially permanently engage a lip on the proximal end of a syringe received in the recess;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarding and a guarding position, said shield being adapted to permit a needle on a syringe to extend through the open distal end when the shield is in the unguarding position and to cover the shield in the guarding position; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarding and guarding positions.

33. The guard of claim 32, wherein the locking mechanism comprises locking detents for engaging the proximal end of a syringe received in the recess, the locking detents having tapered proximal edges and blunt distal edges for substantially permanently receiving a lip on a syringe thereunder.

34. The guard of claim 33, wherein the locking detents define slots for receiving at least a portion of the lip therein, thereby substantially preventing a syringe from being removed proximally from the body.

35. The guard of claim 32, further comprising a finger ledge on at least one of the body and the shield.

36. The guard of claim 35, wherein the finger ledge comprises a finger hold on the shield.

37. The guard of claim 32, wherein the body has a round cross section.

38. The combination comprising a syringe having a needle associated with the distal end thereof and a guard, said combination, comprising:

a syringe comprising a cartridge for holding medication therein and having proximal and distal ends, the syringe comprising a needle extending from its distal end and a lip on its proximal end;

a guard comprising a body for receiving the syringe axially through an open proximal end of the body, and comprising an open distal end, the proximal end of the body having a finger grip and a wall for substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of the syringe therein for substantially permanently engaging the lip on the proximal end of the syringe received in the cavity;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarding and a guarding position, the needle on the syringe extending through the open distal end when the shield is in the unguarding position and being covered by the shield when the shield is in the guarding position; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarding and guarding positions.

39. The combination of claim 38, wherein the locking mechanism comprises locking detents for engaging the proximal end of the syringe received in the cavity, the locking detents having tapered proximal edges and blunt distal edges for substantially permanently receiving the lip on the syringe thereunder.

40. The combination of claim 39, wherein the locking detents define slots for receiving at least a portion of the lip therein, thereby substantially preventing the syringe from being removed proximally from the body.

41. The combination of claim 39, further comprising a finger ledge on at least one of the body and the shield.

42. The combination of claim 39, wherein the finger ledge comprises a finger hold on the shield.

43. The combination of claim 39, wherein the body has a round cross-section.

44. A guard for a syringe comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a lip on the proximal end, and a needle extending from the distal end, the guard comprising:

a substantially rigid body for receiving the syringe axially through an open proximal end of the body, and comprising an open distal end, the proximal end of the body having a finger grip and a wall substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of the syringe therein;

the recess being provided with one or more detents extending from one or more lateral surfaces of the body for engaging the lip to substantially permanently encapsulate the syringe through the body;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarded and a guarded position, thereby uncovering and covering, respectively, the needle on the syringe; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarded and guarded positions.

45. The guard of claim 44, wherein the detents extend from the one or more lateral surfaces into the recess to capture the lip of the syringe thereunder.

46. The guard of claim 45, wherein the detents have tapered proximal edges and blunt distal edges for substantially permanently receiving the lip on the syringe thereunder.

47. The guard of claim 45, wherein the detents define slots for receiving at least a portion of the lip therein.

48. A guard for a syringe having a needle associated therewith and the syringe having a lip on a proximal end thereof, the guard comprising:

a body for receiving a syringe axially through an open proximal end of the body, and having an open distal end through which a needle of a syringe may extend, the proximal end of the body having a finger grip substantially enclosing a recess for receiving the proximal end of a syringe and lip thereof, the recess being provided with slots adapted to substantially permanently engage a lip on the proximal end of a syringe received in the recess;

a shield slidably attached to the body, and having open proximal and distal ends, the shield being slidable between an unguarding and a guarding position, said shield being adapted to permit a needle on a syringe to extend through the open distal end when the shield is in the unguarding position and to cover the shield in the guarding position; and

cooperating detents on the shield and body for holding the shield in the unguarding and guarding positions.