Patent ID: 6855127

Claim:
A needle assembly comprising a hollow needle having a sharp needle tip at a distal end of the needle; a needle hub having a distal end in which the needle is secured and having an inner lumen in communication with the inside of the needle; a needle protector having an elongated rod-shaped main body and a needle tip protection part, said needle tip protection part being a tubular cylindrical member provided on a distal end of said main body for sliding on the needle; a cylindrical needle hub cover provided on the distal end of the needle hub and having an inner channel for accommodating the needle and the needle tip protection part therein; the needle hub and the needle hub cover each having such a shape as to form a side hole providing communication between the outside of said assembly and the inner channel of the needle hub cover when the needle hub and the needle hub cover are joined; wherein said main body of the protector is positioned in said side hole and is movable along the needle toward the distal end or the proximal end of the needle.