Abstract: A needle guard assembly having a resilient arm extending from a base situated to slide along the shaft of a needle. In one implementation the needle guard has an elongate containment member that rides with the resilient arm and is co-operable with the resilient arm to effectuate a covering of the entire distal tip of the needle upon the needle being retracted into the needle guard.

Abstract: A needle guard assembly having a resilient arm extending from a base situated to slide along the shaft of a needle, In one implementation the needle guard has an elongate containment member that rides with the resilient arm and is co-operable with the resilient arm to effectuate a covering of the entire distal tip of the needle upon the needle being refracted into the needle guard.

Abstract: A needle guard assembly having a resilient arm extending from a base situated to slide along the shaft of a needle. In one implementation the needle guard has an elongate containment member that rides with the resilient arm and is co-operable with the resilient arm to effectuate a covering of the entire distal tip of the needle upon the needle being refracted into the needle guard.

Abstract: A needle guard assembly having a resilient arm extending from a base situated to slide along the shaft of a needle, In one implementation the needle guard has an elongate containment member that rides with the resilient arm and is co-operable with the resilient arm to effectuate a covering of the entire distal tip of the needle upon the needle being retracted into the needle guard.

Abstract: A needle tip protective device for use with percutaneous entry needles. In one embodiment, the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle, the latter having a needle tip located at the distal end thereof, and a change of profile formed medially there along. The needle guard is movable along the hypodermic needle and engageable with the change in profile formed thereon. The engagement with the change in profile is configured to correspond with the ability of the needle trap to entrap the needle tip once the needle trap has advanced the sufficient distance distally along the hypodermic needle. In further refinements, the needle trap may be biased toward the distal needle tip of the needle.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying and deploying a protective cover about a percutaneous puncture site formed by a hypodermic needle. In the preferred embodiment, a marking agent or puncture site covering, the latter of which preferably takes the form of a bandage, is releasably secured upon either the needle hub of the hypodermic needle or on a sliding member or sleeve axially moveable along the length of said needle that forms a marking or detaches therefrom once compressed about the puncture site.

Abstract: A needle tip protective device for use with percutaneous entry needles. In one embodiment, the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle, the latter having a needle tip located at the distal end thereof, and a change of profile formed medially there along. The needle guard is movable along the hypodermic needle and engageable with the change in profile formed thereon. The engagement with the change in profile is configured to correspond with the ability of the needle trap to entrap the needle tip once the needle trap has advanced the sufficient distance distally along the hypodermic needle. In further refinements, the needle trap may be biased toward the distal needle tip of the needle.

Abstract: A needle tip protective device for use with percutaneous entry needles. In one embodiment, the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle, the latter having a needle tip located at the distal end thereof, and a change of profile formed medially there along. The needle guard is movable along the hypodermic needle and engageable with the change in profile formed thereon. The engagement with the change in profile is configured to correspond with the ability of the needle trap to entrap the needle tip once the needle trap has advanced the sufficient distance distally along the hypodermic needle. In further refinements, the needle trap may be biased toward the distal needle tip of the needle.

Abstract: A needle tip protective device. In one embodiment the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard that is slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle having a needle tip located at the distal end of the needle. The needle guard contains a movable needle trap that is biased against or toward the hypodermic needle. The needle trap advances over the tip of the needle, entrapping the needle tip as the needle guard is urged forward near the sharpened distal end of the hypodermic needle. A tether, or other limiting means, limits the forward movement of the needle guard along the needle. In one embodiment, the needle guard is manually urged forward along the shaft of the needle by the user. In yet another embodiment, a spring, or other biasing means, is used to move the needle guard along the shaft of the needle.

Abstract: A method an apparatus for introducing an intravenous catheter. In one embodiment, a catheter having a flashback chamber is provided, the flashback chamber having a proximal end, a distal end and an inner wall. The distal end of the flashback chamber being in fluid communication with the catheter needle. A moveable member within the flashback chamber sealingly engages with the inner wall of the flashback chamber, the member being movable within the flashback chamber in a direction from the distal end to the proximal end of the flashback chamber. The movement of the member creates a vacuum within the flashback chamber.

Abstract: A needle tip protective device. In one embodiment the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard that is slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle having a needle tip located at the distal end of the needle. The needle guard contains a movable needle trap that is biased against or toward the hypodermic needle. The needle trap advances over the tip of the needle, entrapping the needle tip as the needle guard is urged forward near the sharpened distal end of the hypodermic needle. A tether, or other limiting means, limits the forward movement of the needle guard along the needle. In one embodiment, the needle guard is manually urged forward along the shaft of the needle by the user. In yet another embodiment, a spring, or other biasing means, is used to move the needle guard along the shaft of the needle.

Abstract: A needle tip protective device. In one embodiment the needle tip protective device includes a needle guard that is slidably mounted on a hypodermic needle having a needle tip located at the distal end of the needle. The needle guard contains a movable needle trap that is biased against or toward the hypodermic needle. The needle trap advances over the tip of the needle, entrapping the needle tip as the needle guard is urged forward near the sharpened distal end of the hypodermic needle. A tether, or other limiting means, limits the forward movement of the needle guard along the needle. In one embodiment, the needle guard is manually urged forward along the shaft of the needle by the user. In yet another embodiment, a spring, or other biasing means, is used to move the needle guard along the shaft of the needle.

