WO2010003167A1

WO2010003167A1 - Improved needle stick injury safety device

Info

Publication number: WO2010003167A1
Application number: PCT/AU2009/000726
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Adolf Noppen
Original assignee: Nalsco Pty Limited
Priority date: 2008-07-07
Filing date: 2009-06-10
Publication date: 2010-01-14
Also published as: WO2010003167A9

Abstract

A safety device for preventi ng needle stick i njury has an elongated body (22) incl uding a first opening (24) at a fi rst end thereof and a second opening (26) at a second end thereof. The first opening (24) is adapted to receive therein a capped hypodermic syringe needle (100) and to retain a cap (101) of the capped needle upon withdrawal of the needle (104) therefrom. There is a disc extending outwardly from the first opening (24) sufficiently to provide a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when a user grips the elongated body (22) in one hand and uses the other hand to insert the needle (104) into the cap (101) retai ned in the fi rst opening (24) to thereby recap the needle. The second opening (26) is adapted to receive therein a capped multisampling blood collection needle (102) and to retai n a cap (110) of the capped needle upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom. There is a disc (30) extending outwardly from the second opening (26) sufficiently to provide a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when the user gri ps the elongated body (22) in one hand and uses the other hand to insert the needle into the cap (110) retained in the second openi ng (26) to thereby recap the needle. The safety devi ce also i ncl udes means (32, 36, 38, 44) for releasing both of the recapped needles ( 100, 102) from the respective opening i n which they are retained.

Description

IMPROVED NEEDLE STICK INJURY SAFETY DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an improved safety device for preventing needle stick injury to persons using needles for collecting , transferring and/or injecting biological fluids, such as blood. BACKGROUND ART

Needle stick injuries are a common and significant problem experienced by many healthcare workers. The problem is particularly concerning where the injury is caused by hollow-bore, "dirty" needles, such as hypodermic syringe needles, winged butterfly needles, and intravenous cannulas, which, by their exposure to body fluids, have the potential to transmit infectious disease causing (pathogenic) agents, such as blood borne viruses. Among all healthcare workers, nursing personnel appear to sustain the highest rate of "dirty" needle stick injuries arising, mainly, from poor technique in using hypodermic syringe needles, and this is especially prevalent in tertiary teaching hospitals.

Whilst the introduction of self-retracting safety syringes and a reluctance to use winged butterfly needles has led to a reduction in the incidence of needle stick injury, the higher cost of purchasing such safety syringes, due to their more complex structure and consumable nature, imposes a burden on the budget of many medical institutions and healthcare providers, especially tertiary teaching hospitals. Less expensive, conventional needle and syringe assemblies are still commonly used in most hospitals and by a large number of doctors and other medical professionals in private practice as part of their clinical activities. The threat of needle stick injury posed by the requirement to recap the exposed , hollow bore needle after use has prompted the present

inventor to develop a reusable, hand held device which can be used to protect a user's hand against injury when the needle is being recapped and which has other functions that facilitate safer needle manipulation and disposal practices. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a safety device for preventing needle stick injury, comprising an elongated body including a first opening at a first end thereof, the first opening being adapted to receive therein a capped hypodermic syringe needle and to retain a cap of the capped needle upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom, first wall means extending outwardly from the first opening sufficiently to provide a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when a user grips the elongated body in one hand and uses the other hand to insert the needle into the cap retained in the first opening to thereby recap the needle, and including a second opening at a second end thereof, the second opening being adapted to receive therein a capped multisampling blood collection needle and to retain a cap of the capped needle upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom, second wall means extending outwardly from the second opening sufficiently to provide a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when the user grips the elongated body in one hand and uses the other hand to insert the needle into the cap retained in the second opening to thereby recap the needle, and means for releasing both of the recapped needles from the respective opening in which they are retained .

It is preferred that the elongated body includes a passageway interconnecting the first and second openings, and that the releasing means includes a release member that is slidable through the passageway, and when slid in a first direction therethrough collides with the recapped hypodermic syringe needle to cause its release from the first opening, and when slid in a

second direction therethrough collides with the recapped multisampling blood collection needle to cause its release from the second opening.

