Huber needle with anti-rebound safety mechanism

Abstract

A safety needle device is provided for protecting a user against needle-stick injuries. This needle device includes a needle housing having a distal housing opening. A needle is disposed within the needle housing and has a distal needle portion which extends away therefrom through the distal housing opening. An elongate sheath assembly surrounds the needle within the needle housing. A biasing member is engaged to the sheath assembly and is configured to apply a force thereupon towards the distal housing opening. The biasing member defines a centerline which is parallel to the needle's distal needle portion. An indexer is engaged to the biasing member and is operative to increase or decrease a spring force of the biasing member by rotating the indexer. A trigger member is engaged to the biasing member for retaining the sheath assembly within the needle housing against the force urging the sheath assembly towards the distal housing opening. The trigger member is sized and configured to release the biasing member. This allows the sheath assembly to transition towards and out of the distal housing opening via the force to thereby enclose the distal needle portion therewith.

1 . A safety needle device for protecting a user against a needle-stick injury, the needle device comprising: 
 a needle housing having a distal housing opening;    a needle disposed within the needle housing and having a distal needle portion extending away therefrom through the distal housing opening;    an elongate sheath assembly surrounding the needle within the needle housing;    a biasing member engaged to the sheath assembly and being configured to apply a force thereupon towards the distal housing opening as the biasing member moves from a retracted position to an extended position, the biasing member defining a centerline which is parallel to the distal needle portion.    
   
   
       2 . The needle device of  claim 1  further comprising an indexer engageable with the biasing member and the housing to increase or decrease a spring force of the biasing member.  
   
   
       3 . The needle device of  claim 2  wherein the indexer has a cylindrical configuration with at least two apertures about its periphery, and the housing further has a pin fixed thereto which is sized and configured to be inserted into the aperture.  
   
   
       4 . The needle device of  claim 1  wherein the needle housing comprises a lower housing surface having a hold-down platform extending outwardly therefrom.  
   
   
       5 . The needle device of  claim 4  wherein the hold-down platform comprises a layer of padding to provide cushioning when the hold-down platform is applied upon the user.  
   
   
       6 . The needle device of  claim 5  wherein the layer of padding is attached underneath the hold-down platform.  
   
   
       7 . The needle device of  claim 5  wherein the layer of padding substantially conforms to a configuration of the hold-down platform.  
   
   
       8 . The needle device of  claim 5  wherein the layer of padding is fabricated from a foam material.  
   
   
       9 . The needle device of  claim 8  wherein the foam material is a closed-cell foam material.  
   
   
       10 . The needle device of  claim 1  wherein the needle housing comprises a groove elongated therewithin and communicating with the distal housing opening, the sheath assembly surrounding the needle within the groove.  
   
   
       11 . The needle device of  claim 1  wherein the biasing member is a torsional arm.  
   
   
       12 . The needle device of  claim 1  further comprising a catch to retain the biasing member in the retracted position.  
   
   
       13 . The needle device of  claim 12  wherein the catch defines a retain position and a release position, and the device further comprises a trigger engageable with the catch and operative to translate the catch from the retain position to the release position.