Patents by Inventor Ni Zhu

Ni Zhu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110230844
    Abstract: A syringe, particularly preferred for use as a prefilled syringe, that has a retractable needle and is characterized by a liquid containment chamber of variable volume, the liquid containment chamber being further defined by surfaces made of glass or an elastomeric material, and not of plastic, and the syringe having no glass part directly contacting another glass part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Steven R. Wisner, Ni Zhu, Mark Small
  • Publication number: 20110125097
    Abstract: A catheter introducer having a catheter hub seal that is engageable with the rear opening of the catheter hub to impede liquid flow out of the catheter hub following catheter insertion and subsequent withdrawal of the needle following separation of the housing from the catheter hub. The catheter hub seal is preferably made of a rubbery material and can be disposed between the housing and catheter assembly or can be attachable to the catheter assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Ni Zhu, Kathryn Margaret Duesman
  • Publication number: 20110064512
    Abstract: A tool that is useful for cleaning the attachment surfaces of a device used in medical applications, the tool having a housing with an open end, a closed end, a sidewall disposed between the open end and the closed end, and a positioning collar seated adjacent to the sidewall between the open and closed ends with a sponge extending through and releasably held by the positioning collar, a treating liquid disposed inside the housing, and a releasable fluid-tight seal disposed over the open end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Mark Small, Ni Zhu
  • Publication number: 20100317999
    Abstract: A non-reusable device for collecting bodily fluids such as vascular blood from a patient, the device being configured for example to receive a blood collection tube and having a retractable needle attached to a rearwardly biased needle holder that is constrained prior to needle retraction by a rotatably mounted lug ring and that is released during retraction by depressing a trigger pivotably connected to the body of the device to rotate the lug ring, whereby the needle holder is driven into a retraction cavity disposed inside the trigger and the front tip of the needle is retained inside the body of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Mark Small, Ni Zhu
  • Publication number: 20100168674
    Abstract: An IV catheter introducer having an elastomeric grommet disposed between the housing and the IV catheter assembly that helps avoid unintentional separation of IV catheter assembly from the housing during shipping and handling prior to use, that acts as a needle guide, that helps align the housing and IV catheter assembly coaxially, that indicates that top side of the catheter introducer, that provides proper rotational alignment between the grommet and housing, that wipes blood off the needle during withdrawal of the needle from the catheter assembly and grommet, that impedes blood flow out of the catheter hub after needle withdrawal, and that assists the user in separating the housing from the IV catheter assembly following insertion of the catheter and withdrawal of the needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Ni Zhu, Kathryn Margaret Duesman
  • Publication number: 20100003067
    Abstract: A tool that is useful for cleaning and disinfecting the attachment surfaces of a fluid connector device used in medical applications, the tool having a housing with an opening of defined shape and a chemically treated flexible insert positionable inside the housing that substantially conforms to the inside wall of the housing and, when placed over the attachment surfaces of a fluid connector device, can be manipulated axially and rotationally relative to the attachment surfaces to contact, clean and disinfect the surfaces. Some embodiments can also be used for topical cleaning of skin or other surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Mark Small, Ni Zhu, Steven E. Shaw
  • Publication number: 20100000040
    Abstract: A tool that is useful for cleaning and disinfecting the attachment surfaces of a fluid connector device used in medical applications, the tool having a housing with an opening of defined shape and a chemically treated flexible insert disposed inside the housing that substantially conforms to the inside wall of the housing and, when placed over the attachment surfaces of a fluid connector device, can be manipulated axially and rotationally relative to the attachment surfaces to contact, clean and disinfect the surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Mark Small, Ni Zhu
  • Publication number: 20090306601
    Abstract: A device having a housing; a cannula projecting forwardly from the housing; a connector useful for attaching the device to a fluid source or receptacle; a fluid flow path establishing fluid communication between the cannula and the connector; a retraction mechanism biasing the cannula away from its projecting position; and an actuator supported by the housing and configured to modify the fluid flow path so as to terminate fluid flow through the device, seal off the fluid flow path, and release the retraction mechanism to retract the cannula into the housing. The subject device is particularly preferred for use in the medical field, for example, as part of an infusion set or as a collection device for blood, or other fluids or flowable matter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Mark Small, Ni Zhu
  • Publication number: 20080132851
    Abstract: A medical device connectable to a frontal attachment, the syringe having a forwardly projecting fluid outlet member and a forwardly projecting protective guard extending beyond the outlet member to protect the outlet member from pathogenic contamination by contact prior to connection to the frontal attachment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Ni Zhu, Gary Wood
  • Publication number: 20070260189
    Abstract: A syringe for use with frontal attachments with a forwardly extending projecting structure, which recesses the nose of the syringe and keeps the recessed nose from becoming contaminated by physical contact. In one preferred embodiment, the projecting structure is tubular and internally threaded such that a standard CLAVE® connector can be attached to a pre-filled syringe at such time as the syringe is to be used. In another preferred embodiment, the projecting structure is tubular and internally threaded such that a luer lock needle attachment can be attached to a luer lock syringe at such time as the syringe is to be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Ni Zhu
  • Patent number: 6221055
    Abstract: A single use retractable medical device dispenses fluids from a separable carpule. A retraction mechanism having a spring loaded needle holder with a double ended needle is mounted in the front of a housing by means of a push ring (separable member) slidingly mounted on a widened portion of the needle holder. An outer edge of the push ring grips or is restrained by the inner wall surface of the housing to hold the needle holder in place. A carpule positioned through an opening in back of the housing is operated by a plunger which drives a separable two-part piston to unload medicine from the carpule through the needle. At the end of an injection, the plunger is depressed further. The carpule moves forward to remove the push ring thereby freeing the needle holder for retraction into the carpule through the front opening of the carpule. As the needle is retracted into the housing from one end, the edge of the thumb cap of the plunger disappears into an opening at the opposite end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Retractable Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Ni Zhu
  • Patent number: D645962
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Retractable Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Shaw, Mark Small, Ni Zhu, Nicoleh Tamaraya Larios