In a preferred form, the releasing means further includes a control member that is engaged with the elongated body and is movable to cause the release member to slide through the passageway.

The control member preferably incl udes thumb gri pping means for enabling manual movement of the control member in the fi rst and second directions.

I n another preferred form, the releasing means still further includes a carriage that is connected to the release member.

Preferably, the elongated body is a tubular body, and the control member includes a collar that is slidably movable upon the carriage which slidably engages an outer surface portion of the tubular body.

The carriage preferably includes a first longitudinal slot through which the control member is engaged to the release member.

It is preferred that the tubular body includes a longitudinal track along which the carriage slides upon manual movement of the control member, and there is a second longitudinal slot formed through the track and through which passes the release member so as to be located in the passageway. The first and second wall means may be d iscs having a general shape of a dish. Preferably, each disc is formed integrally with the elongated body. B RI EF DESCRI PTION O F THE DRAWI NGS

I n order that the present invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig . 1 is a perspective view of a main body part of a preferred safety device of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the main body part shown in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 is a left end view of the main body part shown in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4 is a right end view of the main body part shown in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view through A-A of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a sectional view though B-B of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a scrap sectional view through C-C of Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is a cut-away sectional view of an opening at an end of the main body part shown in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 9 is a first perspective view of a cap receiving insert which defines a first opening of the main body part shown in Fig. 1 for receiving a capped hypodermic syringe needle,

Fig. 10 is a second perspective view of the cap receiving insert shown in Fig. 9

Fig. 1 1 is a perspective view of a cap receiving insert which defines a second opening of the main body part shown in Fig. 1 for receiving a capped multisampling blood collection needle,

Fig. 1 1 a is an elongated sectional view of Fig. 1 1 ,

Fig. 12 is an end view of the insert shown in Fig. 10,

Fig. 1 3 is a sectional view through D-D of Fig. 12,

Fig. 14 is a sectional view through E-E of Fig. 12, Fig. 1 5 is a first side view of the insert shown in Fig. 1 0,

Fig. 1 5a is a second side view of the insert shown in Fig. 1 0,

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a carriage and release part of a preferred safety device of the present invention,

Fig. 17 is a top view of the carriage and release part shown in Fig. 1 6, Fig. 1 8 is a sectional view through F-F of Fig. 17,

Fig. 19 is a sectional view through G-G of Fig. 17,

Fig. 20 is a right end view of the carriage and release part shown in Fig. 16,

Fig . 21 is a perspective view of a control member of a preferred safety device of the present invention,

Fig. 22 is a top view of the control member shown in Fig. 21 , Fig. 23 is a sectional view through H-H of Fig. 22 , Fig. 24 is a sectional view through l-l of Fig. 22,

Fig . 25 is an end view of the control member shown in Fig . 21 ,

Fig . 26 is a side view of a capped hypodermic syringe needle with attached syringe for use with a preferred safety device of the present invention ,

Fig . 27 is a side view of a capped multisampling blood collection needle with attached holder for use with a preferred safety device of the present invention, and

Fig. 28 is a perspective view of a "dirty" hypodermic syringe needle being inserted into a cap therefor retained in a preferred safety device of the present invention, with the hand gripping the device being behind a first protective disc. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred safety device of the present invention comprises a main body part 12 (shown in Figs. 1 to 8), a pair of cap receiving inserts 142, 156 (shown i n Figs. 9 to 1 5a), a carriage and release part 1 8 (shown i n Figs. 16 to 20), and a control member 38 (shown in Figs. 21 to 25). The mai n body part 12 has a tubular body 22 (although the body may be of any suitably elongated shape), a first opening 24 at a first end thereof, a second openi ng 26 at a second end thereof, a first wall means 28 extending outward ly from the fi rst openi ng 24, a second wall means 30 extending outwardly from the second opening 26, and a pair of thumb grips 33 extending outwardly from the tubular body 22.

