SHIELDING MEANS

Abstract: The shielding means is for a needle of a container-needle assembly comprising a container (21) having an elongate body, a needle (13) and connecting parts (22, 14) for connecting the container (21) releasably with the needle (13). The shielding means comprises two coaxial tubular bodies, an inner (5) and an outer (1) body, which are made to telescope in relation to each other. The outer tubular body (1) is adapted to at least partially receive the body of the container (21), and the inner tubular body (5) is adapted to be displaced from a retracted position, in which the needle (13) is exposed, to an advanced position, in which the needle (13) is surrounded by the inner tubular body (5). The shielding means further comprises connection means (3) for connecting said outer tubular body (1) with the needle (13) without connecting to the container.

Description: 910 C 96/00100 SHIELDING M ANS The present invention relates to a shielding means for a needle of a container-needle assembly comprising a container having an elongate body, a needle and connec¬ ting parts for connecting the container releasably with the needle, said shielding means comprising two coaxial tubular bodies, an inner and an outer body, which are made to telescope in relation to each other, the outer tubular body being adapted to at least partially re¬ ceive the body of the container, and the inner tubular body being adapted to be displaced from a retracted position, in which the needle is exposed, to an ad¬ vanced position, in which the needle is surrounded by the inner tubular body. The invention further relates to a container-needle assembly comprising a container having an elongate body, a needle and connecting parts connecting the container releasably with the needle and comprising a shielding means having two coaxial tubular bodies, an inner and an outer body, which are made to telescope in relation to each other, the outer tubular body being adapted to at least partially receive the body of the container, and the inner tubular body being adapted to be displaced from a retracted position, in which the needle is exposed, to an advanced position, in which the needle is surrounded by the inner tubular body. In connection with blood sampling by means of puncture where a needle connected with a sample container is connected to a patient's bloodstream, there is a risk of accidental needle-stick to the user. This risk also exists in connection with injection of e.g. medicine where a fluid in a sample container is transferred to a patient via a needle. It is therefore desired to be able to shield the used needle without the user getting in contact with the needle. For that purpose, several different shielding means and container-needle as- semblies as described in the opening part have been developed. Thus, US-A-4 923 447 (Morgan) and US-A-5 318 547 (Alt- schuler) disclose shielding means comprising two coaxi- al tubular bodies, an inner and an outer body, which are made to telescope in relation to each other, the outer of which is adapted to receive the container of a container-needle assembly and to be secured to the far end of said container relative to the needle. An oper- ation projection at the inner tubular body extends through a longitudinal slot of the outer tubular body and may be operated by a user in order to displace the inner tubular body to an advanced position in which it surrounds and shields the needle. Said known shielding means are thus connected with the container-needle assembly at the far end of the contai¬ ner relative to the needle. However, during e.g. blood sampling it is preferable after usage of the container- needle assembly to be able to remove the container with the withdrawn blood sample from the other part of the container-needle assembly, thus facilitating the hand¬ ling of the blood sample. Such a removal is not poss¬ ible in connection with the known shielding means. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a shielding means and a container-needle assembly as de¬ scribed in the opening part in order to enable removal of the container from the other part of the container- needle assembly. This is achieved by means of a shielding means of the type described in the opening part which is charac¬ teristic by connection means for connecting said outer tubular body with the needle without connecting to the container. It is thereby achieved that the shielding means, when connected to a container-needle assembly, is connected to the needle which, at a later stage, is to be shielded without preventing the removal of the container. In an embodiment where the connecting parts between the container and the needle comprise a connecting piece at one end of the body of the container and a hub part on the needle for receiving the connecting piece, the con¬ nection means is preferably adapted for connecting said outer tubular body with said hub part. Thus, the con¬ nection means comprises preferably an annular shoulder and means for engaging with and retaining the hub part when positioned at said shoulder. An embodiment is thus achieved which may be applied in connection with a sam¬ pler and a common, commercially available needle. Other suitable connection means or connectors comprise threads, press fits, bayonet joints and weldings, e.g. ultrasonic weldings, etc. Alternatively, the connecting parts between the contai¬ ner and the needle may comprise a single part, e.g. a rubber membrane closing the container at the needle end of the container. In this case, the needle is prefer¬ ably designed as a double-ended needle comprising a point in both ends, the needle being retained by the connection means, and the membrane is pierced by the needle so that the needle points are located on each side of