Patent ID: 8083098
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A needle-shield storage and delivery mechanism comprising: a storage base having a continuous delivery groove; a lid for said storage base, wherein said storage base has a shape selected from the group consisting of a round shape, oval shape, a rectangular shape, and a square shape, and wherein said lid is in contact with said storage base while the delivery mechanism is in use; a constant force spring within said delivery groove, wherein said spring is made from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, tin, silver, gold, copper, brass, bronze, carbon steel, chrome, and titanium; a plurality of not interconnected needle-shields stored within said groove and held in sequential compression by said spring, and further wherein said spring is adapted to slidably move said plurality of needle shields along said groove and wherein said needle-shields have a shape comprising tubular, spherical, elliptical, or conical, and further wherein said needle-shields are present in a range of from about 1 to about 500 needle-shields and wherein said needle-shields contact said spring while the delivery mechanism is in use; and a base-cap sized and configured to hold said spring and plurality of needle-shields within said groove, the cap having an opening for releasing said needle-shields individually there from, such that when a syringe needle is introduced through said opening and a needle-shield is thereby affixed to said syringe needle, upon removal from said opening the needle is capped for subsequent safe disposal and said spring unwinds to move said plurality of needle shields along said groove to position the next in line needle cap beneath said opening and still further wherein said cap is selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel alloys, aluminum, silver, brass, bronze, carbon steel, chrome, titanium, nickel-based alloys, polyethylene, polypropylene and silver-based alloys.