Abstract: This is an all-plastic protective sleeve for the needle of a medical device. It comprises, a plastic base carrying a bottom end of the needle; a plastic end-cap slidably mounted on the needle adjacent a tip end thereof; a plurality of longitudinal plastic slats extending from the base to the end-cap; a cylindrical plastic locking collar disposed over the plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent the end-cap; and, a plastic spring disposed over the plurality of longitudinal slats between the base and the end-cap. The spring is a unitary plastic helical compression spring comprising a cylindrical collar portion disposed over a center portion of the plurality of longitudinal slats with first and second portions of helical compression spring turns extending therefrom toward the base and the locking collar, respectively. The locking collar has an outside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the spring and is of a thickness sufficient to produce a textured grippable area at the periphery thereof.

Abstract: This invention is a carpule-using syringe assembly having a needle protected to minimize the chance of accidental needle-stick. There is a carpule having a pierceable end and a syringe body for receiving and holding the carpule with the pierceable end adjacent an opening in an end portion of the syringe body. A cap is disposed over the pierceable end. The cap includes a support portion disposed in the opening. There are carpule-piercing portions for piercing the pierceable end of the carpule through the cap and a needle having a patient-piercing end. A retractable protective sleeve formed of a plurality of longitudinal slats is disposed over the patient-piercing end of the needle. Finally, there is provision for attaching the needle and the retractable protective sleeve in combination to the support portion with the needle in communication with an interior portion of the carpule through the carpule-piercing portions.

Abstract: This invention is directed to covers for holding and protecting needles of medical devices prior to use. It includes covers for holding and protecting needles of medical devices in which the needles are, in turn, contained within a retractable protective sleeve. In such case, the needle and its protective sleeve are held within the cover by a wedging action of a base portion with the cover. The cover contains projections which grip the base so that the needle and its protective sleeve can be turned with the cover to twist them on and off of the medical device safely. Longitudinal vanes in the cover can be included to hold a spring and locking collar over the protective sleeve in a retracted state prior to use. A cap with a flat end and square shoulders is aligned with a flat side of the cover and the entirety closed with a frangible security strip to indicate any possible tampering prior to use.

Abstract: An add-on fail-safe safety cap for mounting on a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle. An annular collar is concentrically positioned around the sleeve adjacent its outer end. There is at least one tip shield carried by the collar with each tip shield having an arm portion hingedly attached to the collar on an inner end, an activating tab portion adjacent the inner end, and a tip protector portion at an outer end of the arm portion. Each tip shield is hingedly moveable between a retracted position with its tip protector out of a path of movement of the tip portion of the needle and a protecting position with its tip protector covering the tip portion of the needle.

Abstract: This invention provides alternate constructions and methods of manufacture for retractable protective sleeves used over the needle of syringes and the like. In one approach, the slats of the protective sleeve are formed by providing slots through a plastic cylinder. The base and outer end cap are then attached to the slats with adhesive or heat/sonic welding. In another approach, the cylinder includes the end cap and one of the slots extends from end to end. The needle is mounted in a cylindrical plug. For assembly, the cylinder is unrolled and the needle/plug are inserted from the side rather than from an end. The cylinder is then re-rolled and inserted into the base. The end cap is secure with a cylindrical collar. The base can be a stand-alone piece or built into the end of a syringe or other similar medical device employing the needle.

Abstract: A single-use hypodermic syringe which locks up after one use. There is a body having a cylindrical container for holding a fluid. A hollow needle communicates with an interior of the cylindrical container through one end and a sliding plunger disposed in the cylindrical container is connected to a plunger rod disposed through an opposite end of the cylindrical container. There is locking apparatus allowing the plunger to move only in a direction towards the one end whereby after the plunger is moved adjacent the one end, it cannot be withdrawn for subsequent use. In one version, the plunger has a locking plate attached thereto. In another version, a hooked plate at the end of the cylindrical container digs into and grips an end bore of the plunger. In still another version, the plunger rod is gripped and held if movement to withdraw the plunger is attempted. Both disposable and carpule-using versions are disclosed.

Abstract: This is an all-plastic protective sleeve for the needle of a medical device. It comprises, a plastic base carrying a bottom end of the needle; a plastic end-cap slidably mounted on the needle adjacent a tip end thereof; a plurality of longitudinal plastic slats extending from the base to the end-cap; a cylindrical plastic locking collar disposed over the plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent the end-cap; and, a plastic spring disposed over the plurality of longitudinal slats between the base and the end-cap. The spring is a unitary plastic helical compression spring comprising a cylindrical collar portion disposed over a center portion of the plurality of longitudinal slats with first and second portions of helical compression spring turns extending therefrom toward the base and the locking collar, respectively. The locking collar has an outside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the spring and is of a thickness sufficient to produce a textured grippable area at the periphery thereof.

Abstract: This invention is directed to covers for holding and protecting needles of medical devices prior to use. It includes covers for holding and protecting needles of medical devices in which the needles are, in turn, contained within a retractable protective sleeve. In such case, the needle and its protective sleeve are held within the cover by a wedging action of a base portion with the cover. The cover contains projections which grip the base so that the needle and its protective sleeve can be turned with the cover to twist them on and off of the medical device safely. Longitudinal vanes in the cover can be included to hold a spring and locking collar over the protective sleeve in a retracted state prior to use. A cap with a flat end and square shoulders is aligned with a flat side of the cover and the entirety closed with a frangible security strip to indicate any possible tampering prior to use. A soft rubber seal inside the cover's closed end seals the needles of pre-filled devices against leakage.