The present invention relates to a syringe-coupled safety assembly and a safety syringe including the same, and more particularly, to a syringe-coupled safety assembly capable of preventing piercing of the needle of a syringe and blocking contaminants, and a safety syringe including the same.
In general, a syringe is used for blood sampling or for suction or injection of a medical solution. Recently, attention has been increasingly drawn to safety syringes for protecting practitioners from possible infection caused by accidental puncture, which may occur by mistake during medical practices.
As a conventional method for safety treatment of a syringe needle, the syringe needle is inserted into and stored in a syringe cap. However, in the insertion process, practitioners often unintentionally pierce their hands with the syringe needle.
Therefore, there is a need for a safety syringe which can secure safety of the syringe needle, is easy to operate, and can reduce manufacturing costs. Further, when use of the syringe needle is finished, it is necessary to seal the syringe needle from the external environment in order to block contaminants.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a syringe-coupled safety assembly capable of preventing injury and infection caused by a syringe needle, and a safety syringe including the same.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a syringe-coupled safety assembly which can be selectively connected to and disconnected from a syringe according to the use status of the syringe in order to improve usability, and a safety syringe including the same.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a syringe-coupled safety assembly capable of quickly and conveniently switching the needle of a syringe that has been used for a procedure to a stored state, and a safety syringe including the same.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a syringe-coupled safety assembly capable of sealing a needle in a stored state from the external environment after a procedure is completed, and a safety syringe including the same.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, provided is a syringe-coupled safety assembly comprising a cover having a space for entry of a syringe and a first through hole allowing a needle of the syringe to pass therethrough; and a fixing unit having a second through hole into which a hub of the syringe equipped with the needle is inserted, the fixing unit being disposed inside the cover so as to advance toward the first through hole and retreat from the first through hole and configured to be fixed to the cover in an advanced state and cause the syringe inserted into the second through hole to retreat when released from a fixed state with respect to the cover in the advanced state.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, provided is a safety syringe comprising a syringe comprising a housing, a hub mounted on the housing, a needle mounted on the hub, a plunger disposed in the housing, and a plunger rod connected to the plunger; and a syringe-coupled safety assembly detachably mounted on the syringe to protect the needle from an outside.
Herein, the syringe-coupled safety assembly comprises a cover having a space for entry of the syringe and a first through hole allowing the needle of the syringe to pass therethrough; and a fixing unit having a second through hole into which the hub of the syringe equipped with the needle is inserted, the fixing unit being disposed inside the cover so as to advance toward the first through hole and retreat from the first through hole and configured to be fixed to the cover in an advanced state and cause the syringe inserted into the second through hole to retreat when released from a fixed state with respect to the cover in the advanced state.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, provided is a syringe-coupled safety assembly comprising a cover having a space for entry of a syringe and a first through hole allowing a needle of the syringe to pass therethrough; a sealing member provided in the first through hole, the sealing member being configured to allow the needle of the syringe to pass therethrough; and a fixing unit having a second through hole into which a hub of the syringe equipped with the needle is inserted, the fixing unit being disposed inside the cover so as to advance toward the first through hole and retreat from the first through hole and configured to be fixed to the cover in an advanced state according to advance of the syringe in the space and cause the syringe to retreat when released from a fixed state with respect to the cover in the advanced state, wherein the sealing member is configured to move along the first through hole in an advancing direction when the needle passes therethrough during advance of the syringe and to move along the first through hole in a retreating direction when the needle passes therethrough during retreat of the syringe.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, provided is a safety syringe comprising a syringe comprising a housing, a hub mounted on the housing, a needle mounted on the hub, a plunger disposed in the housing, and a plunger rod connected to the plunger; and a syringe-coupled safety assembly detachably mounted on the syringe to selectively accommodate the needle.
