Combined syringe and needle shield and method of manufacture

• US 5,147,326 A
• Filed: 03/01/1991
• Issued: 09/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sherwood Services AG
• Original Assignee: Sherwood Medical Company (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ranford, Alan B., Talonn, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Polutta, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US07/627,062
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 604/187, 604/192, 604/194-198, 604/218, 604/263, 604/110, 128/919, 128/763-765
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3104 Caps for syringes without needle
• 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 5/3243 being axially-extensible, e.g. protective sleeves coaxially slidable on the syringe barrel devices for protecting guide needles in combination with catheters A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3271 with guiding tracks for controlled sliding of needle protective sleeve from needle exposing to needle covering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3272 having projections following labyrinth paths

Abstract

A safety syringe of the type having a needle shield that is slidable between a needle exposing retracted position and a needle protecting extended position and wherein the needle shield is rotatable in the extended position to a locked and extended position. The safety syringe includes a collar mounted on the distal end of the syringe and a plurality of elongate keys on the interior surface of the needle shield. The keys are slidably received in various protrusions and slots on the collar to releasably retain the needle shield in the retracted and extended positions and to retain the needle shield in the locked and extended position. A needle sheath is also removably mounted on the distal end of the needle shield to cover the needle of the syringe when the needle shield is in the initial retracted position.

Claims

1. A needle shielding device for use with a barrel, wherein a needle is attached to the forward end of the barrel, the improvement comprising:

a separate shield retaining means mounted on said barrel and including at least one locking slot on its outer surface,

an elongated needle shield having distal and proximal ends wherein said shield is movable over said barrel and retaining means between a retracted position in which the needle is exposed and an extended position in which said shield protects said needle, said shield including at least one elongated key on its interior surface, said key adapted to slide in a path outside said locking slot and being rotatable into said locking slot when said shield is in its extended position; and

an elongate needle protecting needle sheath having an open proximal end and a closed distal end wherein said need sheath is removably mounted on said distal end of said shield and said shield is movable between said retracted and extended positions with said needle sheath mounted thereon.

2. The needle shielding device according to claim 1 wherein said locking slot comprises a pair of opposed walls at least one of which includes a ramp-shaped surface over which said key can ride when said needle shield is rotated, and a protrusion positioned proximally of said locking slot for preventing said shield from being movable to the retracted position after said key has been rotated into said locking slot.

3. The needle shielding device according to claim 2 wherein each of said opposed walls includes a ramp-shaped surface so that said key on said needle shield may be rotated in either direction into one of said locking slots.

4. The needle shielding device according to claim 1 wherein said shield includes an inwardly extending detent on its interior surface and said shield retaining means includes a surface adapted to abut against said detent to releasably retain said sleeve in the retracted position.

5. The needle shielding device according to claim 1 wherein said shield retaining means includes at least one detent extending from its outer surface adapted to abut against said key when said shield is in the extended position.

6. The needle shielding device according to claim 1 wherein said proximal end of said shield includes an inwardly extending rim adapted to abut against said proximal end of said shield retaining means to limit the forward movement of said shield.

7. The needle shielding device according to claim 6 further including a means for preventing rotation of said shield when said shield is in the retracted position.

8. The needle shielding device according to claim 3 wherein said means for preventing rotation comprises radially extending projections on the exterior surface of said shield retaining means.

9. The needle shielding device according to claim 7 wherein said means for preventing rotation of said needle shield also prevents said rotation of said needle shield as said needle shield is moved between the retracted and extended positions.

10. The needle shielding device according to claim 1 wherein said shield retaining means is separate from said barrel and wherein there is provided an interlocking means on said shield retaining means and barrel for preventing rotation of said shield retaining means about said barrel.

11. The needle shielding device according to claim 1 wherein said needle shield includes a radially extending finger flange on the exterior surface thereof.

12. A medical device comprising:

a syringe including an elongate barrel having distal and proximal ends, a plunger slidable within said barrel, and a needle having a distal needle point thereon wherein said needle is attached to said distal end of said barrel,

a collar operatively associated with said distal end of said barrel and including a plurality of locking slots on the outer surface of said collar, each of said locking slots being formed by a pair of opposed walls on said collar,

an elongated needle shield movable over said barrel and said collar between a retracted position wherein said needle point is exposed and an extended position wherein said needle point is protected, said shield including a plurality of elongated keys on its interior surface, each of said keys being adapted to slide in a keyway displaced circumferentially from said locking slots on said collar and wherein at least one of said keys being rotatable into one of said locking slots when said shield is in its extended position, and

a needle sheath having a closed distal end and an open proximal end wherein said open proximal end is mounted on said needle shield to protect said needle point when said shield is in the retracted position and wherein said shield and needle sheath are movable between said retracted and extended positions with said needle sheath protecting said needle when said shield is in said retracted position.

