Improvements in and relating to medical needle cover arrangements

A method of protecting a medical needle comprising providing a medical needle cover arrangement which comprises:

• a syringe having a syringe barrel including a needle hub at the distal end thereof,
• the syringe further comprising the medical needle having a longitudinal axis and a sharp tip, the medical needle being mounted on the needle hub with the sharp tip projecting distally therefrom;
• a safety device comprising a needle shield pivotally coupled to a carrier, wherein the carrier is configured to be secured to the syringe, and the needle shield is configured to move outwardly from an initial shielding position to a non-shielding position;
• a needle cover, overlying the medical needle-to protect the needle-and prevent drug leakage from the sharp tip;
• the needle cover comprises,
• a longitudinal axis,
• a profile at a proximal end configured to engage a profile on a distal end of the needle hub to create a substantially airtight seal therebetween to maintain the sterility of the enclosed medical needle within the needle cover when the needle cover is located at a first position relative to the needle hub;
• in the initial shielding position, the needle cover is located within the needle shield at said first position, whereat the longitudinal axis of the needle cover is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the needle;
• characterised in that:
• the needle shield comprises clasping means to clasp and/or grip or loosely hold and retain the needle cover in the first position;
• and wherein
• the needle shield, the carrier and the needle cover are maintained together as a unitary self-supporting safety needle assembly for attachment onto the distal end of the syringe;
• whereat a part of the needle cover and a part of the needle shield, are configured to engage when the needle shield at the initial shielding position to releasably maintain the needle cover within the needle shield at said first position to prevent drug leakage and maintain the sterility of the medical needle during storage of the syringe;
• the method comprising:
• blocking distal movement of the needle cover relative to the needle hub distally away from the first position when the safety needle assembly is attached to the distal end of the syringe until the needle shield is moved to the non-shielding position by engaging the part of the needle shield with the part of the needle cover;
• and wherein
• the needle shield is arranged to move outwardly away from the needle cover and is configured to be manipulated away from the initial shielding position to the non-shielding position;
• said movement of the needle shield away from the initial shielding position disengages the needle shield from the needle cover to thereafter allow subsequent detachment of the needle cover distally away from said first position to uncover the medical needle.