Patent Application
20100249748
The present invention relates to a new and useful method and device for relieving the apprehension and anxiety associated with the sight of a needle piercing the skin during injections. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and useful method and device for providing a shield to obscure the sight of a needle piercing one's skin/flesh during injections.
Needle sticks are a vital part of the practice of medicine. Needle sticks are used to perform routine diagnostic procedures, such as tests for cholesterol levels, infections, blood count, and blood type. Needle sticks are also used to give injections for treating various diseases and medical conditions, such as administering vaccines and antibiotics. Accordingly, an inability to receive needle sticks can pose a serious threat to an individual's health.
Fear of needles, or Blenophobia, is known to increase the sense of pain during needle sticks. Many of the physical reactions associated with Blenophobia are initiated by watching the needle piercing the individual's skin. The fear associated with Blenophobia may result in such a fearful reaction to needles that an individual can no longer tolerate going anywhere near doctors' offices. In fact, an estimated 20 million Americans a year avoid going to the doctor because of a fear of needle sticks. Avoiding medical visits can be quite dangerous for individuals experiencing symptoms that indicate conditions or diseases requiring medical attention.
In addition, treatment regimens that require more frequent injections are more likely to be associated with Blenophobia. Such treatment regimens include those for multiple sclerosis (MS) and diabetes. And, unfortunately, the frequency of injections required by those treatment regimens also typically dictates that an individual self-inject. Such self-injections allow patients to reduce the risk of missed injections and to increase their independence from medical facilities. Thus, Blenophobia can prevent adherence to critical treatment regimens. Accordingly, there is a need for a new and useful method and device for relieving the apprehension and anxiety associated with the sight of a needle piercing the skin during injections.
Accordingly, to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below, a non-limiting object of the present invention is to provide a needle shield for hiding a needle from a patient during an injection comprising an attaching portion for attaching the needle shield to a syringe and an opaque collapsible element extending from the attaching portion, the collapsible element having an orifice extending therethrough and being of a sufficient length to conceal a needle from view when the needle is disposed in the orifice, and wherein the collapsible element collapses and conceals the needle as the needle is inserted into a patient's skin and expands to retain its original shape as the needle is withdrawn from the patient's skin so that the patient does not see the needle during an injection.
Many aspects of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings, which are part of the specification and represent preferred embodiments of the present invention. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present invention. And, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Reference will now be made in detail to non-limiting embodiments of the present invention by way of reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, components, and structures.
The present invention addresses at least the problems described above by providing a shield 100 that conceals the needle at the end of a syringe at all times during an injection. The non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the shield 100 illustrated in
The needle-covering portion 102 may be formed from a sterile, flexible, latex-free material. The material is necessarily opaque so that a needle cannot be seen through it. The needle-covering portion 102 may also be made of a resilient latex-free material that provides the same functionality as the thin wire 106 so the thin wire 106 is not required. Or, the needle-covering portion 102 may be formed entirely from the thin wire 106 such that the thin wire 106 forms an enclosed spring element that shields the needle from view.
As.
In use, a patient places the shield 100 against the area of the skin to which an injection is to be administered and asserts downward pressure on the syringe 200 until the needle-covering portion 102 of the shield 100 collapses. As
After use, the entire syringe 200, needle, and shield 100 may be disposed of together in a sharps container. Or, if the shield 100 is provided on a re-usable syringe, such as a pen injector, the shield 100 can be re-used for subsequent injections. Depending on the application, the shield 100 may be attached to the syringe 200 separately from the needle so that the cap can be removed from the needle and medicine can be withdrawn from a vial without interference from the shield 100. Or, the shield 100 may be provided with the needle and attached to the syringe 200 at the same time when the syringe 200 already has the required medicine in it, such as with auto-injectors.
As illustrated in
The needle-covering portion 102 of the shield 100 may be provided with a design on the external surface that changes as the needle-covering portion 102 flattens out into a circle as the needle is inserted into the patient's skin. The change in pattern can be used to indicate to a patient when the needle is completely in the skin. That design can include cheerful and uplifting pictures to further relax the patient during an injection.
Accordingly, the shield 100 of the present invention eases the fear of needles by concealing the needle from a patient's view during an injection. The shield can be used for self-injections as well as when the patient is receiving an injection form a caregiver, such as in a pediatric setting in doctors offices, acute care, and home care. Thus, the shield 100 provides a novel solution for addressing a patient's fear of needles, such as in a patient with Blenophobia. Moreover, by covering the needle at all times during an injection, the shield 100 protects the user from the needle after an injection as the user disposes of the needle and/or syringe 200.
The foregoing description and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not intended to be limited by the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/164,661, filed Mar. 30, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61164661 | Mar 2009 | US |
