Needle assembly

A needle assembly comprising:

• a hub having opposite proximal and distal ends and a passage extending between said ends, a projection extending outwardly from said hub;
• a cannula having a proximal end mounted in said passage of said hub and a distal end projecting distally from said hub;
• a first wing having a center sleeve rotatably and axially movable on said hub, said center sleeve having opposite proximal and distal ends and a slot extending between said ends, said slot being dimensioned to slidably accommodate said projection on said hub;
• and
• a second wing having proximal and distal sleeves disposed respectively substantially adjacent said proximal and distal ends of said center sleeve of said first wing, said proximal and distal sleeves being rotatably and axially movable on said hub, said proximal and distal sleeves each including a slot formed therein, said slots being aligned with one another and being dimensioned for receiving said projection of said hub, said first and second wings being rotatable relative to one another from a first position where said slots of said first and second wings are misaligned and a second position where said slots of said first and second wings are aligned for permitting axial movement of said projection of said hub from said slot in said distal sleeve, through said slot in said center sleeve and into said slot of said proximal sleeve, said cannula being disposed entirely within said sleeves when said projection is in said slot of said proximal sleeve;
• and
• a spring for biasing said hub proximally relative to said sleeves.

A method for using and shielding a needle assembly, said needle assembly having a hub and a cannula projecting therefrom and a pair of wings rotatably and axially movable relative to said hub, said method comprising the steps of:

• rotatably moving said wings in a first rotatable direction from a first rotatable position where said wings are substantially coplanar to a second rotatable position where said wings are substantially adjacent;
• gripping said wings in said second rotational position for accessing an injection site with said cannula;
• rotating said wing in a second rotational direction opposite to said first rotational direction and back to said first rotational position where said wings are substantially coplanar;
• removing said cannula from said injection site and rotating said wings further in said second rotational direction and into a third rotational position;
• said hub and said cannula proximally relative to said wings and into a retracted position where said cannula is shielded;
• and
• rotating said wings further in said second rotational direction and into a fourth rotational position where said wings cooperate to hold said hub and said cannula in said retracted position.