Device for after-use protection of a hypodermic needle, particularly of the butterfly type

• US 6,379,335 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: D.R.M. SRL
• Original Assignee: D.R.M. SRL
• Inventors: Rigon, Francesco, Mezzoli, Giorgio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US09/414,538
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/164.08, 604/171, 604/177, 604/192, 604/198, 604/263, 604/174, 128/919
• US Class Current: 604/177
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0631 having means for fully covering the needle after its withdrawal, e.g. needle being withdrawn inside the handle or a cover being advanced over the needle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 25/0637 Butterfly or winged devices, e.g. for facilitating handling or for attachment to the skin
• 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

Abstract

A device for after-use protection of a hypodermic needle, particularly of the butterfly type, comprising an elongated flat laminar element having, at one end and on two sides, two laminas which are mutually spaced by a longitudinal central space and are folded toward the laminar element in order to form two blind lateral flat guides for the sliding of the butterfly wings of the needle. The blind lateral flat guides are slightly curved away from the surface of the element and are adapted, when the needle retracts, to press its point so that it slides against the surface of the central band of the element in order to wedge into spaces that lie between raised saw-toothed teeth on the band in order to prevent the escape of the needle.

Claims

1. A device for after-use protection of a hypodermic needle, particularly of a butterfly type, comprising an elongated flat laminar element having, at one end and on two sides, two laminas which are mutually spaced by a longitudinal central band and are folded toward the laminar element in order to form two blind lateral guides for a sliding of butterfly wings of the needle, said blind lateral guides being slightly curved away from a surface of the laminar element and being adapted, when the needle retracts, to press a point of the needle so that said point slides against a surface of the central band of the laminar element in order to wedge into spaces that lie between raised saw-toothed teeth on said central band in order to prevent escape of the needle.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein an edge of a curved profiled element is rigidly coupled to an inner side of one of said laminas, partially surmounts the other lamina and is spaced from the other lamina so as to form a longitudinal slot for an insertion of a tube of the needle from one side.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said curved profiled element that partially surmounts the other lamina is present at least in a region where a tip of the needle is located when said needle is inserted in a safe position on the device according to the invention.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein free ends of said laminas curve slightly away from the laminar element in order to facilitate insertion of wings of the needle.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein a distance between a free end of a lower lamina and a curved part of said guides is greater than a length of the needle.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the end of the lower element has an inclination which corresponds to an inclination of the needle in a vein.