Needle holder for fluid collection and/or injection system

A needle holder for use with a fluid collection and/or injection system of the type having a needle assembly and a fluid container, the needle assembly including a fluid passage bore extending therethrough and a hub, the fluid container including a fluid passage end and an opposing end, said needle holder comprising:

• a hollow body having an end wall at a closed first end thereof, said end wall having an aperture therethrough, said hollow body also having an open second end opposite to said first end for receiving a fluid container within said hollow body such that, upon reception of the fluid container, the fluid passage end of the fluid container is adjacent to said end wall;
• housing means abutting said first end of said hollow body for maintaining at least a portion of an actuation mechanism within said holder, said housing means including means defining an aperture therethrough which is generally coaxial with said aperture of said end wall;
• and
• an actuation mechanism for detachably mounting a cannula hub therein with one end of the cannula extending forwardly of said actuation mechanism for venipuncture and the other end extending rearwardly into said hollow body for engagement with the fluid container, said actuation mechanism including:
• first and second mounting jaws rotatably mounted within said housing means for removably mounting the cannula hub upon inserting the cannula hub into said actuation mechanism, said first and second mounting jaws being pivotable between a cannula-mounting position wherein said mounting jaws cooperate to define a passageway complementary in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of the cannula hub, and a retracted position wherein said mounting jaws cooperate to define an opening having a cross-sectional size which is greater than the cross-sectional size of the cannula hub;
• a pivot axle for rotatably mounting said first and second mounting jaws within said housing means;
• and
• actuation means for urging said first and second mounting jaws between said cannula-mounting and retracted positions, said actuation means being slidably mounted to said housing means for linear reciprocal movement between an initial position wherein said first and second mounting jaws are urged into said cannula-mounting position, and a secondary position wherein said first and second mounting jaws are urged into said retracted position.

A holder for removably mounting an externally threaded needle assembly, said holder comprising:

• a hollow body having an open proximal end and a distal end closed by an end wall having an aperture therethrough;
• first and second threaded jaws mounted at the end wall;
• and
• an actuator assembly disposed at said distal end and comprising an actuator slidably mounted to said holder and operatively associated with at least one of said threaded jaws to move said at least one of said threaded jaws between a needle assembly mounting position in which said first and second threaded jaws cooperate to define a threaded passageway aligned with said aperture for receiving and securing such externally threaded needle assembly, and a needle assembly release position in which said passageway is sufficiently enlarged to free such externally threaded needle assembly from said holder.

A holder for removably mounting an externally threaded needle assembly, said holder comprising:

• a hollow body having an open proximal end and a distal end closed by an end wall having an aperture therethrough;
• first and second threaded jaws mounted at the end wall;
• and
• an actuator slidably mounted to said holder at said distal end and operatively associated with at least one of said threaded jaws to move said at least one of said threaded jaws between a needle assembly mounting position in which said first and second jaws cooperate to define therebetween a threaded passageway having a first cross-sectional area and aligned with said aperture, and a needle assembly release position in which the threaded passageway has a second cross-sectional area which is larger than the first cross-sectional area.