WO2000035521A1

WO2000035521A1 - Device for replacing the safety cap on the needle of a used syringe

Info

Publication number: WO2000035521A1
Application number: PCT/IT1998/000372
Authority: WO
Inventors: Letizia Landrini
Original assignee: Letizia Landrini
Priority date: 1998-12-14
Filing date: 1998-12-21
Publication date: 2000-06-22
Also published as: AU1783599A; ITMI982683A1; IT1304165B1

Abstract

Safety device (20) for the cap (32) of the used needle (31) of a hypodermic syringe (30), needles for tracheotomy or for dentistry, a butterfly needle and the like, made in a solid transparent structure with one (21) or more cylindrical cavities in it suitable for free insertion of the cap (32) of the needle (31) of a syringe (30) to enable the needle (31) of the syringe (30) to be recapped by holding the syringe in one hand (50) without having to hold the structure steady with the other hand, said structure being of suitable dimensions and weight for the purpose, or by ensuring a position for the other hand at a safe distance from the cavity holding the cap to receive the needle, thus avoiding accidental contact between the hand and the needle.

Description

Device for replacing the safety cap on the needle of a used syringe

The invention concerns means to avoid contact between persons and the needles used on hypodermic syringes, needles for tracheotomy, needles for dentistry, butterfly needles and others to prevent contagion especially by viral diseases.

This well-known problem arises on account of the sharp increase in viral diseases, especially AIDS, throughout the world, and in the consumption of drugs combined with the widespread use of single-dose syringes with needles.

If, compared with those used repeatedly, the single-dose type are meant to avoid contagion as they are destroyed after use, it has also meant an enormous increase in the quantity of used syringes most of which are thrown away so that over time they themselves become vehicles of dangerous infection.

Even the proper use of single-dose syringes both at home and in hospitals raises the dilemma of whether to observe legal reguulations, which forbid putting the cap back on a needle after use, or whether to do this very carefully to reduce the risk of naked needles in dustbins. It is a familiar sight to come across used and even infected syringes lying about on roads, in gardens and in other public places, just as it is usual for families to put the cap back on and throw the needle into a refuse bin, or for great numbers of used syringes in hospitals to be put into special containers for them which in theory should make for safety.

But for reasons often independent of good intentions, such safety cannot always be guaranteed.

The above invention eliminates these serious drawbacks, offering means that are not only simple and safe but that are also inexpensive as will now be explained.

Subject of the invention is a safety device for the cap of used needles on hypodermic syringes, needles for tracheootomy, needles for dentistry, butterfly needles and others of this kind. This device presents a solid structure with one or more cylindrical cavities into which the cap of a used syringe can be inserted to permit the cap to be put back on the needle held in one hand without having to use the other hand, or by keeping the other hand at a safe distance from the tip of the needle to prevent accidental scratching. Depth of these cavities is substantially equivalent to the length of the cap with its collar, and is not less than the length of the cap measured from its closed end to the start of the collar, in those cases where the edge of the cap has a collar.

In one advantageous execution the structure is solid, of material suitable for ensuring sufficient stability, when placed on a flat surface, without needing one hand to hold it steady.

The cylindrical apertures open onto a flat surface whose width, measured radially at its top, starting from the cylindrical cavities, is greater than the distance which the tip of a needle can presumably cover if the hand holding the syringe makes an involuntary movement when pushing the needle into a cap already inserted in said aperture.

In one advantageous type of execution the structure consists of a cubic block with a side measurement of 50-60 mm.

According to the weight of the material used, the base of the structure is wide enough to ensure adequate stability when fitting the needle back into its cap, without one hand being needed to hold it.

In one type of execution the structure consists of one or more small tubular rods, into which the caps can be fitted, fixed to a flat base. This structure can be made to receive only one cap or can receive several, so spaced as not to hinder the hand holding the syringe when putting the cap back on, due to the presence of other syringes already placed in adjacent positions. These positions can be parallel, aligned or in several rows.

The cylindrical cavities can pass through the structure or be blind.

The cavities made in a single structure can be of the same type or of different types to take various kinds of needles.

The device can be made of metal, especially stainless steel or aluminium or of disinfectable plastic or of other materials.

