Pivotable guard for shielding a needle

• US 6,120,482 A
• Filed: 09/09/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Szabo, Sandor
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn Wood
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Michael M
• Application Number:
  US08/925,974
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 604/192, 604/198, 604/181, 604/187, 604/263, 128/919
• US Class Current: 604/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3216 Caps placed transversally onto the needle, e.g. pivotally attached to the needle base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/919 Syringe, means to protect user

Abstract

A needle guard assembly is provided for mounting to the hub of a needle assembly. The needle guard assembly includes a guide that is engageable on the hub. An elongate U-shaped cover is hingedly mounted to the guide and can be rotated from a first position where the needle cannula is substantially surrounded by the U-shaped walls of the cover into a second position where the needle cannula is exposed for use. The needle guard assembly further includes a slide that is slidably engaged in the guide and movable from a first position where the slide cooperatively engages the cover for completely surrounding the needle cannula to a second position where the slide is spaced proximally from the cover, thereby permitting the cover to rotate into its second position.

Claims

1. A safety needle assembly comprising:

a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends;

a needle hub securely engaged with said proximal end of said needle cannula;

a guide having a mounting aperture extending therethrough, portions of said guide defining said mounting aperture being securely mounted to said needle hub, said guide including a channel substantially aligned with said mounting aperture;

an elongate cover having a proximal end and a distal end, portions of said cover between said proximal and distal ends defining a substantially U-shape cross-section and comprising first and second spaced apart side walls and a connecting wall extending therebetween, said proximal end of said cover being hingedly connected to said guide so that said cover is rotatable between a first cover position at least partly surrounding said needle cannula and a second cover position spaced from said needle cannula, said cover having a pair of grooves formed in said side walls, said grooves being disposed to align with said channel of said guide when said cover is in said second cover position; and

a slide slidably received in said channel of said guide having a first slide position in said grooves of said cover when said cover is in said first cover position, said slide further being movable into a second slide position spaced proximally from said cover whereby said cover in said first cover position and said slide in said first slide position protectively surrounds said needle cannula.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said cover includes a distal wall positioned distally of said distal end of said needle cannula when said cover is in said first cover position.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said slide includes a detent for releasable locking engagement with said distal wall of said cover when said cover is in said first cover position and when said slide is in said first slide position.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said slide includes a detent for releasably locking said slide with said guide when said slide is in said second slide position.

5. A needle guard assembly for protectively enclosing a needle cannula, said needle cannula having a proximal end connected to a needle hub and a sharp distal end, said needle guard assembly comprising:

a guide having a mounting aperture dimensioned and configured for secure engagement on said needle hub, a pair of spaced apart parallel support walls extending transversely relative to said mounting aperture, coaxially aligned pivot apertures extending through said support walls orthogonally to said mounting aperture, a grooved channel passing through said guide substantially parallel to said mounting aperture and at a location spaced from said pivot apertures;

an elongate cover having opposed proximal and distal ends, said proximal end of said cover being hingedly connected to said pivot apertures in said support walls, portions of said cover between said proximal and distal ends defining a generally U-shaped cross-section comprising a pair of side walls and a connecting wall extending therebetween, portions of said side walls facing one another being formed with opposed grooves, said proximal end of said cover being hingedly connected to said support walls of said guide such that said cover is rotatable between a first cover position where said needle cannula is disposed between said side walls of said cover and a second cover position where said cover is spaced from said needle cannula, said cover being dimensioned and configured such that said grooves of said side walls are substantially aligned with said grooved channel in said guide when said cover is in said first cover position; and

a slide having opposed proximal and distal ends and being slidably received in said grooved channel of said guide, said slide being movable from a first slide position when said cover is in said first cover position, such that said slide engages in said grooves of said cover for substantially enclosing said needle cannula to a second slide position where said slide is spaced proximally of said cover, thereby permitting said cover to rotate into said second cover position.