the membrane when the container-needle assembly and the shielding means are assembled. In an embodiment where an operation means extends from one end of the inner tubular body through a longitudi¬ nal slot of the outer tubular body, the connection means is preferably connected with one end of the outer tubular body through a narrow intermediate piece ex¬ tending through a longitudinal slot of the inner tubu- lar body. The object is also achieved by means of a container- needle assembly of the type mentioned in the opening part which is characteristic of connection means for connecting said outer tubular body with the needle without connecting to the container. Such a container- needle assembly may be ready-made and be sterilized by the manufacturer and delivered to the user ready for use. The invention is further described by means of an em¬ bodiment with reference to the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 shows a section through the outer tubular body of the shielding means, Fig. 2 shows a section through the inner tubular body, Fig. 3 shows a section through the outer and inner tubular body when assembled, as shown by the line III- III of Fig. 6, Fig. 4 shows a partial section along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 shows a partial section along the line V-V of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 shows the assembled outer and inner tubular body seen from the left side of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 shows a partially sectional view of the as¬ sembled outer and inner tubular body provided with a capped needle, Fig. 8 shows a blood sampler, Fig. 9 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 7, but having the blood sampler of Fig. 8 in position, Figs. 10-12 show a sequence of the handling of the device in connection with sampling, Fig. 13 shows a view indicating the handling of the shielding means, Fig. 14 shows an exploded perspective view of a container-needle assembly, Fig. 15 shows an enlarged section of Fig. 14 showing one end of the outer tubular body, and Fig. 16 shows a perspective section through the same end of the outer tubular body as shown by the arrows XVI-XVI of Fig. 6. The shielding means shown in Figs. 1-6 and 14 comprises an outer tubular body 1, one end of which is provided with a finger tab 2 and the other end of which is pro¬ vided with a connection means 3 for a needle. The con¬ nection means 3 is connected with the remaining part of the outer tubular body 1 through a narrow intermediate piece 4. The shielding means further comprises an inner tubular body 5, one end of which is provided with an operation button 6, connected with the inner tubular body 5 through a second intermediate piece 7. The two tubular bodies 1 and 5 are each provided with a longi- tudinal slot 8 and 9, respectively, extending through said entire tubular body, except for a small piece 10 and 11, respectively, in one end. Because the slots 8, 9 are open in the other ends opposite to the small pieces 10, 11, it is possible to push together the two tubular bodies 1, 5 as shown in Fig. 3. Thus, the intermediate piece 4 extends through the slot 9 and the intermediate piece 7 extends through the slot 8 as ap¬ pears from Figs. 4 and 5. The intermediate piece 4 (see Fig. 5) has an essentially rectangular cross section whereas the intermediate piece 7 (see Fig. 4) has a wedge-shaped cross section, and the slot 8 is provided with indentations 12 thus establishing a stop for the intermediate piece 7 at each end of the slot 8. It is thereby achieved that the position of the inner tubular body 5 relative to the outer tubular body 1 may be retained, both in the retracted position shown in Fig. 3, and in the advanced position shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Due to the wedge-shape of the intermediate piece 7 there is a relatively weak detention against movement from the retracted position shown in Fig. 3 towards the advanced position shown in Figs. 11 and 12, whereas there is a stronger detention against movement in the opposite direction, which is requirable, as described further below. The connection means 3, which is shown most clearly in Figs. 15 and 16, is in the embodiment shown designed to receive a common, commercially available needle 13 pro¬ vided with a conical hub 14 with a collar 15 (see Figs. 7 and 9-12) . Thus, the connection means 3 is shaped like a cup with a hole 25 in the bottom and an internal opening whose profile 16 corresponds to the circumfer¬ ence of the collar 15. Inside the cup the connection means 3 is provided with two (Figs. 14, 15 and 16) or three (Figs. 1-6) inwardly extending, resilient tabs 17 adapted to provide a snap lock engagement with the col¬ lar 15 as appears from Figs. 7 and 9-12. The collar 15 is thereby retained between a shoulder 18 constituted by the other part of the bottom of the cup and the tabs 17. Fig. 7 shows the shielding means of Fig. 3 provided with a needle which again is provided with a protection cap 19, thereby revealing only the hub 14 of the need- le. The protection cap 19 shown is a common, commer¬ cially available cap with a collar 20 preventing the protection cap from being moved through the hole 25 of the connection means 3, and accordingly the needle must be mounted from the left side of the figures, but in connection with another needle with a protection cap designed differently it may be possible to mount the needle from the right side of the figures, i.e. the entire needle with the protection cap is moved through the tubular bodies and secured in the connection means 3 which in that case is adapted to receive the needle from that side. Fig. 8 shows the container part of a container-needle assembly, said container part may as an example be a speciel blood sampler