Patent ID: 7144387

Claim:
A butterfly needle device having a passive needle protection system comprising: an elongated needle having a proximal end and a distal tip, said needle defining an axis; a hollow, cylindrical base member disposed over said needle and centered on said axis; a first wing extending from said cylindrical base member; a second wing positioned in said cylindrical base member for rotation about said axis relative to said first wing between a closed configuration wherein said wings are juxtaposed and an open configuration wherein said wings are displaced from each other by approximately one-hundred eighty degrees (180° ); a hollow cylindrical needle guard disposed on said needle and positioned coaxially with said base member for reciprocal axial movement relative thereto, with one of said base member and said needle guard formed with a plug and the other formed with an axially aligned groove for interaction with said plug; a means for biasing said needle guard distally relative to said base member; a means for aligning said plug with said groove after said wings have been cycled from said closed configuration to said open configuration and then back to said closed configuration to allow distal advancement of said needle guard relative to the needle after said cycle to cover and protect said distal tip of said needle with said needle guard; and a means for locking said needle guard in position covering said distal tip of said needle.