Acupuncture delivery system

An acupuncture needle delivery system is disclosed comprising a needle with an upper head portion that is wider in the middle than at its ends. The needle is packaged within a plastic dispensing tube which is greater in diameter than the needle, except at the end of the tube which surrounds the needle's head. The portion of the tube surrounding the head of the needle is narrower than the widest part of the head to snugly grasp the head and secure the needle within the tube. Upon the imposition of axially directed, manually exerted, downward pressure on the head region, the end of the plastic tube stretches, permitting the needle to be ejected from the other end of the tube.

This invention relates to medical devices and, more specifically, to an 
acupuncture needle delivery system. 
In the practice of acupuncture, it has become increasingly desirable to use 
disposable needles which are sterilized prior to packaging in order to 
avoid the potential use of contamined needles. Additionally, for the same 
reason, a number of different delivery systems have been marketed for 
inserting the needle into the body part of the patient without the need 
for the practitioner to touch the body of the needle. 
Acupuncture needles comprise a head portion at the top of the structure, a 
handle portion which is grasped by the practitioner's fingers after 
insertion of the needle for rotational movement of the inserted needle, 
and a body portion which terminates in a leading pointed tip designed to 
penetrate the patient's skin. 
A number of known delivery systems utilize a plastic tube which surrounds 
the handle and body portions of the needle so that only the head 
protrudes. The tube is of a larger cross-section than the head of the 
needle to allow the passage of the head through the tube. One delivery 
system simply utilizes a paper wedge between the needle and tube to 
prevent the needle from slipping through the tube. The wedge is removed 
just prior to use, and the needle is pressed through the patient's skin as 
the tube is pressed against the surrounding area of the skin. However, the 
needle can accidentally slip out of the tube and drop to the floor or 
otherwise become contaminated, because the paper wedge either does not 
securely affix the needle to the tube, or the wedge has become displaced 
during handling. 
In another delivery system, the position of the needle within the tube is 
maintained by a helical spring which is wound around both the head of the 
needle and the top of the tube so that, by snugly spanning the two 
structures, the spring prevents the needle from falling through the tube. 
By pressing downward on the head of the needle, the practitioner causes 
the helical spring to compress and distort outwardly, permitting the 
needle to fall through the tube. If the bottom of the tube is pressed 
against the patient's body part at the time the needle head is pressed, 
the momentum of the needle is sufficient to cause the pointed tip of the 
needle to pierce the patients skin while the pressure of the tube's bottom 
edge masks the sensation of the needle. 
In practice it has been found that reliable and consistent action is not 
obtained by the pressing of the needle's head. In some cases, the spring 
does not release the head as intended, but appears to interfere with the 
crisp releasing movement which is highly desirable. Conversely, the 
resiliency of the spring has sometimes resulted in the needle being 
accidentally released during handling of the assembly. This can not only 
lead to a mis-insertion or non-insertion of the needle, but can also cause 
the patient pain as the needle incorrectly penetrates the skin. In 
addition, the needle must then be disposed of and a new assembly utilized. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An acupuncture needle delivery system is disclosed comprising an axially 
extending needle having an upper head portion, a middle handle portion and 
a relatively slender lower body portion terminating in a leading point. 
The mid-portion of the head portion is slightly larger in cross-section 
than the end portions of the head portion. 
The needle is packaged within a plastic tube having an inner diameter along 
substantially its entire length which is greater than any portion of the 
needle. The end of the plastic tube adjacent the head of the needle has a 
slightly lesser cross-section than the widest part of the head region, but 
is slightly greater in cross section than the end portions of the head 
region. The needle is mounted within the tube for discharge therefrom, 
with its head region snugly grasped within said adjacent end of the tube. 
The widest cross-section of the head portion is within the limits to which 
the surrounding grasping end of the plastic tubing will expand upon the 
imposition of axially directed, manually exerted, downward pressure on the 
head region, whereby the needle is ejected from the other end of the tube. 
Accordingly, as desribed in greater detail below, the delivery system 
provides an economical, reliable structure with a minimum number of parts. 
These and other features of the invention are described in detail in the 
following Description of the Preferred Embodiment, of which the sole 
Figure is a part.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the FIGURE, an elevation view of an acupuncture needle and 
delivery system is shown which is constructed in accordance with the 
invention. The needle 10 has a head portion 12 approximately 8 mm in axial 
length, a 1.5 mm diameter handle portion 14 approximately 22 mm in axial 
length, and a body portion 16 having an axial length which depends on the 
intended use for the needle. Typical lengths are from 0.5 to 3.0 inches, 
in 0.5 inch increments. The head and handle portions of the needle are 
preferably made from aluminum, while the body portion is preferably made 
from stainless steel. 
The needle is mounted within a plastic dispensing tube 18 having a 2.0 mm 
inner diameter, and a length which depends on the length of the encased 
needle. The tube 18 preferably extends approximately 1.5 mm beyond the tip 
20 of the encased needle and is open-ended thereat. 
The head portion 12 of the needle has a bowed configuration, with its 
mid-region 12b being wider than its end regions 12a. In practice, a 
diameter of approximately 1.8 mm at the widest part and 1.7 mm at the two 
ends has been employed. 
The upper end 18a of the tube 18 is close-ended, with a circumferential lip 
means defining a 1.7 mm through-hole 22. Alternatively, the end 18a of the 
tube can be deformed slightly inward from its non-deformed diameter to the 
1.7 mm dimension. The hole 22 snugly circumscribes the bottom end of the 
head 12 and, by grasping the head 12, retains the needle 10 within the 
tube. 
Because of the slight elasticity of the plastic forming the tube 18, the 
hole 22 expands enough to permit the head to be pushed through by an 
axially directed, manually exerted, downward force. Once the widest 
portion of the head 12 passes through the hole 22, the needle falls freely 
through the tube and penetrates the patient's skin. The necessity for a 
positive force against the head minimizes the chance for accidental 
release which occurs with the spring-type of delivery system described 
hereinabove. In addition, the releasing action is crisp and controllable. 
Using the aforedescribed delivery system, the needle can be inserted into 
the patient's body with one hand, and the risk of contamination to the 
needle during the insertion process is minimal. The tube 18 is simply held 
between the practitioner's thumb and middle finger, and pressed down 
against the patient's body. The head of the needle is then pressed 
downward with the practitioner's index finger to release the needle. 
Consequently, even needles longer than two inches, which have been 
difficult to insert with one hand in the past, are easily and precisely 
placed in the patient. 
In accordance with the invention, the handle portion 14 of the needle is 
provided with a "pineapple" pattern of surface indentations 24. It has 
been found that the illustrated pattern yields a greater tactile sensation 
which enables the practitioner to rotate the needle and/or further 
penetrate the body member with more ease and precision. Naturally, the 
indentations could, instead, be raised above the surface of the handle 
portion. All that is needed to accomplish the function is a pattern of 
criss-crossing lines which are non-planer with the surface of the handle 
portion and which extend at an oblique angle with respect to the needle 
axis. 
While the foregoing description includes detail which will enable those 
skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be recognized that 
the description is illustrative in nature and that many modifications and 
variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit 
of these teachings. It is accordingly intended that the invention herein 
be defined solely by the claims appended hereto and that the claims be 
interpreted as broadly as permitted in light of the prior art.