Syringe assembly having a non-resuable needle shield

Abstract

A syringe assembly having a non-reusable needle shield includes an elongate barrel having a chamber for retaining fluid, an open proximal end and a closed distal end. A tip extends from the distal end and includes a passageway therethrough in fluid communication with the chamber. A needle cannula extends distally from the tip. The cannula includes a lumen therethrough in fluid communication with the passageway. An elongate hollow needle shield having a longitudinal axis, a distal end and an open proximal end is positioned on the barrel tip so that the tip extends into the open proximal end of the shield and the shield covers the needle cannula. The needle shield is divided along the longitudinal axis into a plurality of separate needle shield segments. Frangible structure is provided for releasably holding the needle shield segments together and preventing removal of the needle shield from the syringe assembly. Disengagement of the frangible means allows the needle shield segments to separate and come apart to expose the needle cannula and after disengagement, the needle shield segments can no longer by themselves engage the tip of the barrel to shield the needle cannula.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.