Herein, the syringe-coupled safety assembly comprises: a cover having a space for entry of a syringe and a first through hole allowing a needle of the syringe to pass therethrough; a sealing member provided in the first through hole, the sealing member being configured to allow the needle of the syringe to pass therethrough; and a fixing unit having a second through hole into which a hub of the syringe equipped with the needle is inserted, the fixing unit being disposed inside the cover so as to advance toward the first through hole and retreat from the first through hole and configured to be fixed to the cover in an advanced state according to advance of the syringe in the space and cause the syringe to retreat when released from a fixed state with respect to the cover in the advanced state. In addition, the sealing member is configured to seal the first through hole when the needle passes during retreat of the syringe.
As is apparent from the foregoing, a syringe-coupled safety assembly and a safety syringe including the same related to an embodiment of the present invention have the following effects.
The needle of a syringe can be quickly and conveniently switched to a stored state after a procedure related to blood sampling, and suction and injection of a medical solution is completed. In addition, the syringe-coupled safety assembly may be selectively connected to and disconnected from the syringe according to the use status of the syringe in order to improve usability. Therefore, injury and infection caused by the syringe needle may be prevented.
Further, after the procedure is completed, the needle may be sealed from the external environment through the sealing member formed of silicone or rubber (e.g., urethane or the like) when the needle is stored.
Hereinafter, a syringe-coupled safety assembly and a safety syringe including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or corresponding elements throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. For simplicity, the size and shape of each constituent member shown in the drawings can be exaggerated or reduced.
The safety syringe 1 related to an embodiment of the present invention includes a syringe 10 and a syringe-coupled safety assembly 100. The syringe 10 is a typical syringe that is widely used. For example, the syringe 10 includes a housing 13, a hub 12 mounted on the housing 13, a needle 11 mounted on the hub 12, a plunger 14 disposed in the housing 13, and a plunger rod 15 connected to the plunger 14.
In this embodiment, the syringe-coupled safety assembly 100 is detachably mounted on the syringe 10 to protect the needle 11 of the syringe 10 from the outside. Specifically, the syringe-coupled safety assembly 100 is detachably mounted on the syringe 10 to selectively accommodate the needle 11 of the syringe 10.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
That is, the fixing unit 130 is arranged to advance and retreat within the cover 110 according to operation of the user. The fixing unit 130 may be detachably connected (coupled) to the syringe 10. In addition, when the syringe is inserted into the fixing unit 130, and is thus coupled to the fixing unit 130, the fixing unit 130 and the syringe 10 are moved together.
Hereinafter, a fixing unit 130 for causing the needle 11 of the syringe 10 to retreat will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The cover 110 may have a first fixing through hole 113 into which the fixing member 150 is inserted when the fixing unit 130 is in an advanced state. In addition, the cover 110 may have a second fixing hole 114 into which the fixing member is inserted when the fixing unit 130 is in a retreated state. The first fixing hole 113 and the second fixing hole 114 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The distance between the first fixing hole 113 and the second fixing hole 114 may be properly determined in consideration of the length of the needle 11 and the like. Alternatively, the cover 110 may have only the first fixing hole 113.
The elastic member 160 may be fixed to the cover 110 and the first plunger 140. For example, the elastic member 160 may be a coil spring. In addition, the elastic member 160 may be arranged to apply restoring force in a direction in which the fixing unit 130 retreats. That is, when the fixing unit 130 advances and is fixed to the first fixing hole 113 (hereinafter referred to as “advanced state”), the elastic member 160 is compressed in the direction of the y-axis. When the fixing unit 130 is separated from the first fixing hole 113 and retreats, the elastic member 160 is stretched along the y-axis, thereby being restored to the original state.
At least one region of the fixing member 150 may be bent to exert elastic force in a radial direction (x-axis direction) with respect to the central axis C of the cover 110. Specifically, when the fixing member 150 is inserted into and fixed to the first fixing hole 113, a region of the fixing member 150 is exposed to the outside of the first fixing hole 113.
