Syringe which automatically make the hypodermic needle harmless after use

• US 5,084,029 A
• Filed: 07/17/1990
• Issued: 01/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carla Nacci Nee Tagliaferri, Gaetano Nacci
• Original Assignee: Carla Nacci Nee Tagliaferri, Gaetano Nacci
• Inventors: Nacci, Gaetano, Nacci nee Tagliaferri, Carla
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Application Number:
  US07/543,816
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 604/195, 604/198, 604/187, 604/110, 604/218
• US Class Current: 604/195
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3241 Needle retraction energy is accumulated inside of a hollow plunger rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3234 Fully automatic needle retraction, i.e. in which triggering of the needle does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/508 Means for preventing re-use by disrupting the piston seal, e.g. by puncturing

Abstract

The danger of hypodermic syringes is neutralized and they are made monouse by an arrangement including a needle (a), which shall be referred to as the perforated stiletto. This needle is provided with a female hook (k) and a cylindrical container (m), inserted coaxially in the piston rod (v) of the syringe. The cylindrical container can receive the perforated needle (a) by interacting with a male hooking pawl (n) and its support structure (o) and a cylindrical helicoidal pull string (q).

Claims

1. A syringe for automatically rendering a hypodermic needle harmless, the syringe comprising:

a generally cylindrical body having front and rear ends;

a perforated needle extending through the front side of the cylindrical body, the needle being provided with a female hook at one end thereof, the needle being movable only in a direction away from the front end of the cylindrical body after the needle is mounted in the cylindrical body;

a piston slidable in said body toward and away from the needle;

a generally cylindrical container positioned within said piston and being generally coaxial therewith, the cylindrical container having first and second ends;

a cap covering the first end of said cylindrical container, said cap having a canal therein;

a support structure with a male hooking pawl initially located within the cylindrical container at the first end thereof, the male hooking pawl being positionable within the canal of the cap;

a spring positioned within the cylindrical container, the spring being connected between the support structure and the second end of the cylindrical container; and

a perforable cover on the cap initially closing the canal, the perforable cover being ruptured by the male hooking pawl when the piston reaches an end of a stroke toward the needle, the male hooking pawl thereby being exposed and engaging the female hook of the needle whereafter the spring automatically pulls the support structure and needle toward the second end of the cylindrical container to completely enclose the needle within the syringe.

2. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the perforated needle is a stiletto and further comprising a base with a hermetic seal for mounting the stiletto to the cylindrical body.

3. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical container is open on both ends thereof, the cap covering the first end thereof, the syringe further comprises a catch covering the second end of the cylindrical container, the spring being attached to the catch.

4. The syringe according to claim 3, further comprising at least one pin of shearable material, the at least one pin securing the support structure to the cylindrical container, the at least one pin being inserted in a notch on the support structure and being shorn by pressure acting on the piston toward the end of the stroke such that the support structure is free to move whereby the male hooking pawl ruptures the perforable cover and then engages the female hook whereafter the spring pulls the support structure toward the second end of the cylindrical container.

5. The syringe according to claim 4, further comprising a base at the front end of the cylindrical body, the base having a hermetic seal and the needle initially extending through the base and hermetic seal, the syringe further comprising shearable means at the front end of the cylindrical body for initially holding the needle in position, the shearable means being broken when the male hooking pawl engages the female hook to permit the needle to be withdrawn into the syringe.

6. The syringe according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pin of shearable material, the at least one pin securing the support structure to the cylindrical container, the at least one pin being inserted in a notch on the support structure and being shorn by pressure acting on the piston toward the end of the stroke such that the support structure is free to move whereby the male hooking pawl ruptures the perforable cover and then engages the female hook whereafter the spring pulls the support structure toward the second end of the cylindrical container.

7. The syringe according to claim 6, further comprising a base at the front end of the cylindrical body, the base having a hermetic seal and the needle initially extending through the base and hermetic seal, the syringe further comprising shearable means at the front end of the cylindrical body for initially holding the needle in position, the shearable means being broken when the male hooking pawl engages the female hook to permit the needle to be withdrawn into the syringe.

8. The syringe according to claim 1, further comprising a base at the front end of the cylindrical body, the base having a hermetic seal and the needle initially extending through the base and hermetic seal, the syringe further comprising shearable means at the front end of the cylindrical body for initially holding the needle in position, the shearable means being broken when the male hooking pawl engages the female hook to permit the needle to be withdrawn into the syringe.

9. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical container has a rim surrounding the first end thereof and the cap has a groove defined therein, the groove of the cap being insertable on the rim to thereby mount the cap to the cylindrical container.

10. The syringe according to claim 9, wherein the cap is a resilient material and wherein the piston at the end of the stroke will engage the cap with the front end of the cylindrical body.

11. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the male hooking pawl fails to be exposed to fluid contained when the cylindrical body until the perforable cover is ruptured.