Safety device for a sheathed, prefilled injection syringe
First Claim
1. A safety device for use with a sheathed, prefilled injection syringe, said safety device comprising:
- a needle guard having an end and formed with a dilatable opening at said end, said end being reconfigurable between a first configuration wherein said opening is relatively large and a second configuration wherein said opening is relatively small, said relatively large opening for allowing the sheath of the injection syringe to pass through said end of said needle guard during attachment of said needle guard to the syringe, and said relatively small opening for covering and protecting the needle of the syringe after an injection; and
a means for reconfiguring said end of said needle guard from said first configuration to said second configuration after removal of the sheath from the injection syringe; and
a means for removing said sheath from said prefilled syringe and for activating said reconfiguring means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety device for a sheathed injection syringe includes a needle guard having a dilatable opening at its distal tip. A plurality of slits are formed in the guard extending proximally from the distal tip of the guard to create the dilatable opening. When the guard is in the relaxed state, the opening is relatively large to allow the sheath to pass through the guard during attachment of the safety device to the syringe. A ring having a lug is positioned over the guard and is moveable to contract the opening. The contracted opening allows the syringe to be used at non-normal injection angles. A cover is provided having an aperture for engagement with the needle sheath and a slot for engagement with the lug. During withdrawal of the cover, the sheath is removed from the needle and the ring is moved, contracting the guard opening.
87 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A safety device for use with a sheathed, prefilled injection syringe, said safety device comprising:
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a needle guard having an end and formed with a dilatable opening at said end, said end being reconfigurable between a first configuration wherein said opening is relatively large and a second configuration wherein said opening is relatively small, said relatively large opening for allowing the sheath of the injection syringe to pass through said end of said needle guard during attachment of said needle guard to the syringe, and said relatively small opening for covering and protecting the needle of the syringe after an injection; and
a means for reconfiguring said end of said needle guard from said first configuration to said second configuration after removal of the sheath from the injection syringe; and
a means for removing said sheath from said prefilled syringe and for activating said reconfiguring means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
a first member having a distal end and a proximal end, said first member formed as a hollow cylinder defining an axis and formed with at least one plug extending radially outwardly therefrom;
a second member disposed on said first member for reciprocal movement thereon, said second member having a means for affixing said second member to the injection syringe with the needle extending through said first member, said second member being formed with a linear channel aligned substantially parallel to said axis with said plug inserted into said channel for movement therein, said channel having a proximal end and a distal end with a latching cutout formed therebetween and a locking cutout formed at said distal end of said channel; and
a biasing means disposed between said first member and said second member to urge said first member and said second member in opposite axial directions and, in sequence, to initially hold said plug in said latching cutout to partially extend said needle from said first member, to then allow said plug to move in said channel toward said proximal end of said channel to further extend said needle from said first member in response to an external force against said first member, and to subsequently move said plug into said locking cutout at said distal end of said channel to cover and protect said needle with said first member upon removal of the external force.
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7. A safety device as recited in claim 6 wherein said biasing means is a spring.
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8. A system for safely removing the sheath from a sheathed prefilled injection syringe that has an attached elongated needle guard that defines an axis, and for reconfiguring the distal tip of the needle guard to be radially proximate to the syringe needle, said system comprising:
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a ring for reconfiguring the distal tip of the needle guard, said ring being positionable over the needle guard and moveable from a first position, wherein the distal tip of the needle guard is in a radially expanded configuration to allow the sheath to pass through the distal tip during attachment of the needle guard to the syringe, to a second position wherein the distal tip of the needle guard is radially proximate to the syringe needle; and
a cover positionable over said needle guard and engageable with said ring and the sheath of the syringe, said cover having a means for removing said sheath from said prefilled syringe and for moving said ring from said first position to said second position to reconfigure the distal tip of the needle guard, as said cover is withdrawn from the needle guard. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for safely removing the sheath from a sheathed prefilled injection syringe that has an attached needle guard, and reconfiguring the distal tip of the needle guard to be radially proximate to the syringe needle, said system comprising:
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a means for reconfiguring the distal tip of the needle guard from an expanded configuration wherein said distal tip of said needle guard is distanced from the syringe needle to allow the sheath to pass through the needle guard during attachment of the needle guard to the syringe, to a configuration wherein the distal tip of the needle guard is proximate to the syringe needle to cover and protect the syringe needle after an injection; and
a means for removing said sheath from said prefilled syringe and for activating said reconfiguring means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification