Needle handling apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
- a body defining an interior thereof;
a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and being distal to the body; and
a basin-shaped member having a rim connected to the body, the basin-shaped member defining a self-closing passageway and the rim being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having an apical end facing the distal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having a plurality of non-overlapping, side by side flexible fingers, the fingers each including a free end at the apical end of the basin-shaped member, the free ends defining an opening through the basin-shaped member when the fingers are in a relaxed state, the basin-shaped member defining a one way passageway for the needle, the fingers each extending from the rim of the basin-shaped member to the free end, the fingers defining a dome shape.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate such as an implanted access device having a resealable septum. The apparatus has a distal end and a proximal end and comprises a body, a cap member, and a basin-shaped member. The body defines interior boundaries and the cap member has an opening therein. The cap member is connected to and is distal to the body. The basin-shaped member defines a self-closing passageway and has a rim connected to the body. The rim of the basin-shaped member is disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus. The basin-shaped member has an apical end facing the distal end of the apparatus. The cap member includes two resilient flaps, offset from one another. In one arrangement, the cap member and the body snap together to trap the basin-shaped member. In another arrangement, the apparatus is made of two identical halves joined together. An adapter is provided to facilitate use of the apparatus with small ports.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and being distal to the body; and a basin-shaped member having a rim connected to the body, the basin-shaped member defining a self-closing passageway and the rim being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having an apical end facing the distal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having a plurality of non-overlapping, side by side flexible fingers, the fingers each including a free end at the apical end of the basin-shaped member, the free ends defining an opening through the basin-shaped member when the fingers are in a relaxed state, the basin-shaped member defining a one way passageway for the needle, the fingers each extending from the rim of the basin-shaped member to the free end, the fingers defining a dome shape. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and being distal to the body; two flaps flexibly connected to the cap member to define at least a portion of the opening, the flaps extending obliquely toward each other and toward the interior of the cap member, each flap terminating at a free edge, the free edges of the flaps being parallel and proximate to each other; and a lower yieldable partition member connected to the body, the yieldable partition member defining a self-closing passageway, the self-closing passageway being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the distal end and the proximal end of the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and distal to the body; and a lower yieldable partition member having a rim, the yieldable partition member defining a self-closing passageway and being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus; wherein the cap member and the body have a corresponding matingly engageable snap arrangement for snap-fit fastening the cap member to the body, wherein the rim of the yieldable partition member is disposed and rotatably held between the cap member and the body, wherein the cap member is rotatably moveable relative to the body. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and distal to the body; a lower yieldable partition member connected to the body, the yieldable partition member defining a self-closing passageway; and an adaptor disposed between the body and the substrate for adapting the use of the apparatus on an implanted access device, the adaptor having a generally planar portion defining a slot therein for the needle to extend therethrough so that the needle can be removed from the substrate, a ridge extending from the generally planar portion positioned to engage the body, the generally planar portion reducing the size of an access opening to the apparatus defined by the body. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
-
26. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a body construction defining an accessible interior for containing the needle, the body construction including spaced apart distal and proximal yieldable partition members each defining an opening and a self-closing passageway to each allow access to the interior of the body construction, the distal yieldable partition member including at least one resilient flap, the proximal yieldable partition member including a plurality of non-overlapping, side by side flexible fingers. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
28. A method for making an apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end, the method comprising:
-
providing a body defining an interior thereof, a cap member defining an interior thereof and defining an opening therein, and a basin-shaped member, the basin-shaped member defining a self-closing passageway and having an apical end, wherein the cap member and the body each has a corresponding matingly engageable snap arrangement for snap-fit fastening the cap member to the body, wherein the cap member has a proximal end for contacting the basin-shaped member; positioning the apical end of the basin-shaped member within the interior of the cap member wherein the cap member is positioned with the proximal end facing upward, wherein the apical end of the basin-shaped member is positioned within the interior of the cap member, and the basin-shaped member remains in contact with the proximal end of the cap member due to the effect of gravity; and snap-fit fastening the cap member and the body by engaging the corresponding matingly engageable snap arrangements of the cap member and the body, thereby confining the basin-shaped member in a position intermediate the proximal end and distal end of the apparatus, the cap member, the basin-shaped member, and the body all freely rotatable relative to one another.
-
-
29. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and being distal to the body; a basin-shaped member having a rim connected to the body, the basin-shaped member defining a self-closing passageway and the rim being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having an apical end facing the distal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having a plurality of non-overlapping, side by side flexible fingers, the fingers each including a free end at the apical end of the basin-shaped member, the free ends defining an opening through the basin-shaped member when the fingers are in a relaxed state, the basin-shaped member defining a one way passageway for the needle; and a resiliently flexible flap connected to the cap member at the opening. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and being distal to the body; and a basin-shaped member having a rim connected to the body, the basin-shaped member defining a self-closing passageway and the rim being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having an apical end facing the distal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having a plurality of non-overlapping, side by side flexible fingers, the fingers each including a free end at the apical end of the basin-shaped member, the free ends defining an opening through the basin-shaped member when the fingers are in a relaxed state, the basin-shaped member defining a one way passageway for the needle, wherein the basin-shaped member includes an odd number of fingers forming a normally closed, yieldable partition.
-
-
34. An apparatus for safely handling a needle while removing the needle from a substrate, the apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising:
-
a body defining an interior thereof; a cap member defining an interior and an opening therein to access the interior of the cap member, the cap member being connected to and being distal to the body; a basin-shaped member having a rim connected to the body, the basin-shaped member defining a self-closing passageway and the rim being disposed within the interior of the body intermediate the cap member and the proximal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having an apical end facing the distal end of the apparatus, the basin-shaped member having a plurality of non-overlapping, side by side flexible fingers, the fingers each including a free end at the apical end of the basin-shaped member, the free ends defining an opening through the basin-shaped member when the fingers are in a relaxed state, the basin-shaped member defining a one way passageway for the needle; and a needle grasping tool insertable through the opening of the cap member, through the interior of the body and through the basin-shaped member in a direction from the cap member toward the basin-shaped member, the needle grasping tool retractable past the basin-shaped member to permit release of the needle in the interior of the body between the basin-shaped member and the cap member, the needle grasping tool selectively operable to grasp and release the needle. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
Specification