Patent ID: 7544169

Claim:
A blood collection device comprising: a housing having an open rear end adapted to accommodate an evacuated blood collecting tube, and a front end; a needle holder in the front end; a needle which is attached to the needle holder and has a first end that projects from the housing and a second end that projects into the housing, the needle holder being releasably attached relative to the housing to enable the needle holder and the attached needle to be retracted; and a needle retraction device, the needle retraction device able to be pushed into the housing, the needle retraction device comprising at least two engagement means adapted to release the needle holder from the housing and to respond to a retraction bias to retract the needle holder the attached needle into the needle retraction device, wherein the needle holder includes an annular ring with at least two finger members extending therefrom that engage relative to the housing to retain the needle holder to the housing, each finger member being deflectable between a locking position where the finger member retains the needle holder to the housing, and a release position where the needle holder can be retracted into the housing, and each of the at least two engagement means is at least partially housed in abutment with a shoulder of a recess defined within an inner surface of the needle retraction device in opposition to the retraction bias prior to the release of the needle holder from the housing.