Safety needle assembly

• US 7,553,293 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Jensen, Karsten, Nymark, Niels
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHARSKI, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US10/978,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/263, 604/164.08, 604/192, 604/198, 604/187, 128/919
• US Class Current: 604/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3267 Biased sleeves where the needle is uncovered by insertion of the needle into a patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• 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 5/3245 Constructional features thereof, e.g. to improve manipulation or functioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3271 with guiding tracks for controlled sliding of needle protective sleeve from needle exposing to needle covering position
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/04 Folded cards

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety needle assembly for injecting a fluid into a human body comprising a cylindrical housing with a bottom surface supporting a needle cannula and a shield telescopically movable relative to the housing. A spring located within the housing urges the shield in a distal needle covering direction and a locking member also provided inside the housing moves simultaneously with the shield during injection and automatically locks the shield in a position where the sharp end of the needle cannula is concealed thereby irreversible immobilizing the safety needle assembly.

Claims

1. A safety needle assembly comprising:

a cylindrical housing (1,40) having a top surface (6) with an opening (8) and a bottom surface (9,50), said housing (1,40) having means for mounting said housing (1,40) onto a medical injection device,

a needle cannula (30) mounted in the bottom surface (9,50), said needle cannula (30) having a distal end located at a distal side of the bottom surface (9,50) and extending through said opening (8),

a shield (2,43) telescopically movable relatively to the housing (1,40) for movement between a distal position wherein the shield (2,43) covers the distal end of the needle cannula (30) and a proximal position where at least a part of the distal end of the needle cannula (30) is exposed,

a spring (25) located, inside said housing (1,40) urging the shield (2,43) in the distal direction,

a locking element (16,44) provided inside the housing (1,40) and having at least one outwardly pointing locking protrusion (17,49),

wherein said locking element (16,44) is a separate part provided between the spring (25) and the shield (2,43) and longitudinal moved simultaneously with the shield (2,43) relatively to the housing (1,40) during use, whereby the locking protrusion (17,49) provided on the locking element (16) is guided from a first position where the shield (2,43) is in the distal position, via a second position where the shield (2,43) is in the proximal position to a third position where the shield (2,43) is in the distal position and in which third position at least one of the locking protrusions (17,49) is blocked by a blocking surface (15,55) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1,40) whereby further movement of the shield is irreversibly immobilized, and whereby the shield (2,43) is guided during longitudinal movement of the shield (2,43) relative to the housing (1,40) to prevent rotation of the shield (2,43) relative to the housing (1,40) when the locking element is guided from the first position to the second position.

2. A safety needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) in the first position abuts a stud (10) provided on the shield (1) and a fin (22) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1).

3. A safety needle assembly according to claim 2, wherein the locking element (16) and the locking protrusion (17) rotates relatively to the housing (1) and the shield (2) when an angled surface (12) of the stud (10) aligns an angled surface (23) of the fin (22).

4. A safety needle assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) in the second position abuts a toothed ring (13) provided at the proximal end of the shield (2).

5. A safety needle assembly according to claim 4, wherein the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) in the third position is arrested in an opening in a longitudinal rib (21) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1), which opening defines the blocking surface (15).

6. A safety needle assembly according to claim 5, wherein guiding means for guiding the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) comprises the ribs (21) and the fins (22) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1), which ribs (21) and fins (22) extends only in the horizontal direction.

7. A safety needle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shield (2,43) is mounted inside the housing (1,40) and penetrates through an opening (8,45) at the top surface of the housing (1,40).

8. A safety needle assembly according to claim 7, wherein the spring interfaces the locking element (16,44) and the bottom surface (9,50) of the housing (1,40).

9. A safety needle assembly according to claim 8, wherein the housing (1,40) is provided with a window (20) through which window (20) the locking protrusion (17,49) is visible when the locking protrusion (17,49) is in its third position.

10. A safety needle assembly comprising:

a cylindrical housing (1,40) having a top surface (6) with an opening (8) and a bottom surface (9,50), said housing (1,40) having means for mounting said housing (1,40) onto a medical injection device,

a needle cannula (30) mounted in the bottom surface (9,50), said needle cannula (30) having a distal end located at a distal side of the bottom surface (9,50) and extending through said opening (8),

a shield (2,43) telescopically movable relatively to the housing (1,40) for movement between a distal position wherein the shield (2,43) covers the distal end of the needle cannula (30) and a proximal position where at least a part of the distal end of the needle cannula (30) is exposed,

a spring (25) located, inside said housing (1,40) urging the shield (2,43) in the distal direction,

a locking element (16,44) provided inside the housing (1,40) and having at least one outwardly pointing locking protrusion (17,49),

wherein said locking element (16,44) is a separate part provided between the spring (25) and the shield (2,43) and longitudinal moved simultaneously with the shield (2,43) relatively to the housing (1,40) during use, whereby the locking protrusion (17,49) provided on the locking element (16) is guided from a first position where the shield (2,43) is in the distal position, via a second position where the shield (2,43) is in the proximal position to a third position where the shield (2,43) is in the distal position and in which third position at least one of the locking protrusions (17,49) is blocked by a blocking surface (15,55) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1,40) whereby further movement of the shield is irreversibly immobilized, and the shield (2,43) is mounted inside the housing (1,40) and penetrates through an opening (8,45) at the top surface of the housing (1,40), the spring interfacing the locking element (16,44) and the bottom surface (9,50) of the housing (1,40), and the housing (1,40) is provided with a window (20) through which window (20) the locking protrusion (17,49) is visible when the locking protrusion (17,49) is in its third position.

11. A safety needle assembly according to claim 10, wherein the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) in the first position abuts a stud (10) provided on the shield (1) and a fin (22) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1).

12. A safety needle assembly according to claim 11, wherein the locking element (16) and the locking protrusion (17) rotates relatively to the housing (1) and the shield (2) when an angled surface (12) of the stud (10) aligns an angled surface (23) of the fin (22).

13. A safety needle assembly according to claim 12, wherein the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) in the second position abuts a toothed ring (13) provided at the proximal end of the shield (2).

14. A safety needle assembly according to claim 13, wherein the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) in the third position is arrested in an opening in a longitudinal rib (21) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1), which opening defines the blocking surface (15).

15. A safety needle assembly according to claim 14, wherein guiding means for guiding the locking protrusion (17) of the locking element (16) comprises the ribs (21) and the fins (22) provided on the inside surface of the housing (1), which ribs (21) and fins (22) extends only in the horizontal direction.