The first opening 24 is adapted to receive therein a capped hypodermic syringe needle 1 OO (as shown with attached syringe 1 08 in Fig 26), and to

retain a cap 101 of the capped needle 100 upon withdrawal of a needle 104 therefrom (as shown in Fig. 28). The second opening 26 is adapted to receive therein a capped multisampling blood collection needle 102 (as shown with attached holder 1 1 6 in Fig. 27), and to retain a cap 1 10 of the capped needle 102 upon withdrawal of a needle therefrom.

The first wall means 28 is a disc having the shape of a dish with a cut away minor segment that creates a linear edge portion 29 that prevents the device rolling from its position when supported by its linear edge portion 29. The outer rim of the disc 28 is sufficiently distant from the first opening 24 that it provides a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when (as shown in Fig. 28) a user grips the tubular body 22 in one hand and uses the other hand to insert a needle 1 O4 into a cap 101 retained in the first opening 24 for recapping the needle 104.

The second wait means 30 is also a disc having the shape of a dish with a cut away minor segment that creates a linear edge portion 31 . The outer rim of the disc 3O is sufficiently distant from the second opening 26 that it provides a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when a user grips the tubular body 22 in one hand and uses the other hand to insert a multisampling blood collection needle into a cap 1 1 0 retained in the second opening 26 for recapping the needle.

There are releasing means 32 which, by virtue of being slidably engageable with the tubular body 22, are able to release the recapped needle 1 OO from the first opening 24 and release the recapped needle 1 02 from the second opening 26. The tubular body 22 of the safety device has a passageway 34 interconnecting the first and second openings 24, 26. Slidable through the passageway 34 is a release member 36 of the releasing means 32. When the

release member 36 is slid in a first direction through the passageway 34, one end of the release member 36 collides with the recapped needle 1 OO to cause its release from the first opening 24. When the release member 36 is slid in a second direction opposite to the first direction through the passageway 34, the other end of the release member 36 collides with the recapped needle 102 to cause its release from the second opening 26.

Connected to the release member 36 is a carriage 44 of the releasing means 32.

A control member 38 of the releasing means 32 engages the tubular body 22 and is movable to cause the release member 36 to slide through the passageway 34. The control member 38 includes a plurality of thumb gripping ribs 40 and a collar 42. The collar 42 of the control member 38 slidably engages the carriage 44 of the releasing means 32, which carriage 44 slidably engages the tubular body 22. The carriage 44 has a longitudinal slot 46 formed therethrough.

The tubular body 22 includes a longitudinal track 48 formed as a depression in the outer surface of the tubular body 22, and there is a shorter longitudinal slot 50 formed centrally therethrough and through which passes the release member 36. The ribs 40 can be pressed by a user to cause movement of the control member 38 in the first and second directions.

The collar 42 of the control member 38 is thereby slidably movable upon both an outer surface portion of the tubular body 22 and the carriage 44.

The carriage 44 is slidable along the track 48, and the slot 46 of the carriage 44 leads into an open cavity 120 of the release member 36. A stem portion 51 of the control member 38 passes through the slot 46 of the carriage 44 and has a groove 122 at its lower end that slidably engages a rail 124 S

formed on the bottom of the open cavity 120 of the release member 36. The control member 38 is thus engaged to the release member 36 through the carriage 44. At both ends of the rail 124 are internal walls 126, 1 28, against which the stem portion 51 will collide when slid in a first direction and when slid i n a second di rection, respectively.

The arrangement is such that, when a user presses the ribs 40 to move the control member 38 in a first direction to its furthermost allowable extent, the stem portion 51 collides with the i nternal wall 1 26 of the open cavity 120 of the release member 36, and causes the release member 36 to slide through the passageway 34 in the same fi rst direction until the leading end of the release member 36 collides with the recapped needle 1 00 and pushes it out from the first opening 24 sufficiently that it can be dropped into a "sharps" disposal container. Similarly, when a user moves the control member 38 in a second direction to its furthermost extent allowable by the above described arrangement, the stem portion 51 collides with the internal wall 128 of the open cavity 120 of the release member 36, and causes the release member 36 to slide through the passageway 34 in the same second direction until the leading end of the rel ease member 36 collides with the recapped needle 1 02 and pushes it out from the second opening 26 sufficiently that it too can be d ropped into a "sharps" disposal container.

