Blood collection assembly

Abstract

A low cost shieldable safety needle assembly. The assembly includes a needle cannula and a tip guard axially movable along the needle cannula through a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism may be interconnected between the tip guard and the needle cannula through a hub. The tip guard is axially movable along the needle cannula from a proximal position substantially adjacent a proximal end of the needle cannula at the hub, to a distal position in which the tip guard protectively surrounds the distal end of the needle cannula, thus effectively shielding the puncture tip of the needle. The drive mechanism is a unitary structure which is capable of maintaining a first self-supporting shape for maintaining the tip guard in the proximal position and is deflectable from the first self-supporting shape to a second extended shape in which the tip guard is moved to the distal position. The drive mechanism may be a rigid flexible planar sheet material which includes a plurality of folds for defining the self-supporting shape. The needle assembly may include structure for mating with a hypodermic syringe, a blood collection set, or other medical device.

1 . A shieldable needle device comprising: 
 a needle cannula having opposed proximal and distal ends;    a tip guard axially movable along said needle cannula from a proximal position substantially adjacent said proximal end of said needle cannula to a distal position where said tip guard protects said distal end of said needle cannula from exposure; and    a drive mechanism connected to said tip guard for moving said tip guard from said proximal position to said distal position, said drive mechanism comprising a unitary structure capable of maintaining a first self-supporting shape in which said unitary structure includes a plurality of folds with at least two of said folds intersecting each other to form a trigger, said drive mechanism maintaining said tip guard in said proximal position when said unitary structure is in said first self-supporting shape, said unitary structure being deflectable from said first self-supporting shape to a second extended shape in which said tip guard is moved to said distal position when a force is applied to said trigger, thereby causing said plurality of folds to at least partially unfold.    
   
   
       2 . A needle device as in  claim 1 , wherein said unitary structure comprises a rigid flexible planar sheet material including a plurality of folds.  
   
   
       3 . A needle device as in  claim 1 , further comprising a hub mounted to said proximal end of said needle cannula, said drive mechanism interconnecting said hub and said tip guard.  
   
   
       4 . A needle device as in  claim 1 , wherein said drive mechanism is in the form of a dorsal fin extending along said needle device when said unitary structure is in said first self-supporting shape.  
   
   
       5 . A shieldable needle device comprising: 
 a) a needle cannula having opposed proximal and distal ends;    b) a hub mounted adjacent said proximal end of said needle cannula;    c) a tip guard axially movable along said needle cannula from a proximal position substantially adjacent said hub to a distal position where said tip guard protects said distal end of said needle cannula from exposure; and    d) a drive mechanism for moving said tip guard from said proximal position to said distal position, said drive mechanism comprising a planar material interconnected between said hub and said tip guard, said planar material including a plurality of folds defining a dorsal fin structure with at least two of said folds intersecting each other to form a trigger point, said trigger point and said plurality of folds interrelating for movement of said tip guard from said proximal position to said distal position upon activation of said at least one trigger point.    
   
   
       6 . A needle device as in  claim 5 , wherein said planar material comprises a rigid flexible material.  
   
   
       7 . A needle device as in  claim 6 , wherein said planar material comprises paper.  
   
   
       8 . A needle device as in  claim 6 , wherein said planar material comprises a plastic material.  
   
   
       9 . A needle device as in  claim 8 , wherein said plastic material is polypropylene.  
   
   
       10 . A needle device as in  claim 5 , wherein said dorsal fin structure is a self-supporting structure.  
   
   
       11 . A needle device as in  claim 5 , wherein external pressure exerted on said trigger point causes at least one of said plurality of folds to unfold and act as a hinge, thereby activating said drive mechanism and causing said tip guard to move to said distal position.  
   
   
       12 . A needle device as in  claim 5 , wherein said tip guard comprises a tip guard housing formed from a plastic material, a metallic spring clip being mounted to said housing, said spring clip being biased against said needle cannula when said tip guard is in said proximal position and being resiliently moved over said distal end of said needle cannula when said tip guard is in said distal position.  
   
   
       13 . A needle device as in  claim 5 , wherein said hub is adapted for connection to a flexible tube of a blood collection set.  
   
   
       14 . A needle device as in  claim 5 , wherein said hub further includes means for attachment with a hypodermic syringe.  
   
   
       15 . A shieldable double ended needle assembly comprising: 
 a hub including a proximal end and a distal end and an internal passage extending therethrough;    a needle cannula extending through the internal passage of said hub, said needle cannula including a distal end with an intravenous puncture tip projecting from said distal end of said hub and a proximal end with a non-patient puncture tip projecting from said proximal end of said hub;    a tip guard axially movable along said needle cannula from a proximal position substantially adjacent said hub to a distal position surrounding said intravenous puncture tip at said distal end of said needle cannula; and    a drive mechanism for moving said tip guard from said proximal position to said distal position, said drive mechanism comprising a planar material securely interconnected between said hub and said tip guard, said planar material including a plurality of folds with at least two of said folds intersecting each other to form at least one trigger point for activation of said drive mechanism, wherein external pressure exerted on said trigger point causes at least one of said plurality of folds to unfold and act as a hinge, thereby causing said drive mechanism to move said tip guard from said proximal position to said distal position.    
   
   
       16 . A needle assembly as in  claim 15 , wherein said proximal end of said hub includes means for attachment with a needle holder.  
   
   
       17 . A needle assembly as in  claim 16 , wherein said means comprises threads.  
   
   
       18 . A needle assembly as in  claim 15 , further comprising a packaging cover extending over the distal end of the needle cannula.  
   
   
       19 . A needle assembly as in  claim 18 , further comprising a second packaging cover extending over the proximal end of the needle cannula.