Flexible needle assembly

• US 6,595,960 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: DiBiasi, Michael A., West, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRINSON, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US09/833,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20020151849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 604/181, 604/273, 604/240, 604/264, 604/272
• US Class Current: 604/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/341 angularly adjustable or angled away from the axis of the injector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/34 Constructions for connecting the needle , e.g. to syringe nozzle or needle hub connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014

Abstract

An apparatus and method of providing a flexible needle assembly for use with a medication delivery pen. The flexible needle assembly includes a needle cannula having proximal and distal points and a hub coupled to the needle cannula. The hub includes a flexible roof, or ball-and-socket arrangement, that permits the needle cannula to move about the centerline of the hub. The flexible roof can include one or more concentric ribs to enhance flexibility of the needle cannula about the centerline of the hub.

Claims

1. A needle assembly for use with a medication delivery pen, comprising:

a needle cannula having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and

a hub, to which the needle cannula is mounted, the hub including a roof having a flexible roof portion, the flexible roof portion including one or more concentric ribs configured to permit the needle cannula to move about the centerline of the hub.

2. The needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the hub comprises:

an interface disposed in the flexible roof portion through which the needle cannula is coupled to the hub.

3. The needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the hub further comprises a threaded surface that engages a surface of the medication delivery pen.

4. A medication delivery system comprising:

a medication delivery pen;

a cartridge containing medication, the cartridge disposed within the medication delivery pen; and

a needle assembly engageable with the cartridge, comprising;

a needle cannula having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and

a hub to which the needle cannula is mounted, the hub including a roof having a flexible roof portion including one or more concentric ribs, wherein the flexible roof portion permits the needle cannula to move about the centerline of the hub,

whereby the medication can flow through the needle cannula during an injection procedure.

5. The medication delivery system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flexible roof portion is at a different plane than a proximal surface of the hub.

6. A method of operating a medication delivery system comprising the steps of:

attaching a needle cannula having a proximal portion and a distal portion to a hub, the hub including a roof having a flexible roof portion including one or more concentric ribs;

coupling the proximal portion of the needle cannula to a cartridge containing medication;

disposing the cartridge within a medication delivery pen;

injecting the distal portion of the needle cannula into a patient; and

delivering the medication into said patient,

whereby the flexible roof portion permits the needle cannula to move about the centerline of the hub.