Breakaway syringe and disposal apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus adapted for use with a syringe having a body including a barrel and a nozzle, and an attached needle assembly including a hub and a needle, and said apparatus comprising:
- a container having a base and at least one side wall, said container body adapted to contain said needle hub needle assembly and a portion of said syringe body;
an upper portion of said container, said upper portion having an aperture for receiving at least said needle hub, said aperture having a generally rigid aperture wall for supporting the needle hub and attached syringe body;
a locking mechanism having a locking tip moveable within the aperture for engaging the needle hub and preventing the removal of the needle hub from the container;
whereinthe needle hub is held in a generally fixed relationship with the aperture of the container, permitting lateral movement of the syringe to facilitate breaking the syringe at the weakened portion.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A breakaway intravenous needle device, including a syringe and needle assembly, and a disposal apparatus for removing, retaining and discarding needles attached to the intravenous needle device. The breakaway syringe comprises a syringe barrel which extends from a proximal barrel end to a distal barrel end. A nozzle extends distally from the distal barrel end and includes a weakened portion. Bending of the syringe barrel relative to the nozzle distal end causes the syringe to break along the weakened portion. When coupled with a needle hub and needle assembly and used with the disposal apparatus of the present invention, the syringe and attached needle assembly are held stationary within an aperture disposed on the disposal apparatus. The syringe barrel may then be moved laterally or otherwise bent relative to the needle hub to break the syringe along the weakened portion of the nozzle. The needle hub and needle assembly, now broken away from the remainder of the syringe fall freely into the disposal apparatus. A locking mechanism is provided within the aperture to prevent the removal of the needle hub and attached needle assembly once inserted within the disposal apparatus. A cover is also disclosed to facilitate the bending and breaking of the syringe relative to the needle hub and needle assembly and to provide additional user protection.
69 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An apparatus adapted for use with a syringe having a body including a barrel and a nozzle, and an attached needle assembly including a hub and a needle, and said apparatus comprising:
-
a container having a base and at least one side wall, said container body adapted to contain said needle hub needle assembly and a portion of said syringe body; an upper portion of said container, said upper portion having an aperture for receiving at least said needle hub, said aperture having a generally rigid aperture wall for supporting the needle hub and attached syringe body; a locking mechanism having a locking tip moveable within the aperture for engaging the needle hub and preventing the removal of the needle hub from the container;
whereinthe needle hub is held in a generally fixed relationship with the aperture of the container, permitting lateral movement of the syringe to facilitate breaking the syringe at the weakened portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for breaking a syringe having an attached needle hub and needle assembly such that the needle hub and needle assembly are broken away from the syringe, the needle assembly having a needle tip at a distal needle end attached to said needle hub at a proximal needle end, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a syringe having a syringe barrel and a nozzle coupled to a needle hub, said nozzle having a weakened portion adjacent said needle hub; maintaining the needle hub in a substantially fixed position relative to the syringe barrel; during the maintaining step, inserting at least the needle hub into a multi-needle container; and moving the syringe barrel relative to the container to break the syringe at the weakened portion of the nozzle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A disposal apparatus adapted for use with a syringe having a body and a needle assembly comprising:
-
a base for supporting the apparatus on a convenient surface; at least one side wall forming with the base a container having a converging portion defining an aperture into the container, the aperture being sized and configured to receive at least the needle assembly into the container; an engagement mechanism disposed relative to the aperture and having properties for facilitating movement of the needle assembly inwardly of the container while inhibiting movement of the needle assembly outwardly of the container; and the engagement apparatus facilitating fracture of the syringe to permit separation of the needle assembly from at least a portion of the body to safely store the needle apparatus in the container. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification