Needle receptacle

A needle receptacle that includes a sheath with a cradle portion and attached barrel end and may include top and end covers as a syringe and needle housing. The cradle portion is open along its top portion and includes parallel spaced apart finger protective flanges at opposite sides of a finger grasping portion formed therearound. The barrel end is tapered into a needle receiving portion and includes a flared connection between the cradle and the barrel end to serve as a guide for needles inserted into the barrel, which barrel also includes a detent extending radially therein for preventing needle turning.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to covers for hypodermic needles and is particularly 
concerned with covers that will prevent accidental needle stick injuries 
and transmission of infection to healthcare workers and others. 
Among the covers proposed to reduce instances of needle stick injuries 
resulting from the return of a used needle to a cover are those shown in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,571,654, 3,780,734, 4,425,120, 4,801,295 and 4,867,746, 
all of which are intended to slide downwardly over the used needle. U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 4,573,976 and 4,643,722 are directed to guards that move across 
the needle head end of a syringe to rest that needle in a groove or slot 
of the guard. Also, needle protectors that cap over a needle are shown in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,381,813 and 4,659,330, and a cradle with a closed needle 
end stop is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,443. A similar device is shown in 
United Kingdom Patent No. 2,202,446A, and telescoping guards are shown in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,804,372 and 4,840,272. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,559,042, 4,573,975 and 4,629,453 disclose covers having 
enlarged disks surrounding a needle receiving opening, with the disks 
intended to deflect errant needles and to protect the fingers of the user 
grasping the covers behind the disks. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,667 and 4,623,336 disclose covers having cylindrical 
needle receiving barrels with funnel shaped receiving ends. A funnel 
shaped end to direct a needle into the barrel so as to protect the fingers 
of a user grasping the barrel. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,034 discloses a cover that utilizes both a funnel 
shaped end on a cylindrical receiving barrel and a disk extending 
outwardly from the barrel as secondary protection for the fingers of a 
user grasping the barrel. 
In using any of the covers disclosed in the previously identified patents, 
the cover is pulled or pushed onto the needle or the needle is pushed into 
the cover with that needle being moved toward the user's fingers or with 
the user's fingers moved towards the needle. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,658,061, 4,664,259 and 4,659,330 disclose covers that 
pivot off needles and then pivot back onto the needles after the needles 
have been used. These patents require the use of hinged body structures 
that are relatively expensive to construct and that have slots to permit 
the covers to pivot over the used needles. The slots remain unsealed, thus 
reducing the protection offered. 
None of the cited patents involve the cradle syringe holder and ribbing 
therefore like that of the present invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Hypodermic needles, such as are generally used for the giving of injections 
or withdrawal of blood samples are commonly equipped with a disposable cap 
that protects the needle prior to use. Such caps are intended to provide 
protection for the needle against contamination and physical damage and 
are generally made replaceable to cover the needles after they have been 
used to prevent accidental needle sticks. 
Accidental needle sticks occurs all too frequently, even though users are 
warned to be careful in reinserting needles into covers. 
Because the dangers of transmission of diseases from needle sticks have 
long been recognized, and because it has been known that many diseases, 
including hepatitis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 
others can be transferred through needle sticks a great many proposals 
have been made for covers that will reduce the incidence of disease 
transmission. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a cradle type 
receptacle or cover that accommodates insertion of a hypodermic syringe 
having a needle extending from one end where the needle is pushed away 
from the body and grasping fingers of a user or operator and that will 
fully seal the used needle. 
Other objects are to provide such a receptacle or cover that will 
accommodate separation of a syringe from a fully covered, used needle, 
after the needle has been covered by pushing it into the cover and away 
from the user's or operator's body and fingers. 
Still another object is to provide a syringe and needle closed container 
that is useful also to safely receive the syringe and needle after use. 
FEATURES OF THE INVENTION 
Principal features of the invention include a body with a tubular needle 
receiving portion projecting from a cradle as the cover portion that will 
receive and secure the syringe of a hypodermic needle. Projecting finger 
engaging shields are provided around a finger grasping section of the 
cradle, and the connection between the cradle and a barrel end is flared 
to accommodate insertion of the needle tip and telescoping of the syringe 
into that barrel. Detent means are preferably provided in the inlet to the 
barrel end for holding the needle during unthreading of the syringe from 
the needle with the tapered barrel grasping and frictionally holding the 
needle against withdrawal from the barrel. 
Another embodiment of the invention provides a shield device to maintain 
the sterility and integrity of a syringe, with or without an attached 
needle, before use, and which also provides for safely reinserting the 
needle and syringe into the shield device after use. The design of the 
shield device is such that, on reinsertion of the needle into its holder, 
the needle will, at all times, be pointing and moving away from the user's 
or operator's hands, thus preventing accidental needle stick injury. 
Further in this embodiment, the used needle will be securely encased s as 
to prevent later injury to another healthcare worker. 
Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent from 
the following detailed description and claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawings: 
In the illustrated first preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 3, the 
needle receptacle of the invention shown generally at 10, includes a 
needle receiving barrel portion 11 and a cradle portion 12. The barrel 
portion extends from a forward wall 13 of the cradle portion and has a 
flared barrel opening 14 that funnels into a tapered barrel 15 that is 
closed at its opposite end. The cradle portion 12 is of generally 
cylindrical configuration with its sidewall 16 partially cut-away back 
from the forward wall 13 to accommodate a syringe fitted therein. 
A pair of spaced apart rings 18 and 19 extend around and project outwardly 
from the sidewall 16, defining a space between which rings 18 and 19 that 
serve as a finger grasping portion for an operator. A detent 20 projects 
inwardly of the barrel receiving portion adjacent to the tapered barrel 
15. The detent 20 is to fit between wings formed on an upper end of some 
hypodermic needles for holding such a needle against rotation as the 
attached syringe is screwed onto or off the needle. Barrel 15 is to fit 
snugly around such needle wings so as to hold the needle against being 
withdrawn as the syringe is removed. 
In use, a user grasps the sidewall 16 between the rings 18 and 19 with 
their thumb and forefinger to position the cradle portion above the hand 
and with the barrel 15 pointing away from the user. The syringe, that is 
positioned in the needle receptacle 10, is then raised and the needle is 
pulled from the barrel 15. After the needle is used, the sidewall 16 is 
again held in the same manner and the needle is guided tip from above into 
the barrel into and through the tapered barrel opening 14 and the syringe 
is then pivoted to position it in the cradle. Thereafter, if desired, the 
syringe can be unscrewed from the needle while the needle is held against 
rotation by detent 20 and is frictionally held in the barrel. 
FIG. 4 shows a complete housing 30 that is constructed to hold a syringe 
31, shown in FIG. 5, either with or without an attached needle 32. Shown 
in FIG. 6, a top portion 33 fits to cradle portion 34 in such a way as to 
contain the syringe, preventing contamination. A cap consisting of an end 
piece 35 is to fit over the larger ends 36a and 36b, respectively, of the 
top portion 33 and cradle portion 34, capping the housing end. The end 
piece 35 that is held in place until use by plastic welds, or the like, 
not shown, that may be easily broken by a slight twist. To access a 
syringe contained within the housing 30, the end piece 35 is twisted off 
and the upper portion is bent upwardly breaking at a plastic weld 37, as 
shown best in FIG. 4. Both the end piece 35 and the upper portion 33 can 
then be discarded and the syringe 31 is removed for use, the needle 32 for 
injecting medicinals, or removing body fluids. 
To reinstall the syringe 31 and needle 32 into the cradle portion 34 the 
operator grasps the cradle portion 34 that includes parallel spaced apart 
flange rings 38 and 39 for use as stabilizers. The syringe 31 is held in 
the operator's other hand, and is then lowered into the cradle portion 34 
such that the needle 32 points and is moved away from the operator's 
hands. Elevated ribs 40 extend concentrically within the cradle portion 
and are to aid in the alignment of the syringe 31 so as to fit the needle 
into the cradle portion receiving barrel 42. Once the syringe is lowered 
into the cradle portion 34, it is pushed forward with the needle 32 
entering the receiving barrel 42, wherein it is held in place by friction. 
Which receiving barrel 42 may include the detent 20 for use as described 
above with respect to needle receptacle 10. The used syringe and needle 
may then be discarded in an appropriate infectious waste receptacle. The 
used needle 32 will thereby remain encased in a receiving barrel 42 thus 
eliminating the possibility of its piercing such infectious waste 
receptacle. 
Although preferred forms of our invention have been herein disclosed, it is 
to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that 
variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming 
within the scope of the following claims and a reasonable equivalency 
thereof, which subject matter we regard as our invention.