Passive safety device for needle of blood collection set

A passively shieldable needle device comprising:

• a tube holder having a proximal end, a distal end and a tube receptacle between said ends, said distal end of said tube holder including a distal end wall with an actuator aperture extending therethrough and into communication with said tube receptacle;
• a needle cannula mounted to said distal end of said tube holder and having a distal end projecting distally beyond said tube holder;
• a tip guard movable along said needle cannula from a proximal position substantially adjacent said tube holder to a distal position where said tip guard protectively shields said distal end of said needle cannula, said tip guard including an actuator arm extending through said actuator aperture and into said tube receptacle when said tip guard is in said proximal position;
• and
• a collapsible guard drive for propelling said tip guard into said distal position, whereby movement of said tip guard distally from said proximal position is initiated by engagement of said actuator arm by a tube inserted into said tube receptacle of said tube holder.

A passively shieldable needle device comprising:

• a tube holder having a proximal end, a distal end and a tubular sidewall extending between said ends, said proximal end of said tube holder being open to define a tube receptacle, said distal end of said tube holder including a distal end wall with a cannula aperture and an actuator aperture extending therethrough and into communication with said tube receptacle;
• a needle cannula mounted to said cannula aperture of said tube holder and having a distal end projecting distally beyond said tube holder;
• a tip guard slidably movable along said needle cannula from a proximal position substantially adjacent said tube holder to a distal position where said tip guard protectively shields said distal end of said needle cannula, said tip guard including an elongated actuator arm extending substantially parallel to said needle cannula through said actuator aperture and into said tube receptacle when said tip guard is in said proximal position, said actuator arm having a locking detent formed thereon and being resiliently engageable with portions of said tube holder adjacent said actuator aperture;
• and
• a pair of resiliently deformable leaves, each said leaf having a proximal end fixed in proximity to said distal end wall of said tube holder and a distal end connected to said tip guard, said leaves being foldable and collapsible substantially adjacent to said tube holder when said tube holder is in said proximal position, said leaves further being resiliently movable toward a non-collapsed condition for propelling said tip guard to said distal position on said needle cannula.