In one advantageous execution the structure is formed of a small rod and the like, in which there is an cavity substantially cylindrical at one end, of a size corresponding to that of the cap to go in it. Said rod is long enough so that, between the needle to be put into the cap fitted into the cavity, and the hand holding the rod, the distance will be sufficient to prevent any contact between the needle and the hand. The bar is made of material suitable for disposable use and may therefore be of cardboard, plastic or some other that serves the purpose. The bar may advantageously be placed in a sterilized and sealed wrapping, as is usual for syringes, so that on opening it the cap can be pressed inside the hole in the rod and, after the syringe has been used, it can be put back on the needle at a distance of safety for the hand holding the bar and, once back on, the whole bar can be eliminated. The solid structure is preferably made of transparent material. At least that part of the structure containing cavities for needle caps, is preferably made of transparent material. The invention offers evident advantages.

The described devices avoid the need for holding the cap in one hand to put it back on the used syringe, as the weight and shape of said devices are sufficiently stable to permit quick re-capping of the needle without the cap having to be held in the hand.

If the dimensions and weight of the device are not sufficient to ensure such stability and need the second hand to hold it steady, while the first puts the needle back into the cap, the distance between the hand holding the device and the used syringe is always great enough to prevent accidental contact between the needle and said second hand avoiding any risk of scratching it. If the bar or tube-shaped device is of disposable material, while maximum distance is ensured between the hand holding the bar and the needle approaching the cap fitted into the end of said bar, the length of the bar is such that the distance from the hand holding the needle prevents any risk of contact between said hand and the used needle. Insertion of the disposable type bar or tube within the wrapping generally used for a new syringe, not only ensures maximum safety when the needle is being recapped, but also the possibility of throwing away both the recapped syringe and the bar, such entirely hygienic disposal ensuring full safety from infection. The cost of the disposable bar, which may even be made of cardboard, is negligible and any purchaser of a syringe would be glad to find a means for safe disposal included in the package.

Positive effects on sales of syringes with the accessories described may certainly be assumed, offering as they do such important advantages for both consumer and seller.

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures. Fig. 1 The hands of a person inserting the needle of a used syringe into its original cap, as happens at present, perspective.

Fig. 2 The safety device subject of the invention showing a solid block for recapping the needle of a used syringe, perspective. Fig. 3 Insertion of the cap for a syringe at the moment of use, into the above device, perspective. Fig. 4 Recapping the needle of a used syringe, by means of the above device, perspective.

Fig. 5 The needle after recapping, perspective. Fig. 6 A recapped syringe ready for disposal without risk of infection, perspective.

Fig. 7 A three-cavity device for recapping different types of used syringe needles, perspective, with detail cut away.

Fig. 8 A tubular safety device with base, perspective. Fig. 9 As above, for two needles of different kinds, perspective.

FigJ O As above, for three needles of different kinds, perspective.

Fig.1 1 Safety device of a solid block with five places showing syringes already inserted and one being recapped after use, perspective.

FigJ 2 Bar-type safety device, perspective, partially cut away. Fig.13 The safety device in Figure 12, with the cap for the needle of a syringe already inserted.

FigJ4 A person's hands when fitting the needle of a used syringe into its cap inserted in the bar-type safety device, perspective.

FigJ5 Tubular safety device included in the sterilized wrapping normally used for sale of hypodermic syringes.

Figure 1 illustrates the usual way a person behaves using the hands 51 ,

50 to put back the cap 12 on the needle 1 1 of a syringe 10 after use.

At the free end of the cap there is a collar 13.

Clearly this action involves considerable risk as, instead of entering the cap 12, the needle 11 may scratch the person's hand 51 , partly because the diameter of the cap is so small.

It will be known that, especially in hospitals, it is illegal to recap needles in this way.

In the home, therefore, there is a problem of getting rid of a used syringe without a cap on the needle which is extremely dangerous for others, or else of ignoring safety regulations and risking a scratch at the same time.

In hospitals used syringes without caps are accumulated in containers intended to give protection against any infection, overcoming the difficulties of always keeping the container closed even though access to it must be frequently made, namely after each injection.

Figure 2 illustrates a safety device subject of the invention consisting of a cubic block 20 of disinfectable high-density plastic material, having in it a cylindrical or slidhtly tapered central hole 21 , whose internal dimensions correspond to those of the cap 32, with collar 33, of a needle 11 for an ordinary syringe.

At the mouth 23 of the hole 21 the diameter is less than the external diameter of the collar 33 so that, as seen in Figure 4, the cap 32 remains substantially flush with the upper surface of the cubic block 20.

