GB2202446A

GB2202446A - Needle guard

Info

Publication number: GB2202446A
Application number: GB08704591A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dr Ian Duncan Conacher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-27
Filing date: 1987-02-27
Publication date: 1988-09-28
Also published as: GB8704591D0

Abstract

A disposable guard for attachment to a needle is described. The aim of the device is to cover the sharp point of a needle, used for medical, veterinary, or other purposes, and so protect a user against accidental innoculation with a poisoned, contaminated, or infected innoculum. The device has three sections all joined together. One end (1) is basically bulbous shaped and houses the point of a hypodermic needle (6): the mechanism is a customised slot (2) to prevent dislodgement of the point of the needle. The other end of the guard (3) is fashioned for fixing, firmly, the blunt, hubbed end of the needle (5) to the needle guard, and between, and joining, (1) and (3) a connecting piece (4) against which the shaft of the needle is held by the two ends (1) and (3). <IMAGE>

Description

REQUEST FOR GRANT OF PATENT OBJECT TO BE PROTECTED IS A NEEDLE GUARD INTRODUCTION The recent acceleration in the incidence of the fatal disease Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has generated a great amount of alarm throughout the world. One of the rarer methods of catching the disease is as a result of accidental innoculation from a needle that has been in contact with an infected person. Those most likely to be contaminated in this way are medical, nursing and allied personnel who daily may be in contact with infected patients.Since little is known about the incidence of this disease but evidence is accruing that it's incidence is accelerating at a phenomenal rate the point is being reached where for medical purposes every patient must be viewed as a potential carrier of the disease and the practice of medicine adjusted accordingly.

Needle points, particularly if they have been used on patients must be isolated as soon as possible so that the liklehood of needlestick injuries occurring is reduced.

Attendants are most at risk at and around the time of injection. The device for which patent protection is sought has been designed to sheath the point of needle as it actually exits from the point of injection.

DESIGN Figure 1 shows a rough cross section of the design. The guard has four elements: 1) A bulbous blunt end.

2) A shaft connecting 1)to 3).

3) An end with a clipping mechanism.

4) A flange for finger-thumb grip.

t4 TEFEIALS Although its manufacture out of any feasible material needs to be protected as part of the patent, in practice for commercial reasons, ease of sterilisation etc. plastic is the best. Part 1), the bulbous blunt end, should be made of low friction plastic so that it slips across skin surface and transparent so the needle point guarding can be visualised.

MEiCNANICS OF USE The concept to be protected is that the device is fundamentally designed to convert a sharp needle into the sharp limb of a device such as a safety pin. A machined groove, of which three potential profiles are illustrated in Figure 2, is fashioned in the bulbed end t 1) above).

The shaft of a needle is threaded on to this while the point of the needle is in situ through an injection point. The guard is advanced towards the point guided.along the needle shaft, and manipulated by means of the flange C 2) above).

Pressure maintained on this results in the blunt end of the guard maintaining compression at the point of injection thus preventing egress of blood or body fluids as the point exits into the shelter of the guard bulb. The hub of the needle can then be secured by a simple manual manoeuvre that brings it in contact with the clip mechanism C 4) above

Claims

i) A device for screening the point of a hypodermic needle.
2) A device for the protection of users of needles and bystanders, and designed to prevent accidental innoculation.
3) The device, a three element structure, converts a hypodermic needle into a safety pin configuration.

(Figures 1 and 2.) 4) To achieve 3) the device - referred to as a needle guard --is a three element construction.

5) a The first of these elements holds and shields a needle point.

b The second connects the two ends, and in adding tension to the system helps prevent dislodgement of the needle.

The third clips on to a needle hub and is customized to make the guard easier to handle in pra.ft#ce.