Retractable needle-safety blood sampling device

A protective device for securely stowing a double sharp-ended hypodermic needle having a puncturing end for piercing tissue, a distributing end for piercing a fluid-sample collection device, and a connector, the protective device comprising:

• a tubular holder defining therein a longitudinally elongated channel with a distal channel opening longitudinally-spaced from a proximal channel opening;
• a needle holder plate with a female luer configured to receive and attach to the needle connector, wherein said needle holder is movably arranged in said channel to transition from a distal location, in which the puncturing end of the hypodermic needle projects from said distal channel opening, to a proximal location, in which both the puncturing and distributing ends of the needle are enclosed within said holder between said proximal and distal openings;
• a first spring abutting said needle holder plate and configured to selectively bias said needle holder plate from said distal location to said proximal location;
• a top plate movably arranged in said channel to transition from a distal orientation, in which said top plate is distal from said proximal channel opening, and a proximal orientation, in which said top plate is proximal to and substantially obstructs said proximal channel opening;
• a second spring abutting said top plate and configured to selectively bias said top plate from said distal orientation to said proximal orientation;
• and
• an actuator plate slidably attached to the distal end of said tubular holder to selectively transition:
• from a first position, in which said actuator plate retains said needle holder in said distal location, said top plate in said distal orientation, and said first and second springs in compressed states, to a second position, in which said actuator plate releases said needle holder, said top plate, and said first and second springs such that said first spring biases said needle holder to said proximal location and said second spring biases said top plate to said second orientation, and to a third position, in which said actuator plate substantially obstructs said distal channel opening.

A method of retracting and safely stowing a double sharp-ended hypodermic needle mounted to a needle holder moveable with respect to an adapter body of a safety device, the method comprising:

• moving an actuator plate from a first position to a second position, whereby:
• a first biasing member forces the needle holder to an intermediate location within the adapter body such that both sharp ends of the needle are inside the adapter body spaced from distal and proximal open ends thereof, and a second biasing member forces a top plate to a proximal end of the adapter body thereby substantially obstructing the proximal open end;
• and
• moving the actuator plate from the second position to a third position, whereby the actuator plate substantially obstructs the distal open end of the adapter body such that both sharp ends of the needle are concealed within the adapter body, the adapter body being held vertically straight in the axis of the holder tube thus preventing the needle from puncturing the wall of the holder tube by obliquity.

A fluid-sample collection device, comprising:

• a hypodermic needle having a sharp puncturing end longitudinally spaced from a sharp distributing end, and a connector intermediate said puncturing and distributing ends;
• a tubular adapter having a hollow body defining a channel with a distal opening longitudinally-spaced from a proximal opening;
• a first biasing member;
• a second biasing member;
• a top plate having a base with a first diameter smaller than a smallest dimension of said channel and larger than a smallest dimension of said proximal channel opening, said top plate having anchoring means projecting from said base, wherein said top plate is movably arranged in said channel to transition from a distal orientation, in which said top plate is adjacent said distal channel opening, and a proximal orientation, in which said top plate is adjacent and substantially obstructing said proximal channel opening;
• a needle holder releasably attached to said needle connector, said needle holder having a base defining a plurality of openings each configured to pass therethrough a respective one of said top plate anchoring means, wherein said needle holder is movably arranged in said channel to transition from a distal location, in which said puncturing end of said hypodermic needle projects from said distal channel opening, to a proximal location, in which both said puncturing and distributing ends of said needle are enclosed within said adapter between said proximal and distal openings;
• a bottom plate rigidly mounted to said tubular adapter and partially closing off said distal channel opening, said bottom plate having a base defining an aperture configured to pass therethrough said top plate anchoring means and said puncturing end of said needle;
• and
• an actuator plate slidably attached to said bottom plate to move from a first position, in which said top plate anchoring means engage said actuator plate thereby retaining said needle holder in said distal location and said top plate in said distal orientation, to a second position, in which said top plate anchoring means disengage said actuator plate such that said first biasing member biases said needle holder to said proximal location and said second biasing member biases said top plate to said second orientation, and to a third position, in which said actuator plate substantially obstructs said distal channel opening.

