DISPOSAL OF NEEDLES

Abstract: A container for receiving and containing hypodermic needles, the container having an opening (30, 31, 32) through which a disposable needle having a needle shank (2) and a hub (3) can be passed while mounted to a syringe (5) but which, on retraction of the syringe, can engage with the hub (3) to draw the needle off the syringe (5).

Description: TITLE: DISPOSAL OF NEEDLES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the disposal of hypodermic needles. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is well known that hypodermic needles can transmit diseases such as serum hepatitis and for this re-ason it has become common medical practice to use' a needle once only and thereafter to discard it. However, the discarded needles, which may carry a disease, are a hazard. Because discarded needles are sharp.they, if placed within a plastic rubbish bag, will often project from the bag to form a hazard for medical personnel, the public and garbage disposal workers. Thus, it is highly desirable that dis¬ carded needles be collected in a container. I believe that it is also desirable that to place a needle in a container it should be unnecessary to touch the needle as if the needle is not touched the risk of spreading disease is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a .container for receiving and containing hypodermic needles, the container having an opening through which a disposable needle having a needle shank and a hub can be passed while mounted to a syringe but which, on retraction of the syringe, can engage with the hub to draw the needle off the syringe. PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION The container is preferably made non- openable except by being physically broken. Hypodermic syringes of the type known as Luer lock require that the hub be rotated on the syringe before it can be released therefrom and to deal with these it is preferred that the opening has a portion adapted to engage the hub of the needle and restrict it against rotation so that a Luer lock syringe can be rotated. Thereafter, the needle can be removed from the syringe. In the case of Luer lock syringes the preferred shape of the opening is generally of key-hole shape. Hypodermic syringes of the type known as Luer slip do not require that the hub be rotated before the needle can be removed and a suitable form of said opening is that it should widen as the hub is passed therethrough and thereafter contract behind the hub so that when the syringe is retracted the needle will tend to be pulled off the syringe. In this instance, the preferred form of the opening is that it is a slit in a resilient member; in an alternative, two intersecting slits are used. The internal dimensions of the container are important in that the needles, which enter point first, might, if shaken, turn around within the container and come to project out of the opening. Accordingly, it is preferred that the container is dimensioned so that this cannot occur. In this last respect, the largest dimension of the container transverse to the direction in which the needle enters OUPI should be smaller than the smallest needle likely to be inserted, a suitable dimension is about 1 inch. Containers in accordance with this invention may be formed by blow moulding plastics material . Two specific constructions of containers in accordance with this invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the containers, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the other one of the containers, Figure 3 is a view of a needle mounted on the end of a syringe, Figure 4 is a top plan view of the container of Figure 2, and Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary cross- sectional views showing the container of Figure 2 in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In Figure 3 is shown a hypodermic needle 1 comprised of a needle shank 2 and a hub 3. The hub 3 is of non-circular cross-section at 6. The hub is mounted on a spigot 4 of a syringe 5 having a shoulder 7. The container shown in Figure 1 has a bottom wall (not shown), cylindrical side wall 22 and top wall 23 all of which have been integrally formed with one another. In the top wall 23 is a key-hole shaped opening comprised of a rounded part 24 and a rectangular part 25. To use the container shown in Figure 1 the needle 1 is pushed into the rounded part 24. If the syringe is of the Luer slip type, the end, 26, of the hub 3 is engaged with the material bounding the rounded part 25 and the syringe is pulled to separate the syringe from the needle 1 and thereafter the needle 1 will fall into the container. If the syringe is of the Luer lock type the region 6 is located in the part 25, the syringe is rotated to free the needle 1 and thereafter the needle 1 is pushed sideways so that it falls through the rounded part 24 into the container. The container shown in Figure 2 is similar excepting that the top wall 23 has two intersecting slots or lines of weakness 31 and 32 extending from a hole 30, the top wall 23 is resilient, the top wall 23 is also slightly concave and has an upstanding peripheral ridge 27. The container shown in Figure 2 is of most use with Luer slip type syringes and in use the needle 1 is pushed through the hole 30, this being facilitated by the slots 31 and 32 or by breaking along the lines 31 and 32 to form slots in a first use and the syringe is retracted so that the end 26 of the hub is engaged with the material bounding the slots 31 and 32 and the needle 1 is pulled off the syringe to fall into the container. The hole 30 and spigot 4 are preferably about the same size. The presence of the concavity in the top wall 23 and the ridge 27 make it unlikely that a needle will accidently slip off the top wall 23. The containers of Figures 1 and 2 may be narrower than the length of the needle 1. Preferred dimensions are about 8.5 cm high and 6.5 cm wide. Since the top walls 23 might become disease carriers, a removable cover may be provided. The containers of this invention permit the rapid and simple disposal of needles which will encourage busy doctors and nurses to use the con¬ tainers. Further, the containers are themselves disposable when desired. The claims form part of the disclosure of this specification. Modifications and adaptations may be made to the above described without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which includes every novel feature and combination of features disclosed herein. O PI

Claims: CLAIMS 6. 1. A container for receiving and containing hypodermic needles., characterized in that the container has an opening through which a disposable needle having a needle'shank and a hub can be passed while mounted to a syringe but which, on retraction of the syringe, can engage with the hub to draw the needle off the syringe. 2. . A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is non-openable except by being physically broken. 3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, whereiji the opening has a portion adapted to engage with the hub of the needle of a syringe and restrict it against rotation. 4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the opening is of generally key-hole shape. 5. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening is such that it widens as the hub is passed therethrough and thereafter contracts behind the hub so that when the syringe is retracted the needle will tend to be pulled off the syringe. 6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the opening comprises one or more " slits or one or more lines of weakness is provided in the container along which, in use, a break will occur to define one or more slits. OMPI τ , 7. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the opening comprises two or more intersecting slits or two or more lines of weakness are provided in the container along which, in use, a break will occur to define two or more intersecting slits. 8. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the largest internal dimension of the container transverse to the direction in which the needle enters in use is smaller than the smallest needle likely to be inserted. 9. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container has a top, a bottom and side wall means joining the top and bottom all integral with one another. 10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim and having an upstanding ridge at least substantially entirely surrounding said opening. 11. A container ' for receiving and containing hypodermic needles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. O P ,. IP

Inventors: ELISHA B
Applicants: ELISHA B
Application year: 1980
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61M5