Method and apparatus for electrically destroying a syringe needle of a pen-type hypodermic syringe

A method for removing the needle portion of a pen-type hypodermic syringe, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a needle carriage having a port with a wide diameter sufficient to accept a neck and shoulder portion of a pen-type hypodermic syringe said syringe having an outer periphery and said port having an outer periphery larger than the periphery of said syringe;
• (b) inserting a needle into the needle carriage in a loading position, the needle carriage being rotatably connected to a housing;
• (c) rotating the needle carriage from the loading position to a cut-off position;
• (d) causing a first contact blade and a second contact blade to contact the needle when the needle carriage is in the cut-off position;
• (e) causing an electrical current to pass through the first contact blade, the needle, and the second contact blade to melt the needle;
• and
• (f) severing a portion of the needle with the first and second contact blades.

An apparatus for removing the needle portion of a syringe comprising:

• a pen-type hypodermic syringe having a neck and shoulder portion that are wider in diameter than a conventional hypodermic syringe;
• a housing;
• a needle carriage for receiving a needle in a loading position, said needle carriage being rotatably connected to the housing from the loading position to a cut-off position, the needle carriage including a wide diameter port for accepting a pen-type hypodermic syringe, said port having a diameter greater than the diameter of said syringe;
• a first contact blade connected to the needle carriage;
• and
• a second contact blade secured within the housing;
• wherein said needle carriage and said contact blades are oriented such that then said needle carriage is rotated from the loading position to the cut-off position, the first and second contact blade each contact the needle.