Patent ID: 7128726

Claim:
A safety needle assembly comprising a needle hub with proximal and distal ends and a passage extending between said ends, a needle cannula mounted to said passage of said needle hub and having a pointed distal end projecting beyond said distal end of said hub, a shield having proximal and distal ends, said proximal end of said shield being hingedly mounted to said hub for rotation from a first position where said shield is spaced from said needle cannula to a second position where said shield substantially shields said needle cannula, said shield comprising a top wall, and opposed first and second sidewalls extending from said top wall, said shield including a rearward portion adjacent said proximal end of said shield configured for partly enclosing said hub and a forward portion adjacent said distal end of said shield configured for partly surrounding said needle, said rearward portion being cross-sectionally larger than said forward portion, a clip having an elongate base mounted to said top wall of said shield, a plurality of cannula finger locks projecting from said base of said clip and configured for locked engagement with said needle when said shield is rotated to said second position.