Needle assembly having single-handedly activatable needle barrier

A needle assembly having a single-handedly activatable needle barrier comprising:

• a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therethrough;
• a needle hub having an interior cavity terminating at an open proximal end of said hub, said hub connected to said needle cannula so that said lumen is in fluid communication with said interior cavity;
• a guide element connected to said needle hub having an aperture therethrough, said guide element including a cap and a main body connected together to define said aperture, said cap being hingedly connected to said main body so that said cap can be rotated about said hinge into contact with said main body to define said aperture;
• an elongate barrier arm having a proximal end and a distal end said distal end of said barrier arm including a barrier element having a distal end, a proximal end and a needle passageway therethrough, said barrier arm positioned within said aperture of said guide element and said needle cannula positioned at least partially within said needle passageway of said barrier element, said barrier arm being movable from at least a first retracted position wherein said distal end of said cannula passes completely through said barrier element so that said distal end of said needle cannula is exposed, to a second extended position wherein said barrier element surrounds said distal end of said cannula to prevent incidental contact with said distal end of said cannula;
• locking means for preventing the movement of said barrier arm from said second extended position;
• and finger contact surface on said barrier arm for applying digital pressure to said barrier arm to move said barrier arm into said second extended position.

A needle assembly having a single-handedly activatable needle barrier comprising:

• a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therethrough;
• a needle hub having an interior cavity terminating at an open proximal end of said hub;
• said hub connected to said needle cannula so that said lumen is in fluid communication with said interior cavity;
• a guide element connected to said needle hub having an aperture therethrough;.
• an elongate barrier arm having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said barrier arm including a barrier element having a distal end, a proximal end and a needle passageway therethrough, said barrier arm positioned within said aperture of said guide element and said needle cannula positioned at least partially within said needle passageway of said barrier element, said barrier arm being movable from at least a first retracted position wherein said distal end of said cannula passes completely through said barrier element so that said distal end of said needle cannula is exposed, to a second extended position wherein said barrier element surrounds said distal end of said cannula to prevent incidental contact with said distal end of said cannula;
• said barrier element including a first longitudinal slot extending outwardly from said needle passageway, a second longitudinal slot opposed from said first longitudinal slot and extending outwardly from said needle passageway and a transverse slot connecting said first and said second longitudinal slots and extending outwardly from said needle passageway;
• locking means for preventing the movement of said barrier arm from said second extended position;
• and finger contact surface on said barrier arm for applying digital pressure to said barrier arm to move said barrier arm into said second extended position.

A needle assembly having a single-handedly activatable needle barrier comprising:.

• a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therethrough;
• a needle hub having an interior cavity terminating at an open proximal end of said hub, said hub connected to said needle cannula so that said lumen is in fluid communication with said interior cavity;
• a guide element connected to said needle hub having an aperture therethrough, said guide element being rotatably connected to said needle hub so that said guide element can rotate with respect to said needle cannula;
• an elongate barrier arm having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said barrier arm including a barrier element having a distal end, a proximal end and a needle pasageway therethrough, said barrier arm positioned within said aperture of said guide element and said needle cannula positioned at least partially within said needle passageway of said barrier element, said barrier arm being movable from at least a first retracted position wherein said distal end of said cannula passes completely through said barrier element so that said distal end of said needle cannula is exposed, to a second extended position wherein said barrier element surrounds said distal end of said cannula to prevent incidental contact with said distal end of said cannula;
• locking means for preventing the movement of said barrier arm from said second extended position;
• and finger contact surface on said barrier arm for applying digital pressure to said barrier arm to move said barrier arm into said second extended position.

A needle assembly having a single-handedly activatable needle barrier comprising;

• a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therethrough;
• a needle hub having an interior cavity terminating at an open proximal end of said hub, said hub connected to said needle cannula so that said lumen is in fluid communication with said interior cavity;
• a guide element connected to said needle hub having an aperture therethrough;.
• an elongate barrier arm having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said barrier arm including a barrier element having a distal end, a proximal end and a needle passageway therethrough, said barrier arm positioned within said aperture of said guide element and said needle cannula positioned at least partially within said needle passageway of said barrier element, said barrier arm being movable from at least a first retracted position wherein said distal end of said cannula passes completely through said barrier element so that said distal end of said needle cannula is exposed, to a second extended position wherein said barrier element surrounds said distal end of said cannula to prevent incidental contact with said distal end of said cannula;
• said guide element including a gap positioned to intersect said aperture so that the portion of the guide element defining the aperture does not completely surround said elongate barrier arm;
• locking means for preventing the movement of said barrier arm from said second extended position;
• and finger contact surface on said barrier arm for applying digital pressure to said barrier arm to move said barrier arm into said second extended position.

A method of assembling a single-handedly activatable needle barrier comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a needle assembly including a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therethrough, a needle hub having an interior cavity terminating at an open proximal end of said hub, said hub connected to said needle cannula so that said lumen is in fluid communication with said interior cavity, a guide element connected to said needle hub and capable of forming an aperture therethrough, said guide element comprising a cap and a mean body connected together for defining said aperture;
• b. providing a barrier arm having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said barrier arm including a barrier element having a distal end, a proximal end and a needle passageway therethrough, said barrier arm being dimensioned so that when said barrier arm is positioned within said aperture of said guide element said needle cannula is positioned at least partially within said passageway of said barrier element, said barrier element including a first longitudinal slot extending outwardly from said needle passageway, the second longitudinal slot opposed from said first longitudinal slot and extending outwardly from said needle passageway and a transverse slot connecting said first and second longitudinal slots and extending outwardly from said needle passageway;
• c. orienting said needle assembly and said barrier arm so that said needle cannula is positioned within said transfer slot of said barrier element;
• d. rotating said needle assembly and said elongate barrier element so that said needle cannula passes through said first longitudinal slot and said second longitudinal slot and is positioned within said needle passageway of said barrier element and said barrier arm is adjacent to said guide element;
• and
• e. locking said cap to said main body around said barrier arm to form an aperture through which said barrier arm may pass in a distal direction.