Surgical instrument sharp end foil

Abstract

A surgical instrument sharp end foil for receiving and trapping the free end of a surgical instruments sharp such as a syringe needle, said sharp having a restrained end opposite said free end and a longitudinal axis extending between said restrained and free ends, said foil comprising a housing having a sharps receiving portion, a gripping element for engaging the free end of the chosen sharp, a wedging element for engaging the gripping element, and a biasing element for urging the wedging element and the gripping element into engagement. The wedging element is configured to communicate with the gripping element such that, upon insertion of the free end of the sharp into the housing, the gripping element exerts a force against the free end having a component which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sharp and such that a longitudinal movement of the sharp tending to withdraw the free end of the sharp from the housing causes the component of force perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sharp to increase so as to frictionally interfere with the withdrawal thereof. The gripping element is also provided with mechanical interference means such that a longitudinal movement tending to withdraw the free end of the sharp from the housing causes the gripping element to distort the free end of the sharp so as to mechanically interfere with the withdrawal thereof. The foil may also be provided with a sealing element to seal the tips of sharps having tubular end sections wherein residual bodily fluids may reside.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.