SHIELDABLE NEEDLE ASSEMBLY WITH BIASED SAFETY SHIELD

• US 20100234811A1
• Filed: 11/23/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Hofstatter, Thibaud, Schubert, Jakob Boegh
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3267 Biased sleeves where the needle is uncovered by insertion of the needle into a patient's body
• 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 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/347 rotatable, e.g. bayonet or screw A61M5/344 takes precedence

Abstract

A needle assembly for an injection device comprising a needle cannula which is mounted in a hub connectable to an injection device, and a biasing shield which is telescopically guided relative to the hub between a position in which the needle cannula is covered and a position in which at least the sharp end of the needle cannula is exposed, such that an injection can be performed without visual contact with the needle cannula. Further releasable locking means is provided such that the user can lock or unlock the shield to perform the telescopically movement. In order to release the shield, the injection device itself can be utilized as the key for unlocking.

Claims

1. A needle assembly for a drug delivery device comprising:

a needle cannula mounted in a hub having connecting means to a drug delivery device (20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 1020),

a shield telescopically movable relative to the hub from a first position in which the tip of the needle cannula is substantially concealed by the shield to a second position, in which at least the tip of the needle cannula is exposed,

biasing means urging the shield towards the first position, and wherein the needle assembly further comprises releasable locking means co-operating with the connecting means for preventing telescopically movement of the shield relatively to the hub.

2. A needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the releasable locking means prevents telescopically movement of the shield when not released.

3. A needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the releasable locking means is released when the connecting means is activated

4. A needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the releasable locking means is released when an object such as an injection device is connected to the connection means.

5. A needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means is housed in the hub and the releasable locking means has one or more activating parts at least partly located in the area of the hub housing the connecting means.

6. A needle assembly according to claim 5, wherein the activating part is a number of fingers protruding into the connecting area of the hub.

7. A needle assembly according to claim 5, wherein the activating parts are activated when the connecting means are utilized.

8. A needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the releasable locking means comprises a locking element (160, 260, 360, 560) locking the axial movement of the shield.

9. A needle assembly according to claim 8, wherein the locking element carries locking arms engaging the shield.

10. A needle assembly according to claim 8, wherein the locking element is rotatable relatively to the hub.

11. A drug delivery device and needle assembly system comprising:

A drug delivery device connectable to a needle assembly and a needle assembly connectable to the drug delivery device, wherein

the needle assembly comprises a needle cannula mounted in a hub having connecting means for connecting the hub to the injection device,

a biasing activated shield movable relatively to the hub from a first position in which a tip of the needle cannula is substantially concealed by the to a second position, in which at least the tip of the needle cannula is exposed, and wherein

the needle assembly further comprises releasable locking means co-operating with the connecting means to lock the shield in the first position.

12. An injection device and needle assembly system according to claim 11, wherein the releasable locking means is being activated to unlock when the needle assembly is connected to the injection device.

13. A drug delivery device and needle assembly system according to claim 11, wherein the safety shield can be shifted between a locked and an unlocked position only when the needle assembly is connected to the injection device whereas when the needle assembly is detached from the drug delivery device it can only shift between locked positions.