Safety needle
AssigneeSalvus Technology Limited
InventorsTerence Edward Weston, Douglas Arthur Emmott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to an accessory for attaching to a needle to prevent needle stick injuries. The safety needle accessory is suitable for use with a hollow needle and comprises a needle hub surrounding the needle and a slidable sleeve slidably mounted on the needle hub. The slidable sleeve bears resiliently on the needle hub such that, in use, as the slidable sleeve is caused to move into a retracted position. A restoring force is generated within the slidable sleeve and on removal of the needle from the patient the restoring force causes the slidable sleeve to move into an extended position covering the needle tip. The safety needle locks in this position after removal of the needle from the patient.
Claims34
A safety needle attachment for surrounding a needle having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a hub;
- a sleeve surrounding the hub and slidable along the hub in the axial direction;
- wherein the sleeve has a radially elastically deformable portion, and the hub has a radially converging or diverging portion, and
- wherein the sleeve is slidable in a first axial direction between a first position for fully or substantially fully surrounding the needle with the sleeve, and a second position for exposing the needle, wherein the converging or diverging portion of the hub causes elastic radial deformation of the deformable portion as the sleeve slides between the first and second positions, and wherein the sleeve is further slidable in a second, opposite, axial direction between the second position and a third position for fully surrounding the needle by the sleeve, the force for sliding between the second and third positions being provided by the stored elastic energy in the radially deformable portion.
A safety needle attachment for surrounding a needle having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a hub having a radially converging or diverging portion;
- a sleeve having at least one cantilever arm, the sleeve configured to slide along the hub in an axial direction,
- wherein the sleeve is slidable in a first axial direction between a first position for fully or substantially fully surrounding the needle with the sleeve, and a second position for exposing the needle,
- wherein the at least one cantilever arm radially deforms upon sliding on the converging or diverging portion of the hub between the first and second positions, and
- wherein the sleeve is further slidable in a second, opposite, axial direction between the second position and a third position for fully surrounding the needle by the sleeve;
- and
- a restoring force generated by the radial deformation of the at least one cantilever arm for sliding the sleeve between the second and third positions.
A safety needle attachment for surrounding a needle having a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a hub having a radially converging or diverging portion;
- a sleeve having:
- a deformable portion, and
- a circumambient spring operatively connected to the sleeve to elastically deform the deformable portion, the sleeve configured to slide along the hub in an axial direction,
- wherein the sleeve is slidable in a first axial direction between a first position for fully or substantially fully surrounding the needle with the sleeve, and a second position for exposing the needle,
- wherein the deformable portion radially deforms upon sliding on the converging or diverging portion of the hub between the first and second positions, and
- wherein the sleeve is further slidable in a second, opposite, axial direction between the second position and a third position for fully surrounding the needle by the sleeve;
- and
- a restoring force generated by the radial deformation of the deformable portion for sliding the sleeve between the second and third positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.