Retractable needle with dual locking mechanisms

A retractable syringe assembly, comprising:

• a) a tubular syringe barrel having a defined outer diameter, said barrel having an open end adapted to receive the plunger and a closed end having a tip projecting therefrom,
• said tip having a maximum defined diameter which is less than the defined outer diameter of the syringe barrel and a longitudinal bore passing through the tip and the closed end of the barrel,
• b) a plunger slidably positioned within the syringe barrel;
• and
• c) a retractable syringe needle, said retractable syringe needle comprising:
• i) a needle assembly featuring:
• a needle-holding mechanism, said needle-holding mechanism comprising a hub and an annular sleeve connected with said hub, said sleeve having an exterior surface and an interior surface, where said interior surface of said sleeve defines a cavity having a diameter which is substantially equal to the maximum defined diameter of the tip of the syringe barrel, the interior surface of the sleeve being adapted to frictionally engage the tip of the syringe barrel;
• a hypodermic needle extending through said hub;
• and
• a pin directly connected to the exterior surface of said annular sleeve;
• ii) a container with a defined cylindrical axis having a tubular wall with a longitudinal slot therein, said container having a first open end adapted to receive a syringe barrel and a second open end adapted to receive a syringe needle, said container having said needle assembly mounted therein so that the pin is slidably engaged by the longitudinal slot, and so that said needle assembly may be moved from a first position where the needle is within the container to a second position where the needle is exposed by sliding the pin toward the second open end of the container and causing the needle to pass through the second open end;
• iii) a means for biasing the needle assembly toward said first position;
• and
• iv) a means for releasably engaging the pin at a defined location in said longitudinal slot so as to hold said needle assembly in said second position;
• wherein said means for releasably engaging the pin comprises a notch which intersects said longitudinal slot at said defined location, so that said needle assembly may be releasably held in said second position by sliding said pin out of said longitudinal slot into said notch;
• wherein the notch is selected from the group consisting of a straight notch which is transverse to the longitudinal slot, a T-shaped slot, a C-shaped slot, and an L-shaped slot;
• and
• wherein the hub of said needle-holding mechanism is movably positioned along the defined cylindrical axis of the container, the position of the hub being maintained along the axis by a crosspiece rigidly fixed to a defined location along the length of the pin, said crosspiece being on the exterior of the container, and being unable to pass through the longitudinal slot.

A retractable syringe needle for use with a syringe, said syringe comprising a plunger and a tubular syringe barrel having a defined outer diameter, said barrel having an open end adapted to receive the plunger and a closed end having a tip projecting therefrom, said tip having a maximum defined diameter which is less than the defined outer diameter of the syringe barrel and a longitudinal bore passing through the tip and the closed end of the barrel, said retractable syringe needle being made by a process comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a needle assembly comprising:
• a needle-holding mechanism, said needle-holding mechanism comprising a hub and an annular sleeve connected with said hub, said sleeve having an exterior surface and an interior surface, where said interior surface of said sleeve defines a cavity having a diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the tip of the syringe barrel, the interior surface of the sleeve being adapted to frictionally engage the tip of the syringe barrel;
• a hypodermic needle extending through said hub;
• and
• a pin directly connected to the exterior surface of said annular sleeve;
• b) obtaining a container with a defined cylindrical axis having a tubular wall with a longitudinal slot therein, said container having a first open end adapted to receive a syringe barrel and a second open end adapted to receive a syringe needle, where the longitudinal slot has an open end at the first open end of the container and a closed end at the second open end of the container;
• c) inserting a biasing means into the container;
• d) mounting said needle assembly in the container so that the pin is slidably engaged by the longitudinal slot, and so that said biasing means reversibly biases the needle assembly toward a first position where the needle is concealed within the container;
• wherein said longitudinal slot comprises a means for releasably engaging the pin in a second position where the needle is exposed, said releasable engaging means comprising a notch which intersects said longitudinal slot at said defined location, so that said needle assembly may be releasably held in said second position by sliding said pin out of said longitudinal slot into said notch;
• wherein the notch is selected from the group consisting of a straight notch which is transverse to the longitudinal slot, a T-shaped slot, a C-shaped slot, and an L-shaped slot;
• and
• wherein the hub of said needle-holding mechanism is movably positioned along the defined cylindrical axis of the container, the position of the hub being maintained along the axis by a crosspiece rigidly fixed to a defined location along the length of the pin, said crosspiece being on the exterior of the container, and being unable to pass through the longitudinal slot.

