Enclosed Needle Device with Duckbill Release Mechanism

An enclosed needle guard comprising:

• a needle support with a needle extending therefrom;
• a guard housing movably receiving the needle support and having a pair of cooperating members extending from an end thereof defining a passageway therebetween sized to freely receive the needle therethrough, at least one member having a holding portion and being compressible upon deflection of the holding portion to narrow the passageway, wherein presence of the needle in the passageway substantially limits such compression, the needle support being movable from a ready position with the needle extending through and beyond the passageway so as to expose a sharp tip of the needle to a shielded position with the needle substantially enclosed by the guard housing, the needle support being movable into a lock actuation stage with the needle in the passageway prior to moving into the shielded position;
• and
• cooperating lock elements on the needle support and guard housing locking the needle support in the shielded position, the needle support being movable from the ready position toward the lock actuation stage with the cooperating lock elements exerting increased resistance to movement of the needle support as it enters the lock actuation stage.

A method of shielding a needle in which a catheter includes a catheter hub having an interior radially projecting surface, and a catheter tube extending from the catheter hub distal end;

• and an enclosed needle guard is removably coupled to the catheter hub, the needle guard including:
• a needle support with a needle extending therefrom;
• a guard housing movably receiving the needle support and having a pair of cooperating members extending from an end thereof and sized to fit within the catheter hub, the members defining a passageway therebetween sized to freely receive the needle therethrough, at least one member including a holding portion adapted to cooperate with the catheter hub radially projecting surface to releasably hold the guard housing to the catheter hub such that the holding portion releases from the radially projecting surface by compression of the member to narrow the passageway, wherein presence of the needle in the passageway substantially limits such compression to thereby restrict release of the guard housing from the catheter hub, the method comprising:
• moving the needle support from a ready position with the needle extending through and beyond the passageway so as to expose a sharp tip of the needle from the catheter tube into a lock actuation stage with the needle in the passageway while increased resistance to movement of the needle support is being exerted;
• and
• thereafter moving the needle support to a shielded position with the needle substantially enclosed by the guard housing.