Patent ID: 8162889

Claim:
A needle assembly comprising: mounting structure; a needle extending from the mounting structure along a longitudinal axis, the needle having a sharp end and a central axial passageway extending along the longitudinal axis; a safety shield moveable with respect to the needle for selectively covering the sharp end of the needle, the shield including a tubular housing having a funnel-shaped end surface opposite the mounting structure when the shield covers the sharp end of the needle, said surface leading to a central aperture that is aligned with the central axial passageway of the needle when the shield covers the sharp end of the needle; and a reset key configured to engage the safety shield, the reset key comprising a shaft sized for inserting into the central aperture of the housing, the funnel-shaped end surface guiding the shaft into the aperture of the housing to register the reset key with the safety shield and the shaft with the central axial passageway of the needle to obturate the passageway; wherein the tubular housing of the safety shield has an outer surface surrounding the funnel-shaped end surface; and the reset key includes a shroud having an inner wall sized and shaped for receiving the outer surface of the tubular housing to center the safety shield in the reset key.