NEEDLE PROTECTION ASSEMBLY WITH LOCKING ELEMENT

• US 20110112486A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton Dickinson France (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Becton Dickinson France (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Grimard, Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,241 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 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 5/3272 having projections following labyrinth paths

Abstract

The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising a support (2), a needle shield (8), urging means (10) located between said support (2) and said needle shield (8), tending to displace said needle shield (8) distally over said needle (3), wherein the assembly comprises one abutment (5) provided on said support (2), receiving a locking element (10a), a part of said urging means being laterally movable with respect to said support (2) and forming part of said locking element (10a).

Claims

1. Needle protection assembly (1) intended to protect the needle (3) of a needle assembly, said needle protection assembly (1) comprising at least:

a support (2) intended to be fixed relative to said needle (3),

a needle shield (8) intended to receive at least part of said needle (3) and axially movable with respect to said support (2) between an in use position in which said needle shield (8) is intended to leave a portion of said needle (3) uncovered, and an after use position in which said needle shield (8) is intended to cover said needle (3),

first urging means (10) located between said support (2) and said needle shield (8) and tending to displace said needle shield (8) from said in use position to said after use position,

a locking element (10a) located between said support (2) and said needle shield (8) and movable between at least a free position, in which said needle shield (8) may be moved from its in use position to its after use position, and a locking position, in which said locking element (10a) prevents said needle shield (8) from moving back from its after use position to its in use position,

characterized in that said needle protection assembly (1) further comprises

an abutment (5), located on said support (2), said abutment (5) being designed for receiving said locking element (10a) and therefore defining said locking position of said locking element (10a),

at least a part of said first urging means (10) being laterally movable with respect to said support (2) to cooperate with said abutment (5) and forms at least part of said locking element (10a).

2. Needle protection assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein said first urging means comprise at least a helical spring (10) having several turns, said locking element comprises at least one turn (10a) of said helical spring (10).

3. Needle protection assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein it further comprises second urging means (9) tending to urge said locking element (10a) toward its locking position.

4. Needle protection assembly (1) according to claim 3, wherein said second urging means comprise a sloping surface (9).

5. Needle protection assembly (1) according to claim 4, wherein said sloping surface (9) is located on said needle shield (8), at least one end of said first urging means (10) bearing on said sloping surface (9).

6. Needle protection assembly (1) according to claim 5, wherein the distal end of said first urging means (10) is bearing on said sloping surface (9).

7. Needle protection assembly (1) according to claim 4, wherein said needle shield (8) comprises at least one first part and one second part, said first part being intended to cover the needle (3) in the after use position of the needle shield, said second part being provided with said sloping surface (9).

8. Needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said support (2) comprises an inner core (4) located in the needle shield (8), said inner core (4) comprising on its external wall said abutment (5).

9. Needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said support (2) comprises an outer sleeve (11) located around said needle shield (8), said outer sleeve (11) comprising on its inner wall said abutment (5).

10. Needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said needle shield (8) is axially movable with respect to said support (2) between a before use position, in which said needle shield (8) covers at least part of the needle (3), and said in use position.

11. Needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein it comprises a cam (4a), located on said needle shield (8) or on said support (2), and a peg (8a), respectively located on said support (2) or on said shield (8), said cam (4a) and said peg (8a) being designed so as to cooperate together for defining at least one of said in use position and/or said before use position of the needle shield (8).

12. Needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein part of said needle shield (8) is received within part of said support (2).

13. Needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said abutment (5) comprises at least one recess.

14. Needle assembly comprising at least a needle hub provided with a needle (3) wherein it further comprises a needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13.

15. Needle assembly according to claim 14, wherein said support (2) comprises said needle hub.

16. Injection device (100) comprising at least a needle assembly and a reservoir, wherein it further comprises a needle protection assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13.