Patent ID: 7553296

Claim:
A medical safety device comprising: a needle hub having a needle supported thereon; and a safety shield operatively mounted on the needle hub, the safety shield including a pair of spaced legs and a foot member, each of the legs having a distal segment and a proximal segment, each of the proximal segments having a proximal end hingedly attached to the foot member and a distal end hingedly attached to the distal segment at a hinge member, each proximal segment including a camming surface, the safety shield further including a trigger supported on the foot member, the trigger including a camming member and being movable to move the camming member into engagement with the camming surfaces of the proximal segments to effect movement of the legs from a first position in which the distal ends of the distal segments shield a distal end of the needle to a second position in which the distal end of the needle is at least partially exposed, wherein the camming member of the trigger includes a pair of spaced cam portions, each of the cam portions being configured to engage one of the camming surfaces of the proximal segments, wherein the trigger is removably secured to the foot member such that the trigger can be removed from the foot member to prevent movement of the legs from the first position to the second position.