Retractable needle medical devices

• US 6,179,812 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MDC Investment Holdings Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: MDC Investment Holdings Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Botich, Michael J., Halseth, Thor R.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US09/170,649
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/192, 604/195, 604/198, 604/263, 604/197, 604/220, 604/226
• US Class Current: 604/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150351 Caps, stoppers or lids for sealing or closing a blood collection vessel or container, e.g. a test-tube or syringe barrel caps for bottles or containers in general B65D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150389 Hollow piercing elements, e.g. canulas, needles, for piercing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150572 Pierceable protectors, e.g. shields, caps, sleeves or films, e.g. for hygienic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150648 fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering of the protective sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user such as terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150732 Needle holders, for instance for holding the needle by the hub, used for example with double-ended needle and pre-evacuated tube,
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/154 Devices using pre-evacuated means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3231 Proximal end of needle captured or embedded inside piston head, e.g. by friction or hooks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3235 triggered by radial deflection of the anchoring parts between needle mount and syringe barrel or needle housing, e.g. spreading of needle mount retaining hooks having slanted surfaces by engagement with correspondingly shaped surfaces on the piston at the end of an injection stroke
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0612 Devices for protecting the needle; Devices to help insertion of the needle, e.g. wings or holders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0631 having means for fully covering the needle after its withdrawal, e.g. needle being withdrawn inside the handle or a cover being advanced over the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3234 Fully automatic needle retraction, i.e. in which triggering of the needle does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5013 Means for blocking the piston or the fluid passageway to prevent illegal refilling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/502 for blocking the piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/508 Means for preventing re-use by disrupting the piston seal, e.g. by puncturing

Abstract

A safety medical device having a sharpened needle is provided. After use, the needle is retracted so that the contaminated needle is shielded to prevent inadvertent contact with the contaminated needle. In one embodiment, the device includes a barrel and a plunger that is slidable within the barrel. The sharpened needle is operable between a projecting position and a retracted position. In the projecting position, the needle projects forwardly from the front end of the barrel. In the retracted position, the needle is shielded to prevent inadvertent contact with the needle. When the plunger is displaced forwardly to expel fluid from the barrel, the plunger actuates retraction so that the needle is automatically retracted after use. The needle may be included as an element of a needle assembly that is connectable with the barrel. The needle assembly includes a spring for biasing the needle toward the retracted position and a connector for attaching the needle to the barrel.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a barrel having a forward end;

a needle assembly comprising;

a needle operable between a projecting position wherein the needle projects forwardly from the barrel and a retracted position wherein the needle is enclosed within the barrel; and

a block attached to the needle;

a biasing element biasing the needle rearwardly;

a needle retainer having a rearwardly facing shoulder, the needle retainer releasably maintaining the needle in the projecting position; and

a plunger slidably positioned in the barrel, the plunger having a forward end with an opening sized to receive the needle and a cavity for containing the needle in the retracted position, the plunger comprising;

a forward end having an opening sized to receive the needle;

an actuation surface cooperable with the shoulder of the needle retainer to effectuate retraction; and

a disassociable plug disposed forwardly of the actuation surface, and sealing the opening;

wherein upon forward displacement of the plunger, the plug engages the needle assembly, dislodging the plug from the opening, and the actuation surface of the plunger engages the needle retainer displacing the needle retainer so that the needle retainer releases the needle and the biasing element propels the needle assembly rearwardly into the plunger cavity.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the disassociable plug is integrally formed with the forward end of the plunger.

3. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the barrel has a fixed forward end wall, and the plunger and the forward end wall of the barrel form the end walls of a fluid cavity.

4. A method for injecting or withdrawing fluid, comprising the steps of:

providing a syringe having a barrel, an injection needle, and a plunger having a forward end, an opening in the forward end, and a cavity for receiving the needle;

releasably retaining the needle in a projecting position so that the needle projects forwardly from the barrel;

sealing the forward end of the plunger with a disassociable plug to seal the cavity;

displacing the plunger within the barrel to inject or withdraw fluid;

continuing displacement of the plunger within the barrel to displace the plug and to dislodge the plug to provide access to the cavity;

releasing the needle after the plug is displaced;

propelling the released needle rearwardly into the plunger cavity.

5. A medical device comprising:

a barrel having a fixed forward end wall;

a needle operable between a projecting position wherein the needle projects forwardly from the barrel and a retracted position wherein the needle is enclosed within the barrel;

a biasing element biasing the needle rearwardly;

a needle retainer releasably maintaining the needle in the projecting position; and

a plunger slidably positioned in the barrel, forming a fluid cavity between the forward end of the plunger and the forward end wall of the barrel, the plunger having a forward end with an opening sized to receive the needle and a cavity for containing the needle in the retracted position, the plunger comprising;

an actuation surface cooperable with the the needle retainer to effectuate retraction; and

a sealing element disposed forwardly of the actuation surface, sealing the opening;

wherein forward displacement of the plunger displaces the sealing element from the opening and the actuation surface of the plunger into engagement with the needle retainer, displacing the needle retainer so that the needle retainer releases the needle and the biasing element propels the needle assembly rearwardly into the plunger cavity.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the sealing element is a disassociable plug.

7. A medical device comprising:

a barrel having a forward end;

a needle operable between a projecting position wherein the needle projects forwardly from the barrel and a retracted position wherein the needle is enclosed within the barrel;

a biasing element biasing the needle rearwardly;

a needle retainer releasably maintaining the needle in the projecting position; and

a plunger slidably positioned in the barrel, the plunger having a forward end with an opening sized to receive the needle and a cavity for containing the needle in the retracted position, the plunger comprising;

a forward end having an opening sized to receive the needle; and

a disassociable plug sealing the opening;

wherein upon forward displacement of the plunger, the plug is dislodged from the opening, and the needle retainer releases the needle so that the biasing element propels the needle assembly rearwardly into the plunger cavity.