At this time, if external force is exerted in the radial direction by the user, the fixing member 150 is separated from the first fixing hole 113, and the entire region of the fixing member 150 is positioned inside the cover 111. In addition, as the fixing member 150 is separated from the first fixing hole 113, the fixing unit 130 is caused to retreat by the restoring force of the elastic member 160. When the entire region of the fixing member 150 is positioned inside the cover 111, the fixing member 150 is compressed in the radial direction of the cover 110.
Thereafter, when the compressive force applied to the fixing member 150 is disappears as the fixing member 150 passes through the second fixing hole 114 in the process of the fixing unit 130 retreating, the fixing member 150 is inserted into and fixed to the second fixing hole 114, and a region of the fixing member 150 is exposed to the outside of the second fixing hole 114. Then, the retreated state of the fixing unit 130 is maintained.
The first plunger 140 may include a coupling portion for engaging with the syringe 10 (specifically, the hub) in the second through hole 141. For example, the coupling portion may be a spiral portion for engaging in a rotating manner or a projection or groove for engaging in a fitting manner. Thus, coupling between the syringe 10 and the fixing unit 130 may be enhanced.
In order to enhance coupling between the syringe in 10 and the safety assembly 100, a guide rail 116 (see
The cover 110 may include a sealing member 200 arranged to allow the needle 11 to pass through the first through hole 111. The sealing member 200 may be formed of a material having high elasticity, high airtightness, and high corrosion resistance. For example, the sealing member 200 may be formed of a rubber material having high elasticity such as silicone or urethane. In addition, the sealing member 200 may be formed of a superabsorbent polymer whose volume expands by moisture. For example, the sealing member 200 may be formed of a copolymer of acrylic acid and vinyl alcohol and a copolymer of cellulose and acrylonitrile. In summary, the sealing member 200 may be formed of one or more selected from the group consisting of silicone, a rubber material, a copolymer of acrylic acid and vinyl alcohol, and a copolymer of cellulose and acrylonitrile.
The sealing member 200 is arranged to seal the first through hole 111 with the needle retreating into and accommodated in the cover 110.
Referring to
For example, referring to
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Of course, even when the fixing unit 130 is in the retreated state, the fixing unit 130 may be switched to the advanced state and the syringe 10 and the safety assembly 100 may be coupled to each other by causing the syringe 10 to advance while inserting the hub 12 of the syringe 10 into the second through hole 141. Specifically, in the state shown in
Referring to
The guide rail 116 may include a first guide portion 116b extending along the central axis of the cover 111 and a second guide portion 116a extending in a circumferential direction of the cover 111. Specifically, the second guide portion 116a may extend from a terminal end of the first guide portion 116b so as to be perpendicular to the first guide portion 116b.
In this case, when the fixture 300 is positioned at the first guide portion 116b, the fixture is movable along the central axis of the cover 111. In contrast, when the fixture 300 is positioned at the second guide portion 116a, the fixture 300 is not allowed to move along the central axis of the cover 111. That is, in order to prevent the syringe 10 from moving back and forth during the procedure, the fixture 300 is positioned at the second guide portion 116a with the fixing unit 130 in the advanced state, as shown in
When the fixing unit 130 retreats together with the syringe 10, the fixture 300 engaged with the syringe 10 must retreat as well. Accordingly, after the procedure is completed, the user can position the fixture 300 at the first guide portion 116b by rotating the syringe 10.
Hereinafter, the sealing member 200 will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The syringe-coupled safety assembly 100 includes a sealing member 200 provided in the first through hole 111 and configured to allow the needle 11 of the syringe 10 to pass therethrough. When the needle 11 passes through the sealing member 200 while the syringe 10 advances, the sealing member is moved in the advancing direction along the first through hole 111 (see
Specifically, the sealing member 200 has an opening 230 allowing the needle 11 to pass therethrough. The diameter of the opening 230 may vary depending on the advancing and retreating movements of the sealing member 200.
