Hypodermic syringes are usually administered by a medical caregiver to a patient. A typical syringe includes a cylindrical barrel and a plunger for administering a drug to a patient or drawing a blood sample from a patient. The typical syringe has a fluid-conveying needle covered with a protective, temporary cap. In use, the cap is removed and the needle inserted into a patient. After use, the cap can be replaced on the needle to avoid inadvertent sticking of medical personnel and both are discarded.
Sometimes there can be an accidental sticking of medical personnel during the replacing of the cap. If the cap is not accurately placed onto the needle the nurse or other medical caregiver can be accidentally stuck with the needle. Needless to say, this can be detrimental to the nurse or other medical caregiver given the existence of serious blood borne diseases.
Examples of caps for hypodermic syringe needles are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,408,323; 2,571,653; 3,073,306; 3,527,216; 3,890,971; 4,355,822; 4,373,526; 4,425,120; and 4826488.
The present inventor has recognized the need for a needle guard that reduces the risk of accidental needle puncture of medical personnel. The present inventor has recognized the need for a needle guard that is easy to use and which is automatically deployed to cover contaminated needles immediately after use.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a needle guard for a hypodermic syringe that automatically deploys when the needle is withdrawn from a patient. The invention provides a spring-loaded needle guard that exposes the needle before inserting into a patient and immediately upon withdrawing, the needle guard deploys to cover the exposed needle.
The exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a needle guard that includes a base portion and a cover portion. The base portion and cover portion are engaged to expose the needle in a use position, and after use, the cover portion slides on the base portion to cover the otherwise exposed end or point of the needle.
In one embodiment, the base portion has a socket for connecting a syringe and an engagement portion extending from the socket and having a through channel for receiving the needle. The cover portion substantially surrounds the base portion and has an end opening for allowing the needle that extends out of the through channel to be exposed out of the guard in the use position. The through channel extends through the socket and the engagement portion. The engagement portion includes a catch near the socket and a notch near a distal end of the engagement portion.
The cover portion includes a hook portion that fits into the catch and engages with the catch to be held thereby. The hook portion is biased to move into disengagement with the catch when the cover portion is slid backward with respect to the base portion toward the socket. A spring biases the cover portion away from the socket. When the hook portion is released from the catch, the spring moves the cover portion away from the socket to expand the length of the guard and cover the otherwise exposed needle point. The cover portion slides forward with respect to the base portion until the hook portion engages the notch in the base portion which latches the cover portion to the base portion in a deployed position covering the needle point.
The exemplary embodiment needle guard reduces the risk of accidental needle puncture of medical personnel. The exemplary embodiment needle guard is easy to use and which is automatically deployed to cover contaminated needles immediately after use. The exemplary embodiment needle guard can be effectively used by a medical caregiver with one hand.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, and from the accompanying drawings.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
The cover portion 30 comprises a substantially cylindrical body 66 having a disc-shape end plate portion 72 through which opening 32 extends. The body 66 includes an elongated slot 76 over which is arranged a flexible, cantilevered catch arm 80. The catch arm 80 is molded to the body 66 at a base end and includes a hook portion 86 at a free, distal end, which is shaped to interlock within the catch 48. The catch arm 80 is resiliently biased to the natural position shown in
A spring 90 is coiled around a portion of the length of the syringe needle 24 and braced between the shoulder 56 of the base portion and the plate portion 72 of the cover portion 30. The plate includes a boss 94 formed as part of the plate portion 72. The spring is guided and restrained at its opposite ends by the boss 94 and the reduced diameter end portion 60, both fit within the spring. The length of this spring is shown after being compressed from its natural length, in
In
During movement from the use position (
In operation, the syringe 21 has the guard 20 installed onto the syringe by connection of the syringe hub 40 and the socket 36, with the syringe needle exposed. The exposed syringe needle has a cap (not shown) that covers the point 24a until ready to use. After the cap is removed, the medical caregiver forces the needle into a patient until the plate portion 72 presses against the surface of the patient. Further pressing displaces the base portion 26 forward a slight distance with respect to the cover portion 30 which springs the hook portion 86 radially to its relaxed position out of engagement with the catch 48. As the syringe is withdrawn from the patient, under force from the spring 90, the base portion 26 slides rearward with respect to the cover portion 30 until the hook portion 86 snaps into the notch 52 to lock the guard covering the needle point 24a.
The materials of construction of the needle guard can be polypropylene or other suitable material for the base portion and the cover portion. The spring can be of known material for a medical device.
The embodiment of the present invention provides a needle guard that is spring loaded to automatically deploy to cover the needle point after the needle is withdrawn from the patient. The guard permits one handed operation which further reduces accidental needle sticks of medical caregivers.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.