Hypodermic needle safety enclosure

• US 5,951,522 A
• Filed: 11/05/1998
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Millennium Medical Distribution
• Inventors: Rosato, Robert E., Stanek, Judy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US09/187,305
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 604/174, 604/177, 604/187, 604/192, 604/162, 604/164, 604/167, 604/263
• US Class Current: 604/177
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1583 Needle extractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0637 Butterfly or winged devices, e.g. for facilitating handling or for attachment to the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3275 being connected to the needle hub or syringe by radially deflectable members, e.g. longitudinal slats, cords or bands

Abstract

A hypodermic needle safety enclosure which is designed principally for a hypodermic needle that is located in the shape of a right angle. The hypodermic needle has mounted thereon a wing assembly which can take the form of a single integral member having a plurality of spaced apart fold lines which permits the integral member to be folded between a mounting position and a protective position or a pair of wing members which are mounted in a scissors arrangement which is movable between a mounting position and a protective position. Within both embodiments of safety enclosure, upon withdrawing of the needle from the installed position within the body of a human, the wing assembly is automatically positioned to encase the sharpened point of the needle thereby preventing undesired injury by the needle to the medical practitioner that is installing and removing of the enclosure.

Claims

1. In combination with a hypodermic needle having a fore end and an aft end, said fore end terminating in a sharpened point, said aft end adapted to connect with a tube, said fore end comprises a thin, lineal, rigid, hollow, tubular member which is connected to said aft end which also comprises a thin, lineal, rigid, hollow, tubular member, said fore end being angularly disposed relative to said aft end, the improvement comprising:

a wing assembly mounted on said aft end, said wing assembly being movable between a mounting position and a protective position, said mounting position locates said wing assembly substantially transverse to said fore end and spaced from said sharpened point, said protective position encasing said sharpened point preventing penetration of said sharpened point into a body of a human, whereby with said wing assembly in said mounting position, said wing assembly is to be placed against the body of a human and fixed in place by a separate securing means with said needle installed in the body, whereby said wing assembly is to be manually moved from said mounting position to said protective position which will automatically withdraw said needle from the body and encase the sharpened point within said wing assembly.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said fore end being angularly disposed substantially at a right angle relative to said aft end.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said wing assembly including a locking means to lock said position of said wing assembly when in said protective position.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said wing assembly including a handle fin pivotally mounted on said aft end, sand handle fin being graspable by a human user facilitating installation of said needle within a body of a human.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said wing assembly comprising a pair of wing members mounted in a scissors arrangement forming a pair of opposed handle tabs when said wing assembly is in said mounting position, each said handle tab having a flared end in order to facilitate manual connection and pivoting movement of said wing members from said mounting position to said protective position resulting in said opposed handle tabs now being located in juxtaposition.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said wing assembly comprising a single integral member having a plurality of spaced apart fold lines which divide said integral member into a plurality of interconnected panels.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6 wherein:

said wing assembly including a locking means to lock said position of said wing assembly when in said protective position.

8. The combination as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said wing assembly including a handle fin pivotally mounted to said aft end, said handle fin being graspable by a human user facilitating installation of said needle within a body of a human.

9. The combination as defined in claim 8 wherein:

said fore end being angularly disposed substantially at a right angle relative to said aft end.

10. The combination as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said wing assembly including a handle fin pivotally mounted to said aft end, said handle fin being graspable by a human user facilitating installation of said needle within a body of a human.

11. The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein:

said fore end being angularly disposed substantially at a right angle relative to said aft end.