ANTI-PRICK DISC FOR THE ENCAPSULATION OF SYRINGE NEEDLES

Abstract: An anti-prick disc (1) for protecting an operator's hands from being pricked during an encapsulation operation of a needle (4) of a syringe (5) by a capsule (3), including a shield element (2) and a through hole (6) provided in the shield element. The through hole (6) has dimensions such that the capsule (3) may be inserted through the through hole (6) and held by the operator together with the shield element (2) during the encapsulation operation in which the needle (4) is inserted into the capsule (3) thus held while the shield element (2) protects the operator's hands from being pricked by the needle (4).

Description: Anti-Prick Disc for the Encapsulation of Syringe Needles Technical Field The present invention relates to an anti-prick disc for the encapsulation of syringe needles. Background Art The present invention solves the problem of accidental pricks which one may be subjected to during the encapsulation of the needles of the syringes. The problem of accidental pricks is a small but very serious difficulty which users risk to be subjected to daily, in both domestic and hospital environments. The reduction of such accidents would produce a very strong decrease of the risks of infection, as well as a lowering of the sanitary costs and of the reporting times, thanks to the decrease of the compensation offered to the health workers, often victims of said difficulties. Disclosure of the Invention One principal aim of the present invention is to solve the problems which are encountered in the operation of encapsulating a needle of a syringe with a capsule. One particular aim of the present invention is to avoid that an operator is pricked by a syringe needle during the encapsulation of a capsule on the syringe needle. In accordance with one preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anti-prick disc for protecting an operator's hands from being pricked during an encapsulation operation of a needle of a syringe by a capsule, which comprises: a shield element; and a through hole provided in the shield element, in which the through hole has dimensions such that the capsule may be inserted through the hole and held by the operator together with the shield element during the encapsulation operation in which the needle is inserted into the capsule thus held while the shield element protects the operator's hands from being pricked by the needle. Brief Description of Drawings The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of an anti-prick disc for the encapsulation of syringe needles according to the invention, illustrated only for illustrative and non-limiting purposes with the help of the attached drawing sheets in which: Figure 1 is a top perspective view of one preferred embodiment of an anti-prick disc for the encapsulation of syringe needles according to the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the anti-prick disc of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded partial sectional elevational view of the anti- prick disc of the preceding Figures arranged for operation with a syringe with a needle and a needle capsule; Figure 4 is partial sectional elevational view of the anti-prick disc with syringe, needle and needle capsule, similar to Figure 3, however in an operational configuration for insertion of the needle in the capsule with the operators hand protected by the anti-prick disc: Figure 5 is a partial sectional elevational view of the anti-prick disc with syringe, needle and needle capsule, of the preceding Figures 3-4 with the needle inserted in the needle capsule; and Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the encapsulation of a needle syringe with a needle capsule without the use of the anti-prick disc of the preceding Figures with the danger of possible pricking of the operator's hand during the encapsulation operation. Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention With reference to the cited figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates an anti-prick disc which is preferably a single-piece object in plastic material, or another suitable material, non-toxic, and of reduced dimensions and weight. Disc 1 comprises a shield element 2 which in the preferred form as seen in the Figures is circular, but which may also have a different shape, such as to be sufficient to protect, acting as an anti-prick shield, the fingers of the hand of the person which uses it. Preferably, the diameter of shield element 2 is approximately 6 cm and the thickness of shield element 2 is variable between 2 and 3 mm. Anti-prick disc 1 is dimensioned for perfectly gathering the capsule 3 adapted for accommodating a needle 4 of a syringe 5. For this purpose, disc 1 is provided in a central region with a through hole 6 whose dimensions are such as that the capsule 3 may pass through the hole starting with a first end 3a of capsule 3 up to a second end 3b of capsule 3. Moreover, hole 6 is dimensioned such that end 3b of capsule 3 is substantially stably supported in hole 6 after capsule 3 is fully inserted into hole 6 starting firstly from the first end 3a (Fig. 4). In this position, capsule 3 may be seized by a user and needle 4 may