8. The medical device of claim 7 wherein the barrel has a fixed forward end wall, and the plunger and the forward end wall of the barrel form the end walls of a fluid cavity.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the disassociable plug is integrally formed with the forward end of the plunger.

10. A medical device, comprising:

a hollow barrel having a first connector;

a plunger slidably displaceable within the barrel; and

a needle assembly, comprising;

a needle having a sharpened tip operable between a projecting position in which the sharpened tip of the needle projects forwardly from the barrel, and a retracted position in which the sharpened tip is shielded against inadvertent contact;

a biasing element biasing the needle toward the retracted position; and

a second connector that is cooperable with the first connector to attach the needle assembly to the barrel;

wherein upon forward displacement of the plunger, the plunger engages the needle assembly so that the needle is released and the biasing element displaces the needle into the retracted position.

11. The device of claim 10 comprising a hub providing a housing for the biasing element, wherein the needle is releasably connected with the hub.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the second connector is connected with the hub.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the plunger comprises a disassociable plug covering a cavity for receiving the needle in the retracted position.

14. The device of claim 10 comprising a lock preventing displacement of the plunger relative to the barrel.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein displacing the plunger forwardly to actuate retraction of the needle also actuates the lock.

16. The device of claim 10 comprising a block attached to the needle, wherein the block has an orifice and the biasing element bears against the block to bias the needle rearwardly.

17. A method for injecting fluid, comprising the steps of:

providing a medical device having a hollow housing having a first connector and a first end, and a plunger slidably displaceable within the housing;

providing a needle assembly comprising a needle, a spring connected with the needle, and a hub assembly having a second connector cooperable with the first connector;

connecting the second connector to the first connector to attach the needle assembly to the housing while the spring is biasing the needle rearwardly;

filling the barrel with a quantity of medicinal fluid;

displacing the plunger within the housing to expel fluid from the housing through the needle;

displacing the plunger into engagement with the needle assembly to provide an actuation force;

wherein upon application of the actuation force, the spring displaces the needle into the housing so that the sharpened tip of the needle is enclosed within the housing to prevent inadvertent contact with the needle.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plunger comprises a cavity for receiving the needle after retraction and a cover closing the opening to the cavity, wherein the method comprises the step of removing the cover from the plunger.

19. The method of claim 17 comprising the step of locking the plunger to prevent relative displacement between the plunger and the housing after the needle is retracted.

20. A medical device, comprising:

a hollow barrel;

a needle releasably connected with the barrel, having a sharpened tip operable between a projecting position in which the sharpened tip projects forwardly from the barrel, and a retracted position in which the sharpened tip is shielded against inadvertent contact;

a biasing element biasing the needle toward the retracted position;

a spring housing attached to the forward end of the barrel for housing the biasing element;

a needle retainer connected with the needle for releasably retaining the needle against the bias of the biasing element;

a plunger slidably displaceable within the barrel, comprising;

a cavity for receiving the needle when the needle is displaced into the retracted position;

an orifice at the forward end of the plunger opening into the cavity; and

a disassociable plug sealing the orifice;

wherein upon forward displacement, the plunger engages the needle retainer, which displaces the disassociable plug into the cavity, and releases the needle so that the biasing element displaces the needle into the cavity.

21. The device of claim 20 comprising a lock for preventing displacement of the plunger relative to the barrel after retraction.

22. The device of claim 20 comprising a piston attached to the plunger forming a fluid-tight seal with the interior of the barrel.

23. The device of claim 20 comprising a block attached to the needle, wherein the biasing element bears against the block when the needle is disposed in the projecting position.

24. The device of claim 20 wherein the orifice forms a rim that engages the needle retainer to effectuate retraction.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the needle retainer comprises a surface configured to cooperate with the rim of the plunger.

26. The device of claim 20 wherein the spring housing is separable from the barrel.

27. A medical device operable in connection with a barrel having a first connector, comprising:

a hub having a second connector cooperable with the first connector to attach the hub to the barrel;

a needle releasably connected with the hub and having a sharpened tip operable between a projecting position in which the needle projects forwardly from the barrel, and the retracted position in which the sharpened tip is shielded against inadvertent contact; and

a biasing element at least partially dispose within the hub, biasing the needle toward the retracted position;

wherein after use, the needle is released from the hub and the spring displaces the needle into the retracted position.

28. The device of claim 27 comprising a block connected with the needle when the needle is disposed in the projecting position, wherein the biasing element bears against the block.

29. The device of claim 27 wherein the medical device is configured to cooperate with a plunger that is slidably displaceable within the barrel such that the needle is released for retraction upon displacement of the plunger toward the needle within the barrel.

30. A method for injecting fluid, comprising the steps of:

providing a medical device having a hollow housing having a first connector and a first end, a plunger slidably displaceable within the housing;

providing a needle assembly comprising a needle, and a hub assembly having a second connector cooperable with the first connector;

connecting the second connector to the first connector to attach the needle assembly to the housing while the plunger is disposed within the barrel;

filling the barrel with a quantity of medicinal fluid;

displacing the plunger within the housing to expel fluid from the housing through the needle;

displacing the plunger into engagement with the needle assembly to provide an actuation force;

wherein application of the actuation force causes the needle to be displaced into the housing so that the sharpened tip of the needle is enclosed within the housing to prevent inadvertent contact with the needle.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the plunger comprises a cavity for receiving the needle after retraction and a cover closing the opening to the cavity, wherein the method comprises the step of removing the cover from the plunger.

32. The method of claim 30 comprising the step of locking the plunger to prevent relative displacement between the plunger and the housing after the needle is retracted.