Medical device

A medical device including:

• a needle having a hollow shaft and an open tip at the end of the shaft;
• a guard member mounted on the shaft of the needle and movably axially along the shaft between a first position where the guard member is displaced inwardly from the tip to expose said tip and a second position where the guard member covers said tip to prevent needle sticks;
• and
• locking means mounted along said needle shaft which permanently locks the guard member in the second position upon movement of said guard member from the first position to the second position.

A medical device used in combination with a medication dispenser, including

• connector means having a hub portion with a first end having means for removably attaching the connector means to the dispenser and a second end opposed to the first end, said hub portion having a passageway therein extending between the first and second ends through which medication dispensed by the dispenser may flow;
• a metal needle secured to the second end of the barrel portion and in communication with the passageway, said needle having an elongated hollow shaft through which the medication flows and at the end of the shaft an open tip adapted to penetrate the body of a patient and from which the medication exits the needle;
• an elongated tubular guard mounted on the shaft of the needle and movable axially along the shaft between a first position where the guard is displaced inwardly from the tip of the needle to enable the needle to penetrate the body of a patient and a second position where the guard covers the needle tip to prevent needle sticks;
• said guard having at its rearward end a collar member and at its forward end a restricted opening, with said needle extending through the restricted opening when gaurd is in the first position to expose said tip and being displaced inwardly from said opening when the guard is in the second position, said opening being sufficiently restricted so that the tip of the little finger of a typical adult user cannot be inserted into the opening and thereby stuck by the tip of the needle;
• locking means mounted along the shaft of the needle between the needle tip and the second end of the hub portions which permanently locks the guard in the second position upon movement of the guard from the first position to the second position, said locking means including a shoulder element which serves to support guard when said guard is in the first position, act as a guide as the guard moves from the first position to the second position and acts as a stop to prevent further axial movement of the guard when it reaches the second position.