Safety needle assembly

A safety needle assembly comprising:

• a cannula holding member possessing a distal end;
• a cannula fixed to the cannula holding member and possessing a distal end projecting beyond a distal end of the cannula holding member;
• the cannula holding member comprising at least two fins, each of the fins projecting outwardly away from the cannula holding member and extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the cannula holding member;
• a sheath comprising a back wall, oppositely positioned side walls, and an opening positioned opposite the back wall, the opening extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the sheath;
• at least one arm connected to the back wall of the sheath and extending in a cantilever manner from the back wall of the sheath in a direction toward the opening, the at least one arm having a distal end portion;
• and
• the sheath being provided on the cannula holding member and being pivotable relative to the cannula holding member to pivot toward the cannula from one position in which the cannula is exposed to another position in which the sheath covers the cannula and the distal end portion of the at least one arm engages at least one of the fins to prevent the sheath from being pivoted back toward the one position.

A safety needle assembly comprising:

• a cannula holding member possessing a distal end;
• a cannula fixed to the cannula holding member and possessing a distal end projecting beyond the distal end of the cannula holding member;
• the cannula holding member comprising a fin region at which are located a plurality of fins, each of the fins projecting outwardly away from the cannula holding member and extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the cannula holding member;
• a collar mounted on the cannula holding member, at least a portion of the fin region of the cannula holding member being located between the collar and the distal end of the cannula holding member;
• a sheath comprising an interior bounded by a back wall and a pair of side walls, the sheath being provided with an opening positioned opposite the back wall, the opening extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the sheath;
• at least one arm connected to the back wall of the sheath, the arm extending away from the back wall toward the opening, the at least one arm having a distal end portion;
• and
• the sheath being pivotally connected to the collar to pivot relative to the cannula holding member in a direction toward the cannula to cause the distal end portion of the at least one arm to engage the fin region of the cannula holding member to automatically lock the sheath in a cannula covering position in which the cannula is located within the interior of the sheath so that the sheath is prevented from pivoting away from the cannula.

A safety device configured to be attached to a needle assembly which comprises a cannula and a cannula holding member from which extends at least one longitudinally extending fin, with the cannula being mounted at the cannula holding member and possessing a distal end projecting beyond an end of the cannula holding member, the safety device comprising:

• an annular collar adapted to be mounted on the cannula holding member;
• a sheath comprising an interior bounded by a back wall and a pair of oppositely positioned side walls, the sheath also comprising an opening located opposite the back wall, the opening extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the sheath, the sheath also comprising at least one arm connected to the back wall, the arm extending away from the back wall in a direction toward the opening, the at least one arm being positioned in spaced relation to both side walls of the sheath, the at least one arm possessing a distal end portion;
• and
• connection means for pivotally connecting the sheath to the collar so that when the collar is mounted on the cannula holding member the sheath is pivotable toward the cannula to a locked cannula covering position in which the cannula is positioned in the interior of the sheath and the distal end portion of the at least one arm engages the at least one fin on the cannula holding member to lock the sheath relative to the cannula holding member to prevent the sheath from being pivoted away from the cannula.