Patent ID: 7524308

Claim:
A shieldable needle assembly comprising: a needle cannula having a proximal end and a distal end; a hub mounted to the needle cannula at a location spaced from the distal end; a shield axially slidable over the needle cannula between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position encapsulating the distal end of the needle cannula; a first biasing member biasing the shield towards the fully extended position; a lock, comprising a releasable abutting engagement with the shield, for releasably maintaining the shield in the fully retracted position; an actuator for releasing the lock; and a retaining member, comprising a releasable abutting engagement with the shield, distinct from the abutting engagement of the lock, wherein after activation of the actuator and release of the abutting engagement of the lock, retaining member engages the shield, and wherein the shield is prevented from moving to the fully extended position until the abutting engagement of the retaining member is disengaged from the shield.