A double-ended safety needle, comprising:

• a) a needle assembly featuring a hub, a hollow straight needle, and a pin connected with said hub;
• where the needle extends through the hub so as to expose a first end of the needle projecting in a first direction and a second end of the needle projecting in a second direction;
• b) a container with a defined cylindrical axis having a tubular wall with a first longitudinal slot therein, said container having a first open end adapted to receive a receptacle for venous blood and a second open end adapted to receive the hollow needle, said container having said needle assembly mounted therein so that (i) the first end of the needle is directed toward the second open end of the container, and (ii) the pin on the needle assembly is slidably engaged by the first longitudinal slot;
• where said needle assembly may be moved from a first position where the needle is within the container to a second position where the first end of the needle is exposed by sliding the pin toward the second open end of the container and causing the first end of the needle to pass through the second open end;
• c) a means for biasing the needle assembly toward said first position;
• d) a first means for releasably engaging the pin at a first defined location in said first longitudinal slot so as to hold said needle assembly in said second position;
• e) a second means for releasably engaging the pin at a second defined location in said first longitudinal slot so as to hold said needle assembly in said first position;
• and
• f) a means for irreversibly engaging the pin at said second defined location in said first longitudinal slot;
• where the hub of said needle-holding mechanism is movably positioned along the defined cylindrical axis of the container, the position of the hub being maintained along the axis of the container by a crosspiece rigidly fixed to a defined location along the length of the pin, said crosspiece being on the exterior of the container, and being unable to pass through the first longitudinal slot.

A retractable needle for use with a catheter, comprising:

• a) a needle assembly featuring:
• a cylindrical hub having a posterior end and an anterior end;
• a hollow needle extending through said hub and projecting from the anterior end of the hub;
• a hollow, cylindrically symmetric flash chamber having a first end which is connected in a leakproof fashion with the posterior end of the hub, and a sealed second end;
• and
• a pin having a defined diameter connected with the hub, said pin having a crosspiece rigidly connected to a defined location along the length of the pin;
• where an interior of said hollow needle is in fluid communication with the interior of the flash chamber;
• b) a container with a defined cylindrical axis having a tubular wall with a longitudinal slot therein, said container having a first end adapted to allow the hollow needle to pass therethrough and a closed second end;
• said container having said needle assembly mounted therein so that the pin is slidably engaged by the longitudinal slot, and so that said needle assembly may be moved from a first position where the needle is within the container to a second position where the needle is exposed by sliding the pin toward the first end of the container;
• c) a means for releasably engaging the pin at a first defined location in said longitudinal slot so that the needle assembly is held in said first position;
• d) a means for releasably engaging the pin at a second defined location in said longitudinal slot so that the needle assembly is held in said second position;
• e) a means for irreversibly engaging the pin at said first defined location in said longitudinal slot so that the needle assembly is held in said first position;
• f) a catheter which is supported by the needle when the needle assembly is in the second position;
• and
• g) a means for removably fastening the catheter to the first end of the housing;
• wherein the hub of said needle-holding mechanism is movably positioned along the cylindrical axis of the container, the position of the hub being maintained along the axis by a crosspiece rigidly fixed to a defined location along the length of the pin, said crosspiece being on the exterior of the container, and being unable to pass through the longitudinal slot.

A disposable hypodermic syringe needle for use with a syringe, said syringe comprising a plunger and a tubular syringe barrel having a defined outer diameter, said barrel having an open end adapted to receive the plunger and a closed end having a tip projecting therefrom, said tip having a maximum defined diameter which is less than the defined outer diameter of the syringe barrel and a longitudinal bore passing through the tip and the closed end of the barrel, said hypodermic syringe needle being manufactured by a method comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a syringe needle assembly, said syringe needle assembly comprising a needle-holding mechanism, said needle-holding mechanism comprising a hub and an annular sleeve connected with said hub, said sleeve having an exterior surface and an interior surface, where said interior surface of said sleeve defines a cavity having a diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the tip of the syringe barrel, the interior surface of the sleeve being adapted to frictionally engage the tip of the syringe barrel;
• a hypodermic needle extending through said hub;
• a pin directly connected to the exterior surface of said annular sleeve;
• and a spring having a first end which engages said hub and a second end;
• b) obtaining an anterior container portion having a first tubular wall, said anterior container portion having a first open end adapted to receive a syringe barrel, a second open end adapted to receive a hypodermic needle, a ridge on the interior surface of said first tubular wall which prevents the syringe barrel from passing through the second end of the anterior container portion, a first longitudinal slot through the first tubular wall, and a means of releasably engagng said pin at said first defined point;
• where said first longitudinal slot is adapted to receive said pin;
• and where said first longitudinal slot runs from the first end of the anterior container portion to a first defined point near the second end of the anterior container portion;
• c) obtaining a posterior container portion having a second tubular wall adapted to receive a syringe barrel, said posterior container portion having a first open end, a second open end, and a second longitudinal slot through the second tubular wall;
• where said second longitudinal slot is adapted to receive said pin;
• and where said second longitudinal slot runs from the first end of the posterior container portion to a defined point near the second end of the posterior container portion;
• d) positioning said syringe needle assembly within the posterior container portion so that the second longitudinal slot slidably engages said pin, and
• e) adjoining the first end of the anterior container portion to the first end of the posterior container portion to form a tubular container so that (i) the first and second longitudinal slots cooperate to form a third slot which slidably engages the pin;
• and so that (ii) the second end of the spring engages the ridge on the interior surface of said first tubular wall, biasing the hub of the syringe needle assembly away from the second end of the anterior container portion so that the needle is contained within the container, while allowing the needle to emerge through the opening in the anterior portion of the chamber when the spring is compressed.