The first opening 24 into which a capped hypodermic syringe needle 1 00 can be received and the cap 101 thereof retained is defined by a cap receiving insert 142 shown isolated i n Figs. 9 and 10. The insert 1 42 fits tightly (as shown in Fig . 28) into a correspondingly shaped cavity 144 in the first end of the tubular body 22. The insert 142 has an outer part circumferential g roove 1 48 that is engaged by an inner part circumferential tongue 1 50 of the cavity when the insert 142 is correctly located or keyed within the cavity. The relative

locations of the groove and the tongue may be reversed in an alternative embodiment. The insert 142 also has an outer part circumferential key 151 that is engaged against a detent 152 in the wall of the cavity. In this way, the insert 142 is prevented from rotating within the cavity 144 when any rotating force is applied thereto during the drawing of a needle 104 out from a cap 1 O1 received in the opening 24. When so located, the outermost end of the insert 142 is substantially flush with the outermost extent of the cavity 144. The insert 142 defines an opening 24 that is slightly tapered inwardly and would be entirely cylindrical in cross-section were it not for a pair of opposed top and bottom, inner tracks 153, 154 that, although themselves slightly inwardly tapered, interrupt the cylindrically tapered shape and extend to the innermost end of the insert 142. The tracks 153, 154 do not extend to the outermost end of the insert 142 but terminate at respective steps 155, 157. The steps 155, 157 provide a gripping surface for a capped needle 1 OO and , by gripping the cap 1 01 , provide a resistance to release of the cap 101 from within the insert 142 when the needle 104 is being drawn therefrom.

The first opening 24 defined by the cap receiving insert 142 is able to receive and retain therein a variety of capped hypodermic syringe needles having different cap shapes. For instance, most hypodermic syringe needles commonly have a cap which includes a cylindrical ring structure at the mouth of the cap, with the remaining shroud portion of the cap being substantially cylindrical, and being only interrupted by circumferentially spaced apart ribs extending longitudinally along most of the shroud portion. The slightly inwardly tapered shape of the opening 24 is suitably dimensioned to receive therein such shaped caps of hypodermic syringe needles by a tight interference fit after a leading part of the I O

shroud portion of the cap has passed through the first opening 24 into the passageway 34, and to retain the cap upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom.

The second opening 26 into which a capped multisampling blood collection needle 102 can be received and the cap 1 1 0 thereof retained is defined by a cap receiving insert 156 shown isolated in Figs. 1 1 and 1 1 a. The insert 156 fits tightly into a correspondingly shaped cavity 158 in the second end of the tubular body 22. The insert 156 has outer circumferential structures that are similar to those of insert 142, including a key 1 60 shown in Fig. 1 1 , and those structures engage corresponding inner wall structures of the cavity 158 that are similar to those of cavity 144. In this way, the insert 156 is prevented from rotating within the cavity 158 when any rotating force is applied thereto during the drawing of a needle out from a cap 1 10 received in the opening 26. When so located , the outermost end of the insert 156 is substantially flush with the outermost extent of the cavity 158. The insert 156 defines an opening 26, the walls of which are not tapered, but are substantially cylindrical with the same internal diameter along its axis. The outermost end of the opening defined by the insert 156 is circular.

A multisampling blood collection needle commonly has a coloured cap 1 10 which includes a pair of opposed , outer planar walls that interrupt an otherwise cylindrically tapered portion of the cap, and so the shape of the opening 26 is suitably dimensioned to receive therein a capped multisampling blood collection needle 102 by a tight interference fit after a leading part of the tapered portion of the cap 1 10 has passed through the second opening 26 into the passageway 34, and to retain the cap 1 10 upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom.

The following is a description of the use of a preferred safety device of the present invention in preventing needle stick injury to a user from a variety of needles.

In the case of a hypodermic syringe needle, the user connects a hypodermic syringe 1 08 to a capped needle 100 in the usual manner. The user then grips the tubular body 22 of the device and inserts the capped needle 1 OO, to which the syringe 1 O8 is connected, into the first opening 24 until it is firmly received therein. The user then pulls the syringe 108 away from the opening 24 to draw the needle 104, to which the syringe 108 remains connected, out from the cap 101 , which is retained in the opening 24. Some rotation of the syringe 108 may be required to assist the pulling of the syringe away from the opening 24.

