Manual safety medical needle apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A safety medical needle apparatus delivered for use with a medical needle in a fully extended state wherefrom the state is changed to a needle retracted safety state by activity resulting from opposing forces, such as forces applied by a single hand, said medical needle apparatus comprising:
- a body comprising a distal portion, a medial portion and a proximal portion;
said proximal portion comprising a releasible catch mechanism and a needle hub comprising an axially disposed lumen;
a medical needle comprising a sharp distal tip and a proximal end securely affixed to said needle hub which is axially aligned within said lumen;
said distal portion comprising a shroud, for covering at least the sharp distal tip when the apparatus is in the retracted state, and at least one latch for said releasible catch;
said medial portion comprising a first pair of opposing legs hingeably affixed to a proximal site on said shroud, a second pair of opposing legs hingeably affixed to a distal site on said needle hub in a predisposed relation to said catch;
a pair of opposing actuators, each being hingeably affixed to a leg of the first pair and a leg of the second pair such that compressing one actuator toward the other, by a facile squeeze of a single hand, disengages the catch mechanism from the latch and retracts the hub away from the shroud; and
said pair of opposing actuators collectively comprising at least one locking member which securely affixes the apparatus in the retracted state whereby the needle tip is disposed for safety within said shroud.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety medical needle device comprising a mechanism for releasing a latch which holds the needle in place and manually retracting the needle and its sharpened tip into safe containment in one continuous operation. The device may be made from but a single molded part. In the case of a single molded part, the device may consist of a molded body, a medical needle and a protective tube for the needle. The device preferably comprises a pair of winged attachments for use as a medical butterfly apparatus.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A safety medical needle apparatus delivered for use with a medical needle in a fully extended state wherefrom the state is changed to a needle retracted safety state by activity resulting from opposing forces, such as forces applied by a single hand, said medical needle apparatus comprising:
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a body comprising a distal portion, a medial portion and a proximal portion; said proximal portion comprising a releasible catch mechanism and a needle hub comprising an axially disposed lumen; a medical needle comprising a sharp distal tip and a proximal end securely affixed to said needle hub which is axially aligned within said lumen; said distal portion comprising a shroud, for covering at least the sharp distal tip when the apparatus is in the retracted state, and at least one latch for said releasible catch; said medial portion comprising a first pair of opposing legs hingeably affixed to a proximal site on said shroud, a second pair of opposing legs hingeably affixed to a distal site on said needle hub in a predisposed relation to said catch; a pair of opposing actuators, each being hingeably affixed to a leg of the first pair and a leg of the second pair such that compressing one actuator toward the other, by a facile squeeze of a single hand, disengages the catch mechanism from the latch and retracts the hub away from the shroud; and said pair of opposing actuators collectively comprising at least one locking member which securely affixes the apparatus in the retracted state whereby the needle tip is disposed for safety within said shroud. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for retracting a medical needle of a safety medical needle apparatus from a needle extended state to a needle retracted safety state, comprising the steps of:
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providing the medical needle apparatus comprising a body having a distal portion, a medial portion and a proximal portion; said proximal portion comprising a releasible catch mechanism and a needle hub comprising an axially disposed lumen; a medical needle comprising a sharp distal tip and a proximal end securely affixed to said needle hub and axially aligned within said lumen; said distal portion comprising a shroud, for covering at least the sharp distal tip when the apparatus is in the retracted state, and at least one latch for said releasible latch; said medial portion comprising a first pair of opposing legs hingeably affixed to a proximal site on said shroud, a second pair of opposing legs hingeably affixed to a distal site on said needle hub in a predisposed relation to said catch; a pair of opposing actuators, each being hingeably affixed to a leg of the first pair and a leg of the second pair such that compressing one actuator toward the other, by a facile squeeze of a single hand, disengages the catch mechanism from the latch and retracts the hub away from the shroud; and said pair of opposing actuators collectively comprising at least one locking member which securely affixes the apparatus in the retracted state whereby the needle tip is disposed for safety within said shroud; using the apparatus in a medical procedure; compressing the actuators toward each other until the catch mechanism disengages from the latch; continuing to compress the actuators toward each other until the needle tip is retracted into the shroud and the at least one locking member is securely affixed in the fully retracted and locked state whereat the needle tip is disposed within the shroud and the hinged legs combine to form a substantially rigid body to preclude exposing the tip from the shroud thereafter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification