Syringe with retractable needle

Abstract

A syringe retraction arrangement adapted to automatically retract a syringe (2) into a container (40) upon full depression of a plunger (20) of the syringe into the syringe thereby avoiding the potential for needle stick injuries. The syringe (2) is resiliently biased to retract into the container and has a retaining arrangement to prevent it retracting and has release means for the retaining arrangement which are engaged upon complete depression of the plunger to operate the release means. The arrangement has a sleeve assembly (41, 42) to receive the syringe with an aperture (45) at one end of the sleeve assembly through which the hypodermic needle extends in use, a pair of ears (55) on the sleeve on the end remote from the aperture. The ears are adapted to engage the end of the syringe barrel (23) remote from the hypodermic needle and to release the syringe barrel by disengagement with the end of the barrel when the ears are spread apart. A spring (37) moves the syringe barrel within the sleeve assembly to withdraw the hypodermic needle into the sleeve tube when the end of the syringe barrel is released from the ears.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.