Protected needle assembly

A protected needle assembly comprising

• a housing;
• a hollow needle mounted on said housing;
• a blunt needle concentrically within said hollow needle for movement between an extended position with one end projecting out of said hollow needle and a retracted position with said end within said hollow needle;
• at least one projection on one of said blunt needle and said housing;
• locking means on the other of said blunt needle and said housing for releasably locking said blunt needle in said extended position, said locking means including a guide slot having a circumferentially directed portion receiving said projection in said extended position of said blunt needle and a longitudinally directed portion receiving said projection during movement of said blunt needle to said retracted position;
• and
• resilient means for biasing said projection into said circumferentially directed portion of said guide slot.

A blood collecting assembly comprising

• a housing;
• a blunt needle slidably mounted in said housing for movement between an extended position and a retracted position;
• a hollow needle mounted concentrically about said blunt needle;
• a sleeve rotatably mounted on said housing at one end thereof and secured to said hollow needle at an opposite end thereof, said sleeve having a guide slot therein including a pair of circumferentially directed portions and a longitudinally directed portion therebetween;
• and
• a projection secured to said blunt needle within said sleeve and received in said slot for movement from one of said circumferentially directed portions to secure said blunt needle in said extended position and projecting from said hollow needle into the other of said circumferentially directed portions to secure said blunt needle in said retracted position and disposed within said hollow needle.

A method for protecting a hollow needle, said method comprising the steps of

• disposing a sheath in telescopic relation relative to and outside a hollow needle having a sharp end for movement between an extended position projecting beyond said needle and a retracted position within the plane of said needle;
• locking said sheath against longitudinal movement from said extended position to said retracted position;
• rotating said sheath relative to said needle against a resilient force restoring means to unlock said sheath for movement from said extended position to said retracted position;
• and
• thereafter applying a longitudinally directed force on said sheath to move said sheath from said extended position to said retracted position and against said resilient force restoring means.

A method for protecting a hollow needle comprising the steps of

• disposing a blunt needle in telescopic relation within a hollow needle having a sharp end for movement between an extended position projecting beyond said needle and a retracted position within the plane of said needle;
• locking said blunt needle against longitudinal movement from said extended position to said retracted position;
• rotating said blunt needle relative to said hollow needle against a resilient force restoring means to unlock said blunt needle for movement from said extended position to said retracted position;
• and
• thereafter applying a longitudinally directed force on said blunt needle to move said blunt needle from said extended position to said retracted position and against said resilient force restoring means.

A protected needle assembly comprising

• a housing;
• a needle mounted on said housing;
• a sheath disposed concentrically about said needle with one end extending beyond said needle in protective relation;
• said sheath being movable longitudinally of said needle between an initial extended position covering over said needle and a retracted position exposing said needle;
• at least one projection on said sheath;
• locking means mounted on said housing for releasably locking said sheath in said extended position, said locking means including an L-shaped guide slot receiving said projection on said sheath, said guide slot having a circumferentially directed portion at a forward end receiving said projection in said extended position of said sheath and a longitudinally directed portion receiving said projection during movement of said sheath to and from said retracted position;
• and
• resilient means for biasing said projection from said longitudinally directed portion into said circumferentially directed portion of said guide slot.

A method for protecting a hollow needle, said method comprising the steps of

• disposing a sheath in telescopic relation relative to and outside a hollow needle having a sharp end for movement between an extended position projecting beyond said needle and a retracted position within the plane of said needle;
• locking said sheath against longitudinal movement from said extended position to said retracted position;
• abutting said sheath against one of a individual's skin, septum and a closure and rotating said sheath relative to said needle against a resilient force restoring means to unlock said sheath for movement from said extended position to said retracted position to permit penetration of said needle into said one of said skin, septum and closure;
• and
• thereafter applying a longitudinally directed force on said sheath to move said sheath from said extended position to said retracted position and against said resilient force restoring means while moving said needle into said one of said skin, septum and closure.

A protected needle assembly comprising

• a housing;
• a needle mounted on said housing for percutaneous insertion into a patient;
• a sheath disposed concentrically about said needle with one end extending beyond said needle in protective relation, said sheath being movable longitudinally of said needle between an extended position covering over said needle and a retracted position exposing said needle;
• at least one projection on one of said sheath and housing;
• locking means mounted on the other of said sheath and said housing for releasably locking said sheath in said extended position, said locking means including a guide slot receiving said projection, said guide slot having a circumferentially directed portion receiving said projection in said extended position of said sheath and a longitudinally directed portion receiving said projection during movement of said sheath to and from said retracted position;
• and
• resilient means for biasing said projection into said circumferentially directed portion of said guide slot.

A protected needle assembly comprising

• a housing;
• a needle mounted on said housing;
• a sheath disposed concentrically about said needle with one end extending beyond said needle in protective relation, said sheath being movable longitudinally of said needle between an extended position covering over said needle and a retracted position exposing said needle;
• at least one projection on said sheath;
• a rigid tube mounted on said housing and over said needle, said tube including a guide slot receiving said projection on said sheath, said guide slot having a circumferentially directed portion receiving said projection in said extended position of said sheath and a longitudinally directed portion receiving said projection during movement of said sheath to said retracted position;
• and
• resilient means for biasing said projection into said circumferentially directed portion of said guide slot from said longitudinally directed portion.