Patent ID: 8118786
Filing Date: 2012-02-21
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A guarded medical winged needle assembly comprising: a generally cylindrical needle cover having a forward section, a middle section and a backward section in this order in the longitudinal direction of a tubular member, the middle section having an opening formed at the bottom thereof, wherein the backward section having a circular backside or edge-face at a far end of the backward section, and the backward section being gradually tapered toward the far end of the backward section in its external form or in its internal hollow portion, said gradually tapered backward section having at least three slits, each extending from, and cutting, the edge-face at the far end of the backward section which edge-face cutting slits are all capable of opening thereby outwardly expanding the gradually tapered backward section along the opened slits, and a winged needle having a pair of wings attached to both sides of a hub, the hub having a substantially uniform outer cylindrical surface, a needle attached to a front portion on said hub and a tube fitted to a backward end portion of said hub, said winged needle configured to be housed slidably and protected in said needle cover, said pair of wings slidably projecting out of the opening formed at the bottom of the needle cover, wherein said needle slidably moves in the needle cover from a first position wherein said needle is exposed from the forward section of said needle cover to a second position wherein said needle is retracted and hidden in said needle cover, and an engaging member having a shape of a straight or tapered ring or pipe (i) is fitted on an outer surface or circumference of said tube at a front end portion thereof, or (ii) is formed or fitted on an outer surface or circumference of the backward end portion of said hub, said ring or pipe-shaped engaging member having, on both sides, an annular front end face and backward end face, when the needle moves in the needle cover from the first position to the second, said ring or pipe-shaped engaging member passes said backward section with openable, edge-face cutting slits, forcing the slits open, to outwardly expand the backward section along the slits, till said engaging member comes out of the backward section of the needle cover and is exposed, and after the needle is moved to said second position, an engagement is established in which the front end face of said ring, or pipe-shaped engaging member is engaged with the circular far end edge-face of said tapered backward section with all slits closed, wherein the entire circular far end edge-face is engaged with the entire front end face of the engaging member, thereby confirming an engagement of the ring or pipe-shaped engaging member with the far end edge-face of said tapered backward section, with the ring or pipe-shaped engaging member exposed and visible out of the needle cover, thereby said winged needle is firmly fixed in said second position in said needle cover and kept from moving again toward the first position.