13. The combination according to claim 12 wherein each of said opposed walls includes a ramp-shaped surface so that said keys can be rotated in either direction into said locking slots.

14. The combination according to claim 12 wherein a retaining means is located on said collar and said shield for releasably retaining said shield in said retracted position.

15. The combination according to claim 12 wherein said collar includes at least one detent on its outer surface adapted to abut against one of said keys when said shield is in said extended position.

16. The combination according to claim 12 wherein said shield includes end walls at its distal and proximal ends to prevent the movement of said shield beyond said retracted and extended positions.

17. The combination according to claim 12 wherein said shield includes a radially outwardly extending finger flange thereon to facilitate the operative movement of said shield between said retracted and extended positions.

18. The combination according to claim 12 wherein said collar further includes a plurality of protrusion extending radially outwardly therefrom and wherein said protrusions are spaced apart to form keypads therebetween to enable said keys to slide therethrough.

19. A medical device comprising:

a syringe having distal and proximal ends and including a tubular barrel section, a plunger slidable within said barrel section, and a needle having a distal needle point thereon wherein said needle is attached to said distal end of said syringe,

a collar having distal and proximal ends operatively associated with said distal end of said syringe, said distal end of said collar including a plurality of locking slots thereon and a plurality of protrusions along said collar wherein said protrusions are spaced apart on said collar to form a plurality of keyways therebetween,

an elongated needle shield having distal and proximal ends movable over said barrel section and said collar between a retracted position in which said needle point is exposed and an extended position wherein said needle point is protected, said shield including a plurality of elongated keys on its interior surface, said keys being adapted to slide in said keyways formed between said protrusions on said collar wherein each of said keys are rotatable into one of said locking slots when said shield is in said extended position, and

a needle sheath having an open proximal end and a closed distal end wherein said open proximal end is removably mounted to said distal end of said shield and said shield is movable between said retracted and extended positions with said needle sheath mounted thereon.

20. The combination according to claim 19 wherein said collar and said shield include means thereon for releasably retaining said shield in said retracted position.

21. In combination,

a syringe having distal and proximal ends including a barrel section therebetween, and a needle having a distal needle point wherein said needle is attached to the distal end of said syringe,

collar means operatively associated with said syringe,

an elongated needle shield having distal and proximal ends movable over said barrel section and said collar between a retracted position wherein said needle point is exposed and an extended position wherein said needle point is protected,

means for orienting said shield in slidable alignment along said collar means wherein rotation of said shield about said barrel section is prevented as said shield is moved between said retracted and extended positions,

locking means on one of said collar means or said shield to lock said shield in said extended position when said shield is in said extended position and rotated about said barrel section, and

a needle sheath having an open proximal end and a closed distal end wherein said open proximal end is mountable on said distal end of said shield and said shield is movable between said retracted and extended positions with said sheath mounted thereon.

22. A method of using a safety syringe including an elongate barrel having distal and proximal ends with a needle mounted on the distal end thereof and an elongate and tubular needle shield having distal and proximal ends slidably mounted about said barrel and including a needle sheath mounted on the distal end of the needle shield, the method including the steps of:

sliding the needle shield and needle sheath from a retracted position wherein the needle extends distally beyond the needle shield and the needle sheath protects the needle to an extended position wherein the needle shield protects the needle,

removing a needle sheath from the distal end of the needle shield,

filling the syringe with a desired medication, and

moving the needle shield proximally along the barrel to an extended position wherein the needle shield protects the needle of the syringe.

23. The method of claim 22 further including the step of removing the needle sheath from the distal end of the needle shield when the needle shield is in a releasable and extended position and moving the needle shield to a retracted position wherein the needle is exposed to enable the user to fill the syringe and inject the medication into the patient.

24. The method of claim 23 further including the steps of:

moving the needle shield to the extended needle protecting position after injecting the medication into the patient,

rotating the needle shield about the barrel to move the needle shield to a locked and extended position, and

placing the needle sheath on the distal end of the needle shield while the needle shield is in the locked and extended position.

25. A method of using a safety syringe having an elongate barrel member including distal and proximal ends with a needle mounted on the distal end thereof and an elongate needle shield having distal and proximal ends slidably mounted about said barrel member and including a needle sheath mounted thereon, the method including the steps of:

sliding the needle shield and needle sheath from an initial retracted position wherein the needle extends distally beyond the distal end of the needle shield and is protected by the needle sheath to an extended position wherein the needle is protected by the needle shield,

removing a needle protecting needle sheath from the distal end of the needle shield,

filling the safety syringe with a desired medication,

injecting the patient with the desired medication,

sliding the needle shield along the barrel to an extended position wherein the needle is protected by the needle shield, and

rotating the needle shield about the barrel to place the needle shield in a locked and extended position.