A retraction control module for a blood sampling device having a needle with first and second sharp ends, the retraction control module comprising:

• a needle holder configured to mate with and attach to the needle and adapted to be movably arranged in a channel to move between a first location, in which the first sharp end of the needle projects at least partially from a first channel opening, and a second location, in which both the first and second sharp ends of the needle are enclosed between said first channel opening and a second channel opening;
• a top plate adapted to be movably arranged with respect to said channel to transition from a first orientation, in which said top plate is distal from said second channel opening, and a second orientation, in which said top plate is proximal to and at least partially obstructs said second channel opening;
• a bottom plate configured to partially close off said first channel opening;
• an actuator plate movably attached to said bottom plate to selectively transition between a first position, in which said actuator plate retains said needle holder in said first location and said top plate in said first orientation, a second position, in which said needle holder is moved to said second location and said top plate is moved to said second orientation, and a third position, in which said actuator plate is at least partially obstructing said first channel opening;
• a first biasing member engaged with said needle holder and configured to selectively bias said needle holder to said second location when said actuator plate is moved to said second position;
• and
• a second biasing member engaged with said top plate and configured to selectively bias said top plate to said second orientation when said actuator plate is moved to said second position.

A safety device for selectively stowing a needle with a first and second sharp ends, the safety device comprising:

• an elongated body defining a longitudinally oriented channel with a first channel opening spaced from a second channel opening;
• a needle holder configured to mate with and attach to the needle, wherein said needle holder is movably arranged at least partially in said channel to move between a first location, in which the first sharp end of the needle projects at least partially from said first channel opening, and a second location, in which both the first and second sharp ends of the needle are enclosed within said body between said first and second channel openings;
• a top plate movably arranged with respect to said elongated body to transition from a first orientation, in which said top plate is distal from said second channel opening, and a second orientation, in which said top plate is proximal to and at least partially obstructs said second channel opening;
• and
• an actuator plate movably coupled to a first channel opening of said elongated body and positioned outside of said elongated body to selectively transition between a first position, in which said actuator plate retains said needle holder in said first location and said top plate in said first orientation, a second position, in which said needle holder is moved to said second location and said top plate is moved to said second orientation, and a third position, in which said actuator plate at least partially obstructs said first channel opening.

A protective device for securely stowing a double sharp-ended hypodermic needle having a puncturing end for piercing tissue, a distributing end for piercing a fluid-sample collection device, and a connector, the protective device comprising:

• a tubular holder defining therein a longitudinally elongated channel with a distal channel opening longitudinally-spaced from a proximal channel opening;
• a needle holder plate with a female luer configured to receive and attach to the needle connector, wherein said needle holder is movably arranged in said channel to transition from a distal location, in which the puncturing end of the hypodermic needle projects from said distal channel opening, to a proximal location, in which both the puncturing and distributing ends of the needle are enclosed within said holder between said proximal and distal openings;
• a first spring abutting said needle holder plate and configured to selectively bias said needle holder plate from said distal location to said proximal location;
• a top plate movably arranged in said channel to transition from a distal orientation, in which said top plate is distal from said proximal channel opening, and a proximal orientation, in which said top plate is proximal to and substantially obstructs said proximal channel opening;
• a second spring abutting said top plate and configured to selectively bias said top plate from said distal orientation to said proximal orientation;
• and
• an actuator plate slidably attached to an exterior surface of the distal end of said tubular holder to selectively transition:
• from a first position, in which said actuator plate retains said needle holder in said distal location, said top plate in said distal orientation, and said first and second springs in compressed states, to a second position, in which said actuator plate releases said needle holder, said top plate, and said first and second springs such that said first spring biases said needle holder to said proximal location and said second spring biases said top plate to said second orientation, and to a third position, in which said actuator plate substantially obstructs said distal channel opening.