Patent ID: 7938810

Claim:
A safety guide for placing a sharp instrument through the skin of a patient, comprising: a first end of a safety guide having a receiver mechanism adapted for lockably accepting a sharp point of the sharp instrument; a second end of a safety guide having a holder mechanism adapted for releasably securing the sharp instrument in all directions; and a guide beam having a linear elongated body and a substantially uniform cross-section along its length, wherein the receiver mechanism and the holder mechanism are guided in continuous linear alignment along at least a portion of the guide beam such that the sharp point of the sharp instrument follows a substantially straight line from within the receiver mechanism to a position apart from the receiver mechanism and back into the receiver mechanism when the safety guide is actuated, wherein the receiver mechanism includes a receiver having an end face defining an open bore-hole; and wherein the safety guide first end further includes a receiver standard fixed to one end of the guide beam and configured to support the receiver, a receiver pin that intersects the receiver and the receiver standard, and a releasable safety sheath having an elongated cylindrical body defining a diameter substantially the same as the bore-hole, such that the safety sheath is releasably insertable into the open bore-hole.