The above Figure 4 shows how, after using the syringe 30, a person's hand 50 can recap the needle 31 inside the cap 32 without any risk of a scratch as there is no need to hold the block 20 with the other hand. Said block is in fact solid and is therefore stable enough if rested on a flat surface during this operation of recapping.

Figure 5 shows how the recapping operation is completed while Figure 6 shows the syringe extracted from the safety device 20 complete with cap 32 and therefore safe for disposal in ordinary waste. Fiigure 7 shows a block 40, this too of disinfectable high-density material, with three places, 41 , 42 and 44 respectively.

Place 41 is a cylindrical hole passing through the block for a needle of corresponding dimensions.

The cylindrical hole 42 is narrower and its end 43 is at a distance from the edge sufficient to permit introduction of a cap for a long fine needle. Place 44 has a base 45 and diameter large enough for a short thick needle.

The three cavities described, 41 , 42 and 44, are given as examples to confirm the possibility of using a device 40, or one similar to it, for any kind of needle: an ordinary one for a hypodermic syringe, a needle for tracheotomy, a needle for dentistry, a butterfly needle, and others.

Figure 8 illustrates a device 60 substantially similar to that described in Figures 2-5, except that the cavity for the cap of a needle consists of a tubular rod 62 with a hole 63 passing through it, fixed to a base 64. Said device 60 is made of stainless steel. The device is used in substantially the same way as that described for the device 20 so that no further indications are necessary. Figure 9 presents a device 70 with tubular cavities 71 and 73 for caps of different types of needles. The tubular rod 71 is closed at the bottom 72 while the tubular rod 73 has a hole 78 passing through it and also through the base 75.

Figure 10 presents a device 80 of substantially the same characteristics as those of the preceding ones, except that, on the rectangular base 81 , are three tubular rods 71 , 73 and 74 of different diameters and lengths to receive caps of different types and sizes.

The tubular rod 71 has a base 72, and the longer rod 74 a base 76.

The rod 73 has a hole 77 that passes through it.

The dimensions and number of tubular rods can of course be varied as required to form a variety of types suited to all cases where elimination of used syringes for health purposes must be facilitated.

Figure 11 presents an oblong block 90 substantially parallelepiped with rounded ends, solid enough to provide sufficient weight to ensure stability when rested on a flat surface while the syringes 95, 96 are recapped. These syringes are of the type for diabetics, with a small diameter.

The cap 97 has a collar 98 at one end, and depth of the cylindrical holes

91 , created to receive the caps 97 when the syringe is to be used, substantially corresponds to their length.

The upper ends of the caps therefore remain practically flush with the top of the cylindrical holes 91 , 93.

The syringes 96 have already been inserted in the holes 92, holes 91 are free while hole 99 has been used to insert the cap 93 with its collar 94.

The operator's hand 89 is about to insert the tip of the needle 88 on the syringe 95 in said cap. This shows that recapping short caps with an end collar is also entirely safe since there is a considerable distance between the fingers of the hand 89 and the tip of the needle 88.

Figure 12 illustrates a type of safety device consisting of a small tubular bar 100 with a cylindrical hole 101 passing through it. The diameter of said hole correspond to that of the cap 105 with collar

106 inserted in said bar 100 as shown in Figure 13.

This cap is inserted when a fresh syringe is to be used, as described above, so that after use the needle is easily recapped, as in Figure 14. The bar 100 with cap 105 inside it is held with one hand 125 while the other hand 126 inserts the needle 121 , on syringe 120, inside said cap 105.

The distance between the hand 125 holding the bar 100 and the tip of the used needle 121 , will be such, as Figure 14 shows, that it will be impossible for the needle to injure the hand 125.

Figure 15 shows the sterilized and sealed wrapping 1 10 containing the syringe 120 with the cap 105 on the needle, and the disposable bar 100 of plastic material. After using the syringe the user can therefore put back the cap 105 on the needle as already described so that, having completed the operation, the used and recapped syringe and the safety bar can be thrown away.

