NEEDLE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING OBTURATOR WITH SAFETY RESET

• US 20070219461A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kpr U.S., LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wiesner, Joel, Breitweiser, Kenneth, Swisher, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,976,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/567
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/025 for taking bone, bone marrow or cartilage samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3472 for bones, e.g. intraosseus injections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3494 with safety means for protection against accidental cutting or pricking, e.g. limiting insertion depth, pressure sensors for the peridural space A61B17/3401
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0258 Marrow samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3273 freely sliding on needle shaft without connection to syringe or needle

Abstract

A needle assembly is able to collect a sample of biological material in a needle of the assembly. The needle assembly has a safety shield capable of being moved on the needle assembly to cover a sharp tip of the needle assembly. The shield can be locked in place over the sharp tip by a locking mechanism. The assembly further includes an obturator that can be inserted into the needle to remove the sample from the needle. A reset member, which in some embodiments is associated with the obturator, is capable of operatively engaging the locking mechanism to release the locking mechanism and allow the shield to be moved away from the sharp tip.

Claims

1. An obturator for use with a needle assembly to remove a sample of biological material collected in a hollow needle of the needle assembly, the obturator comprising:

a grip for holding and manipulating the obturator;

a shaft extending from the grip, the shaft being sized and shaped for reception in a central axial passageway of the hollow needle for pushing the sample out of the central axial passageway;

a shield slidably supported on the shaft for engaging and shielding a sharp end of the hollow needle when the obturator shaft is being inserted into the needle to remove the sample.

2. An obturator as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a spring supported by the shaft and biasing the shield toward an end of the shaft opposite the grip.

3. An obturator as set forth in claim 2 wherein the spring is a coil spring and the shaft extends generally through the coil.

4. An obturator as set forth in claim 2 wherein the spring engages the grip at one end of the spring and engages the shield at an opposite end for biasing the shield on the shaft away from the grip.

5. An obturator as set forth in any one of claim 1 in combination with the needle assembly.

6. A needle assembly comprising:

mounting structure;

a needle mounted on the mounting structure and extending outwardly therefrom, the needle having a longitudinal axis, a sharp end and a central axial passageway;

a safety shield associated with the needle and comprising a tubular housing having an open end, the tubular housing being adapted for movement relative to the needle between a stowed position in which the tubular housing is spaced from the sharp end of the needle and a deployed position in which the tubular housing covers the sharp end, and a locking mechanism adapted to releasably lock the tubular housing in position covering the sharp end of the needle; and

a reset member selectively operatively engageable with the locking mechanism of the safety shield for releasing the locking mechanism to permit the tubular housing to be move away from the sharp end of the needle;

the safety shield further comprising a resilient membrane substantially covering the open end of the tubular housing, the membrane being resiliently deformable upon engagement with the reset member to permit the reset member to move into operative engagement with the locking mechanism for releasing the locking mechanism.

7. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the membrane is generally annular and has a central opening generally in alignment with the central axial passageway of the needle.

8. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 7 further comprising an obturator include a shaft adapted to be received through the central opening of the membrane for guiding the shaft into the central axial passageway of the needle.

9. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 72 wherein the reset member is supported by the obturator shaft.

10. A needle assembly comprising:

mounting structure;

a needle mounted on the mounting structure and extending outwardly therefrom, the needle having a longitudinal axis, a sharp end and a central axial passageway;

a safety shield associated with the needle and comprising a tubular housing, the tubular housing being adapted for movement relative to the needle between a stowed position in which the tubular housing is spaced from the sharp end of the needle and a deployed position in which the tubular housing covers the sharp end, and a locking mechanism adapted to releasably lock the tubular housing in position covering the sharp end of the needle; and

a reset member supported on the safety shield for sliding movement relative to the safety shield generally parallel to a outer surface of the safety shield, the reset member being selectively operatively engageable with the locking mechanism of the safety shield for releasing the locking mechanism to permit the tubular housing to be move away from the sharp end of the needle.

11. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the reset member includes an engaging portion disposed in the safety shield and capable of engaging the locking mechanism to release the locking mechanism.

12. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein the engaging portion is annular in shape and generally coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the needle.

13. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein the reset member further comprises an actuating portion located on an outer surface of the safety shield.

14. A needle assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein the actuating portion comprises a slide.