Skin piercing needle assembly

A needle assembly comprising:

• a needle having a needle point,
• a plate having an aperture formed therein;
• a sleeve associated with said needle, and
• an elastic member cooperating with said sleeve that has elastic properties in a generally longitudinal direction and is adapted to take up a generally extended state when in a non-operative orientation, said sleeve in said non-operative orientation surrounding a portion of said needle including said needle point, and wherein said elastic member is further adapted to take up a compressed state when in an operative orientation, said sleeve in said operative orientation being moved to expose a portion of said needle including said needle point, said needle point passing through said aperture in said operative orientation, and
• wherein said sleeve comprises an aligning device for aligning said needle point with respect to said aperture such that upon a deviation of a longitudinal axis of at least one of said needle and said sleeve from a normal which passes through said aperture, said aligning device maintains said needle within said aperture,
• wherein said aligning device comprises:
• said sleeve being formed with a generally cone-shaped rigid end portion, and
• said aperture of said plate being formed with a conical engagement surface, the normal which passes through said aperture also passing generally centrally through said conical engagement surface,
• said cone-shaped rigid end portion being adapted for longitudinal abutment against said conical engagement surface, said rigid end portion being seated generally centrally in said conical engagement surface when abutted thereagainst.