A retractable syringe needle for use with a syringe, said syringe comprising a plunger and a tubular syringe barrel having a defined outer diameter, said barrel having an open end adapted to receive the plunger and a closed end having a tip projecting therefrom, said tip having a defined diameter which is less than the defined outer diameter of the syringe barrel and a longitudinal bore passing through the tip and the closed end of the barrel, said retractable syringe needle comprising:

• a) a needle assembly featuring:
• a needle-holding mechanism, said needle-holding mechanism comprising a hub and an annular sleeve connected with said hub, said sleeve having an exterior surface and an interior surface, where said interior surface of said sleeve defines a cavity having a diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the tip of the syringe barrel, the interior surface of the sleeve being adapted to frictionally engage the tip of the syringe barrel;
• a hypodermic needle extending through said hub;
• and
• a pin directly connected to the exterior surface of said annular sleeve;
• b) a container with a defined cylindrical axis having a tubular wall with a longitudinal slot therein, said container having a first open end adapted to receive a syringe barrel and a second open end adapted to receive a syringe needle, said container having said needle assembly mounted therein so that the pin is slidably engaged by the longitudinal slot, and so that said needle assembly may be moved from a first position where the needle is within the container to a second position where the needle is exposed by sliding the pin toward the second open end of the container and causing the needle to pass through the second open end;
• c) a means for biasing the needle assembly toward said first position;
• and
• d) a means for releasably engaging the pin at a defined location in said longitudinal slot so as to hold said needle assembly in said second position;
• wherein the hub of said needle-holding mechanism is movably positioned along the defined cylindrical axis of the container, the position of the hub being maintained along the axis by a crosspiece rigidly fixed to a defined location along the length of the pin, said crosspiece being on the exterior of the container, and being unable to pass through the longitudinal slot;
• and
• wherein the interior surface of the sleeve defines a cylindrical cavity of constant diameter, said sleeve being adapted to frictionally engage the cylindrical tip of the syringe barrel, said cylindrical tip having a constant diameter.

A retractable needle, comprising:

• a) a hollow hypodermic needle;
• b) a cylindrical hub having an axial passage therethrough, the hollow needle being connected with the hub so that the axial passage and the interior of the hollow needle form a continuous conduit;
• c) an adjustable-length tube having a first end and a second end, said tube having a length which may be reversibly altered from a first contracted length to a second extended length;
• d) a means for reversibly securing a tip of a syringe barrel to the first end of the adjustable-length tube so that the interior of the syringe barrel is in fluid communication with the interior of the adjustable-length tube;
• e) a means for reversibly securing a tip of the cylindrical hub to the second end of the adjustable-length tube so that the interior of the hollow needle is in fluid communication with the interior of the adjustable-length tube;
• f) a tubular sheath disposed around the adjustable-length tube, said tubular sheath having a first end which is rigidly connected with the first end of the adjustable-length tube and a second end having an opening which is large enough to allow the end of the hollow needle to pass therethrough;
• and
• g) a means to alter the length of the adjustable-length tube from the contracted length to the extended length, said length-altering means comprising:
• a longitudinal slot running along the length of the tubular sheath;
• a knob slidably engaging said longitudinal slot, said knob being rigidly connected with the second end of the adjustable length tube;
• a means for reversibly securing the knob at a first position along the length of the longitudinal slot, where the tube is contracted when the knob is in said first position;
• a means for reversibly securing the knob at a second position along the length of the longitudinal slot, where the tube is extended when the knob is in said first position;
• a means for irreversibly securing the knob at said first position along the length of the longitudinal slot;
• and
• a means for reversibly sliding the knob from the first position to the second position;
• where the hollow needle is entirely disposed within the sheath when the adjustable-length tube is contracted, and where the end of the hollow needle is exposed through the opening in the second end of the sheath when the adjustable-length tube is extended.