Phlebotomy needle assembly and frangible cover

• US 8,323,251 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fenwal Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Fenwal Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: West, Richard L., Lynn, Daniel R., Jones, Mark B., Bischof, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARPENTER, WILLIAM R
• Application Number:
  US12/013,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/111, 604/192, 604/198, 604/199, 604/263
• US Class Current: 604/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1405 Devices for taking blood samples devices for taking samples of other body liquids A61B10/0045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial 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 5/150366 Blood collection bags, e.g. connected to the patient by a catheter comprising means for removing a small sample of collected blood from the bag collection bags as such A61J1/05, A61M1/0209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150389 Hollow piercing elements, e.g. canulas, needles, for piercing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150541 Breakable protectors, e.g. caps, shields or sleeves, i.e. protectors separated destructively, e.g. by breaking a connecting area
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150587 by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150595 by snap-lock (i.e. based on axial displacement)
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150618 Integrally moulded protectors, e.g. protectors simultaneously moulded together with a further component, e.g. a hub, of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/312 comprising sealing means, e.g. severable caps, to be removed prior to injection by, e.g. tearing or twisting
• 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

Abstract

Needle covers are provided for medical needle assemblies having a base and a cannula. The needle cover includes hub and cap portions. The hub portion is adapted to be secured to the base. The cap portion is adapted to substantially enclose at least a distal end of the cannula when the hub portion is secured to the base. The cap portion includes at least one generally outwardly extending wing having an outer edge and an enlarged rib extending along only a portion of the outer edge of the wing and only in a direction substantially parallel to a central axis defined by the cap portion. The cap portion is separable from the hub portion upon application of a torsional force, with the rib of the wing being thicker than the portion of the wing radially inward of the outer edge to assist gripping during application of such force.

Claims

1. A needle cover for a medical needle assembly of the type having a base and a cannula, said needle cover comprising a hub portion adapted to be secured to the base and a cap portion adapted to substantially enclose at least a distal end of the cannula when the hub portion is secured to the base, said cap portion comprising at least one generally outwardly extending wing having an outer edge,

wherein the cap portion defines a central axis and is separable from the hub portion upon application of a torsional force between the hub portion and the cap portion and

characterized by an enlarged rib extending along only a portion of the outer edge of the wing and only in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, wherein the rib is thicker than the portion of the wing radially inward of the outer edge to assist gripping during application of such torsional force to rotate the cap portion about the cannula.

2. The needle cover of claim 1, wherein the wing extends generally radially away from the central axis.

3. The needle cover of claim 1, wherein the cap portion comprises a second generally outwardly extending wing, the second wing having an outer edge and an enlarged second rib extending along the outer edge of the second wing.

4. The needle cover of claim 3, wherein said wings extend in generally opposite directions and are substantially coplanar.

5. The needle cover of claim 1, wherein the cap portion further comprises at least one raised annular rib in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

6. The needle cover of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of such raised annular ribs.

7. A needle cover for a medical needle assembly of the type having a base and a cannula, said needle cover comprising:

a proximal hub portion adapted to be secured to the base;

a distal cap portion adapted to substantially enclose at least a distal end of the cannula when the hub portion is secured to the base, said cap portion defining a central axis and comprising at least one generally outwardly extending wing having an outer edge; and

a frangible portion proximal the cap portion and adapted to be broken upon application of a torsional force between the hub portion and the cap portion,

characterized by an enlarged rib extending along only a portion of the outer edge of the wing and only in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, wherein the rib is thicker than the portion of the wing radially inward of the outer edge to assist gripping during application of such torsional force to rotate the cap portion about the cannula and

further characterized in that the hub portion, the cap portion, and the frangible portion are integrally formed and comprise a substantially transparent plastic material having a hardness in the range from about 35 to about 65 on the Shore D durometer scale, a torsional modulus in the range from about 30 to about 80 MPa, and a Young'"'"'s modulus in the range from about 15 to about 260 MPa.

8. The needle cover of claim 7, wherein said cap portion has a moisture vapor transmission rate sufficient for steam sterilization of the distal end of the cannula when the distal end of the cannula is enclosed by the cap portion.

9. The needle cover of claim 7, wherein said plastic material is a polyamide material.

10. The needle cover of claim 8, wherein the moisture vapor transmission rate of the cap portion is in the range of about 30 to about 90 g/m²/day at approximately 38°

at 100% relative humidity.

11. The needle cover of claim 10, wherein the moisture vapor transmission rate of the cap portion is in the range of about 30 to about 50 g/m²/day at approximately 38°

at 100% relative humidity.

12. The needle cover of claim 10, wherein the moisture vapor transmission rate of the cap portion is in the range of about 50 to about 70 g/m²/day at approximately 38°

at 100% relative humidity.

13. The needle cover of claim 10, wherein the moisture vapor transmission rate of the cap portion is in the range of about 70 to about 90 g/m²/day at approximately 38°

at 100% relative humidity.