be inserted into capsule while shield element 2 of anti-prick disc 1 acts as a shield for the fingers of the user's hand against accidental pricks of needle 4. Figure 5 shows the fully inserted position of needle 4 of syringe 5 in capsule 3. From this position when capsule 3 is stable secured to a connecting portion 7 for needle 4 and syringe 5, generally by means of a snug fit (possibly elastic) between the inside of capsule 3 and the outside of connecting portion 7, the entire assembly of syringe 5, needle 4 and capsule 3 encapsulating needle 4 may be easily removed from disc 1, without any particular forcing efforts which might otherwise cause capsule to disengaged from connecting portion 7, due to the fact that hole 6 of disc 1 is dimensioned to simply support end 3b of capsule 3 therein. In order to facilitate the insertion and subsequent stable support of capsule 3 in hole 6 of disc 1, hole 6 is provided with an upper tapered portion 8, which in the disclosed embodiment is preferably of a trunco-conical shape. merging with a lower cylindrical portion 10. Tapered portion 8 effectively gathers and stably accommodates an enlarged portion 9 of end 3b of capsule 3, such that enlarged portion 9 may be simply inserted into tapered portion 8 and stably accommodated therein for the subsequent operation of insertion of needle 4 into capsule 3 (Figures 4 and 5), whereupon after connecting portion 7 of needle 4 is snugly fit into end 3b of capsule 3 (with an elastic deformation fit between connecting portion 7 and end 3b) syringe 5 with needle 4 consequently encapsulated by capsule 3 may be easily removed from anti-prick disc 1 without any particular effort since enlarged portion 9 simple rests at tapered portion 8. About hole 6 there extends a central protrusion 11 which defines a substantially planar bottom surface 12 for resting on the tips of an operator's fingers (Figure 4) and for acting as a kind of reference contact surface. Indeed, the operator simply grips capsule 3 with the finger tips engaged on bottom surface 12 and thereby forces or holds enlarged portion 9 engaged in tapered portion 8 for the subsequent encapsulation operation, while anti-prick disc 1 protects the operator's fingers from being pricked. Shield element 2 is provided with a concave inner profile which helps needle 4 to merged into the correct position for encapsulation by capsule 3. The concave inner profile of shield element 2 "guides" needle 4 into the correct position if needle 4 were placed into contact with the concave inner profile during the encapsulation operation, due to the merging affect of the concave inner profile towards the central through hole 6. Shield element 2 simultaneously protects the operator ' s fingers from being pricked during this type of encapsulation operation. Priority is claimed of Italian Patent Application No. PA98A000006 filed on 26 February 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims: Claims 1. An anti-prick disc for protecting an operator's hands from being pricked during an encapsulation operation of a needle of a syringe by a capsule, comprising: a shield element; and a through hole provided in said shield element, said through hole having dimensions such that the capsule may be inserted through said hole and held by the operator together with the shield element during the encapsulation operation in which the needle is inserted into the capsule thus held while said shield element protects the operator's hands from being pricked by the needle. 2. The anti-prick disc of claim 1 wherein said shield element is a single- piece monolithic object. 3. The anti-prick disc of claim 2 wherein said shield element is circular with a diameter of approximately 6 cm and a thickness between 2 and 3 mm. 4. The anti-prick disc of claim 1 wherein said through hole is dimensioned so as to stable support an enlarged end of the capsule. 5. The anti-prick disc of claim 1 wherein said through hole comprises an upper tapered portion for supporting the enlarged end of the capsule. 6. The anti-prick disc of claim 5 wherein said through hole further comprises a lower cylindrical portion merging with said upper tapered portion. 7. The anti-prick disc of claim 5 wherein said upper tapered portion has a trunco-conical shape. 8. The anti-prick disc of claim 1 wherein said shield element comprises a central lower protrusion extending about said through hole. 9. The anti-prick disc of claim 8 wherein said central lower protrusion defines a substantially planar bottom surface for engagement with the tips of the operator's fingers. 10. The anti-prick disc of claim 1 wherein said shield element comprises a concave inner profile. 11. The anti-prick disc of claim 1 wherein said through hole comprises an upper tapered portion for stably supporting an enlarged end of the capsule, and wherein said shield element comprises a central lower protrusion extending about said through hole, and wherein said shield element comprises a concave inner profile.

Inventors: CIRILLO STEFANO, FUCA GIUSEPPE, CIRILLO, STEFANO, FUCA, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: CIRILLO STEFANO, FUCA GIUSEPPE, CIRILLO, STEFANO, FUCA, GIUSEPPE
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61M5