having a container 21 and a con¬ necting piece 22. Fig. 9 shows the sampler introduced into the shielding means and the connecting piece 22 received in the hub 14 of the needle 13 in order to connect the needle and sampler. Fig. 10 shows the container-needle assembly of Fig. 9 upon blood sampling. At this stage, the protection cap 19 is removed from the needle, and to avoid the user of the sampler getting in contact with the needle point 13, the inner tubular body 5 is advanced to the posi¬ tion shown in Fig. 11 by means of the operation button 6. This is done by one single motion of hand as illus¬ trated in Fig. 13. When the inner tubular body 5 is such advanced and the intermediate piece 7 is secured behind the indentations 12 at the near end of the slot relative to the needle, the sampler may be removed from the needle 13 and from the shielding means as shown in Fig. 12. When removing the sampler it is advantageous if the profile 16 of the opening of the connection means 3 corresponds to the profile of the collar 15, which preferably is not ro- tationally symmetric, as it is thus possible to turn the sampler relative to the needle 13 and thus faci¬ litating the release of the sampler. Due to the pointed shape of the second intermediate piece 7, the inner tubular body 5 is retained with a relatively strong resistance against movement to the right in the figures by the indentations 12, the result of this being that the two tubular bodies cannot easily be separated (from the retracted position of the inner tubular body 5, see Fig. 3) , and the inner tubular body 5 cannot easily be moved back from its advanced position (see Figs. 11 and 12) . It is thereby ensured that the used needle 13 is not unintendedly exposed. It is further ensured that the inner tubular body 5 is retained in its retracted position until the user wants to displace it to the advanced position, whereby only a weak force is needed to displace the inner tubular body 5 to the left in the figures from the retracted position. The shielding means is preferably made of a polymeric material of some rigidity and preferably of a trans- parent material so that it is possible to observe the container when used. The rigidity (elastic modulus) of the material should preferably be in the range of 200 N/mm2 to 5000 N/mm2. Examples of applicable materials are polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polystyrene, modified compounds of styrene-polymers and polystyrene, polycarbonate, polymetylmethacrylate (acrylics) , polyamide, polyvinylchloride, polyethylen- terephthalate (polyester) , including modified polye¬ sters . In a preferred embodiment the outer tubular body 1 is made of styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer, SAN, (BASF, Luran 368R) and the inner tubular body 5 is made of styrene/butadiene copolymer, S/B, (BASF Styrolux 637D) . By using said two different materials for the tubular bodies 1 and 5 a smaller friction between said bodies is obtained. A manufacturer of the shielding means described above may choose among several ways of delivering the shiel¬ ding means to the user. One way is to deliver an assem¬ bled, sterilized unit comprising a container mounted with a needle onto which the shielding means is moun¬ ted. In this case, which is the preferred way, the shielding means and the needle need not be separable from each other, but may as an example be welded toget¬ her by ultrasonic welding. Other ways are to deliver the shielding means alone or together with the contai¬ ner, but without the needle. In these cases, the con- nection means must be adapted to commonly available needles and the user himself has to mount the shielding means onto the needle and connect the needle with the container. The use of the shielding means will now be explained in connetion with arterial blood sampling by means of the blood sampler 21 which in the first case mentioned above is delivered having the needle 13 and the shield¬ ing means mounted. The user (e.g. a laboratory assist- ant) goes to the patient concerned with the sampler 21 being packed in a sterile packaging. The packaging contains the sampler provided with a needle of the correct size with a protection cap as well as the shielding means and a tipcap for the sampler. The user also brings along latex gloves, a swap, gaze and pla¬ ster. At the patient the method is as follows: - The user puts on the latex gloves. - The selected puncture site is washed with spirit by means of the swap. - The sterile packaging is opened aseptically. - The plunger of the sampler 21 is set to the sample volume required. - The protection cap 19 is removed from the needle 13. - The artery is located using the index finger/middle finger of one hand. - The puncture is performed by the other hand. In this connection it is important that the hub part 14 of the needle is visible in order to assess the first flash of the artery blood. - The filling of the sampler 21 is monitored. - When the sampler 21 is filled, the needle is with¬ drawn and the puncture site is compressed with one hand. - By the other hand (Fig. 13) the inner tubular body 5 is displaced over the used needle 13, forwards to the front locked position. - Then the sampler 21 is turned to mix anticoagulant present in the blood sample taken. - When the puncture site has been compressed for the prescribed time, the gaze and plaster are applied. - The sampler is turned/withdrawn from the needle and the shielding means which along with the used needle is discarded with other sharp waste. 