WO1994011050A1

WO1994011050A1 - Catheter introducer assembly including needle shield

Info

Publication number: WO1994011050A1
Application number: PCT/EP1993/003208
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moris Baroni; Michele Nigro
Original assignee: Moris Baroni; Michele Nigro
Priority date: 1992-11-17
Filing date: 1993-11-16
Publication date: 1994-05-26
Also published as: ITBO920230V0; ITBO920230U1; IT227968Y1

Abstract

A disposable needle for intravenous injections and/or blood withdrawal, suitable for preventing operators from puncturing after use comprises a needle (11) at least partially extending into a perforated sheath (12) suitable for being connected with a tube (13), and provided with two grasping wings (15), in which a tubular sleeve-shaped element (14) is slidingly provided on said perforated sheath (12) bearing said two grasping wings (15), with, between said perforated sheath (12) and said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14), a needle control element (18, 20, 21) being provided which is suitable for being actuated by the needle user by his/her fingers, and is suitable for causing the needle (11) to return into, and get stably positioned inside, said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14).

Description

CATHETER INTRODUCER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING NEEDLE SHIELD

The present invention relates to a disposable needle for intravenous injections and/or blood withdrawal, suitable for preventing operators from puncturing after its use.

The presently used needles for blood withdrawal and intravenous injections, which, owing to their shape, are given the name of "Butterfly needles", are constituted by a small tube of plastic materials ending with a metal needle. Said metal needle, approximately 2-cm long, is destined to be entered into a patient's vein, and at its base two wings of approximately 1 square cm are provided in order that the user can handle the needle and fasten it, by means of an adhesive tape, onto the patient.

When the blood withdrawal or the intravenous injected is ended, the operator must remove the needle from patient's vein and dispose of it. In order to do so, the operator must transport said needle, together with the small tube which connects it to the syringe, keeping the needle by its wings arranged in the nearby of the needle tip, with the risk of accidentally puncturing, or getting infected by the infectious blood remaining on the needle.

In order to prevent any fortuituous contacts, needle housing sheaths have been accomplished which are initially positioned on said small tube. After using the needle, said sheath is forced by the operator to slide on the needle, by keeping the sheath grasped by the fingers of one of his hands and simultaneously keeping the tube grasped with his other hand, and forcing said needle to enter into said sheath, by pulling the tube. Such an arrangement is uncomfortable to be used and is affected by the risk that the tube could accidentally get disengaged from the needle, with even more dangerous consequences for the user. The purpose of the present finding is of providing a needle which enhances the safety for the sanitary operators, by protecting them against accidental puncturing with infectious needles after use. A further purpose is of providing a needle which prevents any risks of accidental punctures and infections also for those people who operate in the sector of garbage collection and disposal.

This purpose according to the present finding is accomplished by orovidinα ^a needle according to the appended claims.

Advantageously, such a needle, besides protecting the operators from the above mentioned risks, keeps the user's fingers spaced away, improves the grip by the operator during its extraction and does not make it possible it to be (also intentionally) used again.

The characteristics and advantages of a needle according to the present finding will be more evident from the following exemplifying, non-limitative disclosure, made by referring to the accompaning schematic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a needle connected with a tube;

Figure 2 is a partially sectional elevation view of a body which can be associated with the needle of Figure 1, in order to provide a disposable needle according to the present finding;

Figure 3 is a side view of the body of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a partially sectional elevation view of the needle according to the present finding, assembled in its operating position;

Figure 5 is a view of the needle of Figure 4 after its use; and

Figure 6 is a partially sectional elevation view of a detail of a further embodiment of disposable needle according to the present finding, as displayed in Figure 4.

Referring to the figures, a disposable needle for intravenous injections and/or blood with r-aw-al is displayed, which is suitable for preventing people from puncturing after its use, accomplished according to the present invention, and displayed in its assembled state, and with its parts being separated.

In particular, Figures 1-3 show that a first portion of a needle according to the present invention comprises a true needle 11, e.g., a metal needle, which is at least partially contained inside a perforated support sheath 12 of plastics material, which, in its turn, is inserted inside a tube 13 suitable for being connected with a syringe, not displayed. However, needle 11 can also be of plastics material and extending, as an enblock piece, from said perforated sheath 12.

A second part of said needle is constituted by a tubular sleeve-shaped element 14 sliding on said perforated sheath 12, suitable for reveiving and containing at least the metal portion 11 of the needle extending from the sheath 12. At one of its ends, the tubular sleeve-shaped element 14 is provided with two laterally extending wings 15 which can be bent on it and are provided with engagement teeth 16 which can be entered into seats 17 provided on said element 14, at diametrically opposite sites. Furthermore, from said tubular element 14 a needle control element extends, for controlling the movements and positions of the needle after that said first and second portions have been assembled to yield the ready-foi—use needle state, as shown in Figure 4.

The control element is assimilable to a crossbow or a bow, and comprises two arms 18 extending from opposite sides of the tubular element 14 and rotatably constrained to it through respective thinner portions 19.

The other end of each of said two arms 18, with relevant intermediate flattened portions 20 for users' fingers positioning being interposed, extends into a second pair of arms 21 mutually merging through an anular element 22. Both said intermediate portions 20 and said anular elements 22 are constrained to each other by thinner, bending-promoting portions, similar to those indicated with 19, which favour the mutual rotation of the parts. The first pair of arms 18, the intermediate flattened portions 20 and the second pair of arms 21 define, as said, a bow-like shaped unit which can be compressed by the user in order to favour the protected needle return after use, and are of such a length that, when they are mutually lined-up, they position said tubular element just above at least the needle tip. The anular element 22 is suitable for being stably positioned on the perforated sheath 12 around its opposite end to the end from which the metal needle 11 extends. After being stably positioned around said perforated sheath 12, the anular element 22 is stably kept in that position by an anular extension 23 provided on the same perforated sheath 12, and by the end portion of tube 13.

