Holder for sharps instrument

Abstract

A holder for releasedly retaining a sharps instrument repeatedly used during a medical procedure. The holder has a support component to support the sharps instrument and a guard component to isolate a sharp tip of the instrument and thereby prevent an inadvertent invasive contact to a care provider. Preferably, at least a portion of the support component is generally complimentary in shape to the sharps instrument, and non-limitedly can be chosen from a generally U-shape cradle or a diametrically diminishing hollow tube wherein the instrument is accommodated during retention. Guard component choices non-limitedly include a replaceable non-coreable wall penetrable by a sharp tip and situated to accept a sharp tip when the sharps instrument is stored, or a holder-housing portion disposed distally from and proximate the instrument support component and within which the sharp tip resides when the instrument is stored. It is preferred that the holder can simultaneously accommodate a plurality of sharps instruments such that a care provider can safely and efficiently retrieve and replace instruments as necessary in the administration of treatment utilizing the instruments.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A holder for releasedly retaining a sharps instrument having a sharp tip, the holder comprising a support component to support the instrument and a guard component to isolate the tip.  
     
     
         2 . A holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the support component comprises a support structure with at least a portion thereof generally complimentary in shape to the instrument.  
     
     
         3 . A holder as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the support structure is an upwardly extending wall having at a top location thereof a cut-out generally complimentary in shape to a portion of a circumferential surface of the instrument.  
     
     
         4 . A holder as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the cut-out is generally U-shaped.  
     
     
         5 . A holder as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the support structure comprises a hollow cylinder or semi-cylinder having a proximal opening and a distal opening and a distally diminishing cross section leading from the proximal opening and wherein a portion of said cross section is generally complimentary in size to an instrument cross section.  
     
     
         6 . A holder as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the cross section of the hollow cylinder or semi-cylinder diminishes in step-wise regression to thereby provide a plurality of discrete cross sections.  
     
     
         7 . A holder as claimed in  claim 6  wherein each discrete cross section is generally complimentary in size to an appropriately sized instrument cross section.  
     
     
         8 . A holder as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the guard component comprises a non-coreable wall penetrable by the sharp tip, said wall situated to accept a tip when a sharps instrument is releasedly retained.  
     
     
         9 . A holder as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the wall is removable and replaceable with another substantially identical wall.  
     
     
         10 . A holder as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the guard component comprises a non-coreable wall penetrable by the sharp tip, said wall disposed to accept a tip when a sharps instrument is releasedly retained.  
     
     
         11 . A holder as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the guard component is a holder-housing portion disposed distally from and proximate the distal opening of the hollow cylinder or semi-cylinder.  
     
     
         12 . A holder for releasedly retaining a plurality of sharps instruments each having a sharp tip, the holder comprising a support component to support the instruments and a guard component to isolate the tips.  
     
     
         13 . A holder as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the support component comprises a support structure with a plurality of portions each having at least a section thereof generally complimentary in shape to a portion of the instrument.  
     
     
         14 . A holder as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the support structure is an upwardly extending wall having at a top location thereof a plurality of cut-outs each respectively generally complimentary in shape to a portion of the circumferential surfaces of the instruments.  
     
     
         15 . A holder as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the cutouts are generally U-shaped.  
     
     
         16 . A holder as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of hollow cylinders or semi-cylinders each having a proximal opening and a distal opening and a distally diminishing cross section leading from the proximal opening and wherein a portion of said cross section is generally complimentary in size to an instrument cross section.  
     
     
         17 . A holder as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the cross section of the respective hollow cylinders or semi-cylinders diminishes in step-wise regression to thereby provide a plurality of discrete cross sections.  
     
     
         18 . A holder as claimed in  claim 17  wherein each discrete cross section is generally complimentary in size to an appropriately sized instrument cross section.  
     
     
         19 . A holder as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the guard component comprises a non-coreable wall penetrable by the sharp tips, said wall disposed to accept a plurality of tips when a plurality of respective sharps instruments are releasedly retained.  
     
     
         20 . A holder as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the wall is removable and replaceable with another substantially identical wall.  
     
     
         21 . A holder as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the guard component comprises a non-coreable wall penetrable by the sharp tips, said wall disposed to accept a plurality of tips when a plurality of respective sharps instruments are releasedly retained.  
     
     
         22 . A holder as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the guard component is a holder-housing portion disposed distally from and proximate the distal openings of the hollow cylinders or semi-cylinders.  
     
     
         23 . A holder for releasedly retaining a plurality of syringes each bearing a respective needle, the holder comprising a support component to support the syringes and a needle guard component to isolate the needles.  
     
     
         24 . A holder as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the support component comprises a support structure with a plurality of portions thereof generally complimentary in shape to the syringes.  
     
     
         25 . A holder as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the support structure is an upwardly extending wall having at a top location thereof a plurality of cut-outs each respectively generally complimentary in shape to circumferential surfaces of the syringes.  
     
     
         26 . A holder as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the cutouts are generally U-shaped.  
     
     
         27 . A holder as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of hollow cylinders or semi-cylinders each having a proximal opening and a distal end and a distally diminishing diameter leading from the proximal opening and wherein a portion of said diameter is generally complimentary in size to a syringe diameter.  
     
     
         28 . A holder as claimed in  claim 27  wherein the diameter of the respective hollow cylinders or semi-cylinders diminishes in step-wise regression to thereby provide a plurality of discrete diameters.  
     
     
         29 . A holder as claimed in  claim 28  wherein each discrete diameter is generally complimentary in size to an appropriately sized syringe diameter.  
     
     
         30 . A holder as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the needle guard component comprises a non-coreable wall penetrable by a needle tip, said wall disposed to accept a plurality of needle tips when a plurality of respective syringes each bearing a needle are releasedly retained.  
     
     
         31 . A holder as claimed in  claim 30  wherein the wall is removable and replaceable with another substantially identical wall.  
     
     
         32 . A holder as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the needle guard component comprises a non-coreable wall penetrable by a needle tip, said wall disposed to accept a plurality of needle tips when a plurality of respective syringes each bearing a needle are releasedly retained.  
     
     
         33 . A holder as claimed in  claim 27  wherein the needle guard component is a holder-housing portion disposed distally from and proximate the distal openings of the hollow cylinders or semi-cylinders.