The sealing member 200 includes a sealing portion 220 and an engagement portion 210. The engagement portion 210 may extend from the sealing portion 220 at a predetermined angle. For example, the engagement portion 210 may be arranged to be perpendicular to the sealing portion 220. The engagement portion 210 may have an insertion hole 211.
Specifically, each sealing member 200 may include a sealing portion 220 including an opening 230 allowing the needle 11 of the syringe 10 to pass therethrough and a groove portion 221 extending along the central axis C of the cover 110 and arranged to contact the inner circumferential surface of the first through hole 111, and an engagement portion 210 extending from the sealing portion 220 and selectively contacting the inner circumferential surface of the cover 111.
The sealing portion 220 may have a cylindrical shape of a hollow (opening). The thickness of the sealing portion 220 may be varied along the central axis C of the cover 110. That is, the thickness of the sealing portion at the groove portion 221 is less than the thickness of the other regions. The engagement portion 210 may have a plate shape (circular shape, elliptical shape, or polygonal shape) having a diameter greater than that of the sealing part 220. In addition, the sealing portion 220 may be integrated with the engagement portion 210. The opening 230 is formed to integrally penetrate the sealing portion 220 and the engagement portion 210.
In addition, the sealing portion 220 may be provided with a first inclined surface 223 for guiding entry of the needle 11 when the syringe 10 advances. Referring to
The sealing portion 220 may have a second inclined surface 222 in the groove portion 221. The inner circumferential surface of the first through hole 111 may be provided with a third inclined surface 115 matching (shape-matching) the second inclined surface. In this case, when the needle 11 retreats, and the second inclined surface 222 and the third inclined surface 115 are brought into contact with each other, the retreating movement of the sealing portion 220 may be restricted. In addition, as the sealing portion 220 retreats and the second and third inclined surfaces 223 and 115 are brought into contact with each other, the sealing portion 220 is pressed toward the central axis by the inner circumferential surface of the first through hole 111. As the diameter of the opening 230 is reduced, the sealing portion 220 seals the first through hole 111.
In order to assist the retreating movement of the sealing portion 220, the fixing unit 130 may include one or more latching members 170 connected to the first plunger 140 and selectively inserted into the sealing member 200. A plurality of latching members 170 may be provided to stably guide retreat of the sealing portion 220.
The latching members 170 may be inserted into the engagement portion 210 of the sealing member 200. Specifically, the latching members 170 may be inserted into the insertion hole 211 of the engagement portion 210 described above. In this case, the latching members 170 may be inserted into the insertion hole 211 in a fitting manner. When the latching members 170 retreat, the sealing member 200 may be caused to retreat through predetermined friction between the insertion hole 211 and the latching members 170. In addition, the latching members 170 may have a structure in which the latching members 170 are engaged with the insertion hole 211. Accordingly, when the fixing unit 130 retreats, the retreating movement of the engagement portion 210 may be caused by the latching members 170. In addition, when the needle 11 retreats into the cover 110, namely, when the needle 11 is separated from the sealing member 200, the first through hole 111 may be sealed by the sealing member 200. That is, the diameter of the opening 230 is reduced by contact between the second inclined surface 222 and the third inclined surface 115.
While the sealing member 200 is illustrated as being formed by a single member, the sealing member 200 may be divided into a plurality of sealing segments (e.g., one pair of sealing segments) arranged in the circumferential direction with respect to the center axis C of the cover 110. Each of the sealing segments may include a sealing portion 220 and an engagement portion 210 which are segmented in the circumferential direction with respect to the central axis C of the cover 110.
Although some embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, variations and additions can be made to the present invention, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
In accordance with the present invention, a syringe-coupled safety assembly may be selectively connected to and disconnected from a syringe, depending on a use status of the syringe in order to improve usability.
Therefore, injury and infection caused by the syringe and needle may be prevented.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2016-0044303 | Apr 2016 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/KR2017/001963 | 2/23/2017 | WO | 00 |