The perforated sheath 12 is furthermore provided with a plurality of outwards extending teeth 24 which allow said sheath to unidi rectional ly slide inside the interior of said tubular sleeve-shaped element 14. Inside said element 14, at its opposite end to the end at which the wings 15 are provided, a plurality of seats 25 are provided, which display a complementary shape to teeth 24. Thus, said teeth 24 and seats 25 provide a stable lock, or non-return, element for the needle inside the interior of said tubular element, thus precluding any possibility for said needle getting extended again from said tubular element, and, therefore, being used once more. Of course, the construction of the whole needle can have a same, and contrary, geometry, by simply arranging said wings 15 at the rear end of the tubular sleeve-shaped element 14, and moving the needle control element to the front portion thereof.

The use of a needle according to the present finding is extremely simple and safe.

In order to use the needle, the rotation of the wings 15 is promoted from the position displayed in Figure 4, by 90°C, until the engagement teeth 16 are entered into the seats 17 of the tubular sleeve-shaped element 14. In that way, the teeth 16 grt also engaged on the plurality of teeth 24 of the sheath 12 locking said sheath in its position shown in Figure 4, during the step of needle being entered into the patient's vein. Then, the wings 15 are extended sideways again and are used in order to constrain the needle onto the patient's body. After carrying out said operations, and when the blood withdrawal or the intravenous injection is over, it is enough that the operator positions the thumb and the index finger of one of his hands onto the intermediate flattened portions 20 and compresses them.

In that way, through the action of the two pairs of levers 18 and 21, wherein the first pair of levers are rotatably fastened to the tubular sleeve-shaped element 14, and the second pair of levers are fastened to the sheath of the needle 12, the control element automatically causes at least the tip portion of the needle to enter back into the tubular element 14. When the needle is completely reentered by means of the single action disclosed above, also the automatic lock of the needle inside the tubular element 14 is achieved, thanks to the non-return elements provided getting mutually engaged. In fact, the plurality of teeth 24 get inmeshed inside their respecive seats 25, getting locked inside them and not leaving from them even when they are so stressed.

Thus, the needle results to be completely housed inside the sheltering tubular sleeve-shaped element and any possible fortuitous contacts by the needle user, and by the garbage collectors, being prevented.

Figure 6 displays that on that portion of needle

11 which protrudes from the perforated sheath 12, a perforated tube 26, of any desired size, can be slid, which will at least partially coat it and will be entered into the patient's vein together with it. This tube which, e.g., may be made from a plastics material, is softer, causes a lesser disturbance to the patient than the needle, and can be left inside the patient's vein when the disposable needle according to the present finding is slid out from it. However, the needle will continue to operate exactly in the same way as indicated hereinabove.

Claims

C l a m s

1. Disposable needle for intravenous injections and/or blood withdrawal, suitable for preventing operators from puncturing after use, comprising a needle (11) at least partially extending into a perforated sheath (12) suitable for being connected with a tube (13), and provided with two grasping wings (15), characterized in that a tubular sleeve-shaped element (14) is slidingly provided on said perforated sheath (12) bearing said two grasping wings (15), with, between said perforated sheath (12) and said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14), a needle control element (18, 20, 21) being provided which is suitable for being actuated by the needle user by his/her fingers, and is suitable for causing the needle C11) to return into, and get stably positioned inside, said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14).

2. Needle according to claim 1, characterized in that said perforated sheath (12) and said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14) are provided, on mutually facing surfaces, with mutual locking elements (24, 25), which determine said stable positioning of said needle (11) inside said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14) .

3. Needle according to claim 1, characterized in that said needle control element comprises two pairs of levers (18, 21⁾, arranged in bow-like fashion, mutually connected at a first end thereof, and rotatable relatively to each other> with the second ends of said first pair of levers (18⁾ being integral with said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14), and the second ends of said second pair of levers (21) being integral with said perforated sheath (12).

4. Needle according to claim 3, characterized in that between the mutually connected ends of said two pairs of levers (18, 21⁾, intermediate flattened portions (20) are provided.

5. Needle according to claim 3, characterized in that said first pair of levers (18) are constrained, and rotatable relatively, to said tubular element (14) through thinner portions (19).

6. Needle according to claim 3, characterized in that said second pair of levers (21) are constrained to said perforated sheath (12) through an annular element (22) slid around it at at least one ring-like protrusion (23) thereof.

7. Needle according to claim 3, characterized in that when said two pairs of levers (18, 21) are squeezed and positioned nearly parallel to said sheath (12) and said tubular element (14), and therefore are lined-up to each other, they have such a length that said tubular sleeve-shaped element gets positioned just over at least the tip of said needle.

8. Needle according to claim 1, characterized in that said mutual locking elements which determine said stable positioning of said needle (11) inside said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14) are a plurality of teeth (24) provided on said perforated sheath (12) and complementary seats (25) inside an end of said tubular sleeve-shaped element (14).

9. Needle according to any preceding claims, characterized in that over at least the tip of said needle, a perforated tube (26⁾ is provided.