Needle tip guard for percutaneous entry needles

• US 6,860,871 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B Braun Melsungen AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Injectimed Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Richard, Kuracina, Thomas C, Ohnemus, Randall E., Smith, Craig W., Rollo, David
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/442,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 604/192, 604/198, 604/263, 604/187, 604/110, 128/919
• US Class Current: 604/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150236 Pistons, i.e. cylindrical bodies that sit inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slide in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150244 Rods for actuating or driving the piston, i.e. the cylindrical body that sits inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slides in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150389 Hollow piercing elements, e.g. canulas, needles, for piercing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150496 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the double-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 5/150656 semi-automatically triggered, i.e. in which the triggering of the protective sleeve requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means
• 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 2005/3109 Caps sealing the needle bore by use of, e.g. air-hardening adhesive, elastomer or epoxy resin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3246 being squeezably deformable for locking or unlocking purposes, e.g. with elliptical cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/325 Means obstructing the needle passage at distal end of a needle protection sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/341 angularly adjustable or angled away from the axis of the injector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0606 "Over-the-needle" catheter assemblies, e.g. I.V. catheters
• 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 25/0625 with a permanent connection to the needle hub, e.g. a guiding rail, a locking mechanism or a guard advancement mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/002 Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics needle protection, e.g. caps, A61M5/3202; for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• 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 5/3243 : being axially-extensible, e.g. protective sleeves coaxially slidable on the syringe barrel devices for protecting guide needles in combination with catheters A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3257 : Semi-automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve extension requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3275 : being connected to the needle hub or syringe by radially deflectable members, e.g. longitudinal slats, cords or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/329 : characterised by features of the needle shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3291 : Shafts with additional lateral openings

Abstract

A needle tip protective device for use with percutaneous entry needles. In one embodiment, the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle, the latter having a needle tip located at the distal end thereof, and a change of profile formed medially there along. The needle guard is movable along the hypodermic needle and engageable with the change in profile formed thereon. The engagement with the change in profile is configured to correspond with the ability of the needle trap to entrap the needle tip once the needle trap has advanced the sufficient distance distally along the hypodermic needle. In further refinements, the needle trap may be biased toward the distal needle tip of the needle.

Claims

1. A needle protective device comprising:

a) a needle defining proximal and distal ends;

b) a needle guard mounted about the needle and traversable between the proximal and distal ends of the needle, the needle guard being biased to the distal end of the needle, the needle guard having at least one protrusion; and

c) a housing fixed to a proximal end of the needle and sized and configured to receive the needle guard, the housing having at least one aperture sized and configured to receive the needle guard protrusion when the needle guard is at the proximal end of the needle.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the needle guard defines a circular outer diameter, and the housing has an inner elliptical configuration defining a minor axis equal to the outer diameter and a major axis, the aperture of the housing being aligned with the minor axis of the housing such that application of a compressive force on the major axis expands the minor axis to disengage the protrusion from the aperture.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the housing is deformable.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the housing is manufactured from material selected from the group consisting of plastic, rubber and combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a guide attached to the housing to stabilize lateral movement of the needle guard within the housing.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a movable trap attached to the needle guard to stabilize rotational movement of the needle guard when the needle guard is at the proximal end of the needle.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a resilient member mounted about the needle and disposed between the housing and the needle guard to bias the needle guard to the distal end of the needle.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the needle guard defines a flange and a base, and the resilient member exerts a force on the base to propel the needle guard to the distal end of the needle then on the flange to maintain a moveable trap within the needle guard.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the resilient member is a compression spring.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the base has a conical configuration for guiding the spring about the base as the spring is being compressed.