The user then carries out the required procedure, following which the user, with one hand , inserts the "dirty" needle 104 firmly back into the cap 1 O1 retained in the opening 24 of the tubular body 22 gripped with the other hand behind the protective disc 28. The releasing means 32 is then operated to drop the capped "dirty" needle 1 00 into a "sharps" disposal bin.

In the case of a multisampling blood collection needle, the user grips the tubular body 22 of the device and inserts the coloured (usually green or black) capped needle 102 (covering the unsheathed end of the needle) into the second opening 26 until it is firmly received therein. The user then rotates and pulls the partly transparent or white cap away from the retained coloured capped needle 102 to reveal the other sheathed end 1 14 of the needle. A multiple or single use holder 1 16 is then screwably connected to the needle so that the sheathed needle end 1 14 is within the holder 116. The user then pulls the holder 1 16 away from the opening 26 to draw the unsheathed needle, to which the holder is also connected, out from the coloured cap 1 10 which is

retained in the opening 26. Some rotation of the holder 1 16 may be required to assist the pulling of the holder away from the opening 26.

The user then carries out the required procedure, following which the user, with one hand , inserts the "dirty" unsheathed needle end firmly back into the coloured cap 1 10 retained in the opening 26 of the tubular body 22 gripped with the other hand behind the protective disc 30. The releasing means 32 is then operated to drop the capped "dirty" needle, to which the holder remains connected, into a "sharps" disposal bin. Alternatively, where it is desired to sterilize the holder, the holder is unscrewed from the "dirty" needle and taken for sterilization, and the releasing means 32 is then operated to drop the capped "dirty" needle alone into a "sharps" disposal bin.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the structure and function of the safety device described above without departing from the scope or ambit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A safety device for preventing needle stick injury, comprising an elongated body including a first opening at a first end thereof, the first opening being adapted to receive therein a capped hypodermic syringe needle and to retain a cap of the capped needle upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom, first wall means extending outwardly from the first opening sufficiently to provide a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when a user grips the elongated body in one hand and uses the other hand to insert the needle into the cap retained in the first opening to thereby recap the needle, and including a second opening at a second end thereof, the second opening being adapted to receive therein a capped multisampling blood collection needle and to retain a cap of the capped needle upon withdrawal of the needle therefrom, second wall means extending outwardly from the second opening sufficiently to provide a barrier to prevent needle stick injury when the user grips the elongated body in one hand and uses the other hand to insert the needle into the cap retained in the second opening to thereby recap the needle, and means for releasing both of the recapped needles from the respective opening in which they are retained.

2, The safety device of claim 1 wherein the elongated body includes a passageway interconnecting the first and second openings, and the releasing means includes a release member that is slidable through the passageway, and when slid in a first direction therethrough collides with the recapped hypodermic syringe needle to cause its release from the first opening, and when slid in a second direction therethrough collides with the recapped multisampling biood collection needfe to cause its release from the second opening.

3. The safety device of claim 2 wherein the releasing means further includes a control member that is engaged with the elongated body and is movable to cause the release member to slide through the passageway.

4. The safety device of claim 3 wherein the control member i ncludes thumb gripping means for enabling manual movement of the control member in the first and second directions.

5. The safety device of claim 3 wherein the releasing means further incl udes a carriage that is connected to the release member.

6. The safety device of claim 5 wherein the elongated body is a tubular body, and the control member includes a collar that is slidably movable upon the carriage which slidably engages an outer surface portion of the tubular body.

7. The safety d evice of claim 6 wherei n the carriage includes a first longitudinal slot through which the control member is engaged to the release member.

8. The safety device of cl ai m 7 wherein the tubular body i ncludes a longitudinal track along which the carriage slides upon manual movement of the control member, and there is a second longitud inal slot formed through the track and through which passes the release member so as to be located in the passageway.

9. The safety device of claim 1 wherein the first and second wall means are discs having a genera) shape of a dish.

1 0. The safety device of claim 9 wherein each disc is formed integrally with the elongated body.