Claims

1 . Safety device (20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100) for the cap (12, 32, 92, 105) on the needle (11 , 31 , 88, 121) of the used hypodermic syringe (10, 30, 95, 96, 120), on needles for tracheotomy, needles for dentistry, butterfly needles and the like, characterized in that it presents a solid structure with one or more cylindrical cavities (21 , 41 , 42, 44, 63, 71 , 73, 74, 91 , 92, 101 ) suitable for free insertion of the bottom of the cap (12, 32, 92, 105) of the needle (1 1 , 31 , 88, 121) of a used syringe (10, 30, 95, 96, 120), to make possible re- placement of the cap on the needle (31 , 88) of the used syringe (30, 95, 120) held in one hand (50, 89, 126) without having to use the other hand (51 ), or ensuring that the other hand (125) is kept at a distance from the tip of the needle (121 )great enough to prevent any contact between them and injury, depth of said cavities (21 , 41 , 42, 44, 63, 71 , 73, 74, 91 , 92, 101) substantially corresponding to the length of the cap (92) with a collar (98) round the open end, and being not less than the length of the cap (12, 32, 105) measured from its end to the start of the collar (13, 33, 106) in cases where there is a collar round the rim of the cap.

2. Safety device (20, 40, 90) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the structure is solid and is of suitable material to ensure sufficient stability on a flat surface without the need for using one hand for the purpose.

3. Safety device (20, 40, 90) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the cylindrical cavities (21 , 41 , 42, 91 , 92) open onto a flat surface whose width, measured radially at the top, starting from the cylindrical cavities (21 , 41 , 42, 44, 91 , 92) is greater than the distance which the tip of a needle (1 1 , 31 , 88, 121) can presumably cover following an involuntary movement of the hand (50, 89, 126) that holds the syringe (10, 30, 95, 96, 120) when fitting the needle (1 1 , 31 , 88, 121 ) into a cap (12, 32, 92 105) already placed in said cavity (21 , 41 , 42, 44, 91 , 92) .

4. Safety device (20) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the structure is a cubic block (20) the sides of which measure 50-60 mm.

5. Safety device (20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90) as in clailm 1 , characterized in that the flat base of the structure is wide enough to ensure sufficient stability, according to a certain weight determined by the material used, when the cap is being put back on the needle (11 , 31 , 88) of the used syringe (10, 30, 95, 96), without requiring the use of one hand to hold the structure steady.

6. Safety device (60, 70, 80) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the structure consists of one or more tubular rods (62, 71 -74), that form cavities (63, 77, 78) for the caps (12, 32, 92, 105), fixed to a flat base (64, 75, 81).

7. Safety device (20, 60, 100) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the structure contains a single cavity (21 , 63) for one cap (12, 32, 105). 8. Safety device (40, 70, 80, 90) as in claim 1 , charactrized in that the structure contains a number of cavities (41 , 42,

44, 71 , 73, 74, 91 , 92) so placed as not to impede the hand (89) that holds the syringe (95) during recapping due to the presence of other syringes (96) already placed in adjacent cavities (92). 9. Safety device (40, 79, 80, 90) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the cavities are parallel.

10. Safety device (40, 70, 80, 90) as in clalim 1 , characterized in that the cavities are placed in several rows.

11. Safety device (20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 100) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the cylindrical cavities (21 , 62, 73, 77, 101) pass through the structure.

12. Safety device (90) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the caavaities (91 , 92) made in one structure are of the same type. 1 3. Safety device (40, 70, 80) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the cavities (41 , 42, 44, 71 -74) made in one structure are of different types for different types of needles (1 1 , 31 , 88, 121). 1 4. Safety device as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is made of metal.

1 §. Safety device (60, 70, 80) as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is made of stainless steel.

16. Safety device (20, 40, 90) as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is made of disinfectable plastic material.

17. Safety device as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is made of aluminium.

1 8- Safety device (100) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the structure is obtained from a small bar (100) and the like in which there is a substantially cylindrical cavity (101) at one end, of dimensions corresponding to those of the cap (105) for which it will be used, the length of said bar (100) being such as to keep the needle (121), that is about to be fitted into the cap (105) already inserted inside the cavity (101), and the hand (125) holding the rod (100) at a safe distance one from the other to ensure that the needle (121) does not come in contact with said hand (125). 19 . Safety device (100) as in claim 19. characterized in that said bar (100) is made of material that is suitable for disposal and therefore even of card, plastic or some other useful type. 20. Safety device (100) as in claim 19, characterized in that the rod is placed in sterilized and sealed wrapping (100) generally used for a syringe (120) so that when the syringe (120) is to be used, the cap (105) can be inserted in the cavity (101) in said rod (100) and when the syringe (120) has been used, the needle (121) can be recapped at a safe distance from the hand (125) that holds the bar (100), after which said bar (100) can be thrown away. 21. Safety device (20, 40, 90) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the solid structure is made of transparent material.

22 Safety device as in claim 1 , characterized in that at least that part of the solid structure used for creating cavities to receive the caps of needles, is made of transparent material.