Patent ID: 7691083

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: a housing having an aperture in a wall of the housing, the aperture defined by a rim; a first needle having a sharpened tip, the first needle operable between an extended position in which the sharpened tip is exposed and a retracted position in which the sharpened tip is shielded; a biasing element biasing the first needle toward the retracted position; a needle hub displaceable between a forward position in which the first needle is in the extended position and a rearward position in which the first needle is in the retracted position, the needle hub comprising: a first connector at an end of the hub, the first connector configured to provide a fluid-tight connection between a fluid line and the first needle; a radially deformable arm; an actuator disposed at an end of the arm, wherein the actuator is configured to cooperate with the rim of the housing to releasably retain the first needle in the extended position against a bias provided by the biasing element, wherein the actuator is configured to be moved out of cooperative engagement with the rim, thereby permitting the biasing element to transition the needle hub to the rearward position, wherein the actuator comprises a forward stop; and a flange projecting outwardly from the needle hub at a position forward of the actuator; and a lip projecting radially inwardly from the wall of the housing so as to define a contracted opening, wherein the flange of the needle hub is larger in diameter than the opening defined by the lip of the housing such that a rearward edge of the flange can contact the lip, wherein, when the needle hub is transitioned from the forward position to the rearward position, the lip of the housing displaces the actuator radially inwardly such that the actuator passes rearwardly beyond the lip, and wherein, when the needle hub is in the rearward position, the forward stop of the actuator cooperates with a rearward surface of the lip of the housing to prevent forward movement of the needle hub relative to the housing, and the lip cooperates with the flange of the needle hub to impede rearward axial movement of the needle hub beyond the rearward position.