11 - The tipcap is mounted onto the sampler which is car¬ ried to an analyzer. - The tipcap is then removed, a few drops of blood are spilled whereupon the blood is injected into the ana- lyzer. - The used sampler is discarded along with other sharp waste and/or blood-contaminated waste. It should be understood that even though the invention above is described in connection with a sampler having a central connecting piece, it may just as well be used in connection with a sampler whose conneting piece is located eccentrically relative to the centre line of the sampler. Moreover, the "sampler" need not be a plunger sampler, but any sampling container comprising an elongate body whose one end is connected releasably with a needle may be used. The shielding means may also be applied in connection with other container-needle assemblies than for blood sampling, e.g. for injections.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. A shielding means for a needle of a container-ne¬ edle assembly comprising a container (21) having an elongate body, a needle (13) and connecting parts (22, 14) for connecting the container (21) releasably with the needle (13), said shielding means comprising two coaxial tubular bodies, an inner (5) and an outer body (1) , which are made to telescope in relation to each other, the outer tubular body (1) being adapted to at least par¬ tially receive the body of the container, and the inner tubular body (5) being adapted to be dis¬ placed from a retracted position, in which the needle (13) is exposed, to an advanced position, in which the needle (13) is surrounded by the inner tubular body (5) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d by connection means (3) for connecting said outer tubular body (1) with the needle (13) without connecting to the container. 2. A shielding means according to claim 1, wherein the connecting parts comprise a connecting piece (22) at one end of the body of the container (21) and a hub part (14) of the needle (13) for recei¬ ving the connecting piece (22) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the connection means (3) is adapted for con- necting said outer tubular body (1) with said hub part (14) . 3. A shielding means according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said connection means comprises an annular shoulder (18) and means (17) for engaging with and retaining the hub part (14) when positioned at said shoulder (18) . A shielding means according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the means (17) comprise resilient snap lock means . 5. A shielding means according to claims 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the connection means comprises a thread, a press fit, a bayonet joint or a welding, prefer- ably an ultrasonic welding. 6. A shielding means according to claims 1-5, wherein an operation means (6) extends from one end of the inner tubular body (5) through a longitudinal slot (8) of the outer tubular body (1) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the connection means (3) is connected with one end of the outer tubular body (1) through a narrow intermediate piece (4) extending through a longitudinal slot (9) of the inner tubular body (5) . 7. A container-needle assembly comprising a container (21) having an elongate body, a needle (13) and connecting parts (22, 14) connecting the container (21) releasably with the needle (13) and mounted with a shielding means having two coaxial tubular bodies, an inner (5) and an outer (1) body, which are made to telescope in relation to each other, the outer tubular body (1) being adapted to at least partially receive the body of the container, and the inner tubular body (5) being adapted to be displaced from a retracted position, in which the needle (13) is exposed, to an advanced position, in which the needle (13) is surrounded by the inner tubular body (5) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d by connection means (3) for connecting said outer tubular body (1) with the needle (13) without connecting to the container. 8. A container-needle assembly according to claim 7, wherein the connecting parts comprise a connecting piece (22) at one end of the body of the container (21) and a hub part (14) at the needle (13) , said hub part (14) receiving the connecting piece (22) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the connection means (3) connects said outer tubular body (1) with said hub part (14) . 9. A container-needle assembly according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said connection means (3) comprises an annular shoulder (18) , said hub part (14) being positioned at the annular shoulder, and means (17) engaging with and retaining the hub part (14) . 10. A container-needle assembly according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the means (17) are resilient snap lock means. 11. A container-needle assembly according to claims 7 or 8 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the connection means comprises a thread, a press fit, a bayonet joint or a welding, prefer¬ ably an ultrasonic welding. 12. A container-needle assembly according to claims 7- 11, wherein the outer tubular body (1) is statio¬ nary relative to the container-needle assembly, and the inner tubular body (5) is displaceable, and wherein an operation means (6) extends from the far end of the inner tubular body (5) relative to the needle (13) through a longitudinal slot (8) of the outer tubular body (1) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the connection means (3) is connected with the near end of the outer tubular body (1) rela¬ tive to the needle (13) through a narrow inter¬ mediate piece extending through a longitudinal slot (9) of the inner tubular body (5) .

Inventors: LUND PER WILLIAM, PETERSEN KNUD ROBERT, LUND, PER, WILLIAM, PETERSEN, KNUD, ROBERT
Applicants: LUND PER WILLIAM, PETERSEN KNUD ROBERT, RADIOMETER MEDICAL AS, LUND, PER, WILLIAM, PETERSEN, KNUD, ROBERT, RADIOMETER MEDICAL A/S
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61M5