Patent ID: 6837877

Claim:
A shielded intravenous infusion or blood collection assembly comprising: an elongate needle; a length of tubing; an elongate housing being supportingly interposed between said needle at a distal end and said tubing at a proximal end and in fluid communication therewith, said housing comprising a pair of oppositely directed outwardly extended wings; a shield having a hinge with hinge axis about which said shield pivots, said shield being secured to said housing for pivotal movement about said hinge from an open position away from said needle to a closed position enclosing said needle, wherein said hinge axis is normal to a plane that bisects said wings; and mounting means for mounting said shield to said housing wherein said mounting means includes a clip positionable about said wings adjacent said housing for securing said shield to said housing, wherein said shield comprises a proximal end, a distal end, a pair of opposed shield sidewalls and a top surface thereby defining an elongated recess extending from said distal end to said proximal end for housing said needle therein when said shield is in said closed position; wherein said shield sidewalls comprise at least one inwardly directed protrusion adjacent said distal end of said recess of said shield, said distal protrusion being configured so as to be deflectable by said needle when said needle enters said elongated recess and returnable to an undeflected position when said shield is in said closed position.