U.S. patent application number 10/409054 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-14 for safety syringe.
Invention is credited to Lin, Hsiu-Chih, Yang, Jih-Hsiung.
Application Number | 20040204688 10/409054 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40122395 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040204688 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin, Hsiu-Chih ; et
al. |
October 14, 2004 |
SAFETY SYRINGE
Abstract
A safety syringe has a hollow barrel, a plunger, a tube, a
needle hub, a spring and a plug. The hollow barrel has an outside
surface, a proximal open end and a distal closed end. The plunger
is mounted slidably inside the hollow barrel. The tube has a
proximal open end and a distal open end and is attached
longitudinally to the outside surface of the hollow barrel. The
needle hub and the spring are mounted inside the tube, and the
needle can extend out of the distal open end of the tube. A first
through hole defined in the hollow barrel and a second through hole
is defined in the tube align with each other. The needle is
extended out from the distal end of the tube to take a blood
sample. The used needle is retracted into the tube after use to
keep people from getting injured or infected.
Inventors: |
Lin, Hsiu-Chih; (Taichung
Hsien, TW) ; Yang, Jih-Hsiung; (Taichung Hsien,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENBERG, KLEIN & LEE
3458 ELLICOTT CENTER DRIVE-SUITE 101
ELLICOTT CITY
MD
21043
US
|
Family ID: |
40122395 |
Appl. No.: |
10/409054 |
Filed: |
April 9, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/192 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 2005/3228 20130101;
A61M 5/3232 20130101; A61M 5/3272 20130101; A61M 2005/3206
20130101; A61M 2005/3227 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
604/192 |
International
Class: |
A61M 005/32 |
Claims
1. A safety syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having a distal
closed end; a proximal open end; a sidewall; an outside surface; a
first through hole defined through the sidewall; and, a dovetail
keyway defined longitudinally on the outside surface, the first
through hole being defined through the dovetail keyway; a plunger
slidably mounted inside the hollow barrel; a tube connected to the
hollow barrel being cylindrical and having a proximal open end; a
distal open end; a sidewall; a lip defined inside the distal open
end; a guide slot defined longitudinally through the tube from the
proximal open end toward the distal open end and having a proximal
end and a distal end; a retracted locking slot defined through the
tube perpendicular to the guide slot and communicating with the
guide slot near the proximal end of the guide slot; an extended
locking slot defined through the tube perpendicular to the guide
slot and communicating with the distal end of the guide slot; and a
second through hole defined through the sidewall; the tube
including a dovetail key engaged into the dovetail keyway; the
second through hole being defined through the dovetail key aligning
with the first through hole; and, a needle hub slidably mounted
inside the tube and having a stopper having a top surface, a bottom
surface and a cylindrical surface; a needle with a longitudinal
fluid passage and mounted in the bottom surface of the stopper; a
fluid channel defined through the stopper and having a first end
defined through the bottom surface of the stopper and connected to
the needle; and a second end; a guide stub attached to the
cylindrical surface of the stopper and moveably received in the
guide slot in the tube; and a tapered hole formed in the
cylindrical surface and communicating with the second end of the
fluid channel so the tapered hole aligns with the second through
hole when the guide stub the guide stub is fully seated in the
extended locking slot.
2. The safety syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow
barrel and the tube are integrally formed together.
3. (Cancelled).
4. The safety syringe as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a
spring inserted into the tube and the needle is inserted through
the spring.
5. The safety syringe as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a
plug inside the proximal open end of the tube.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a syringe, and more
particularly to a safety syringe that can safely hold a used needle
and prevent the syringe from being used more than once.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] A conventional syringe has a hollow barrel, a plunger and a
needle hub. The needle hubs of conventional syringes are easily
inclined during use so the needle hubs are difficult to retract
into the barrel. Due to contagious diseases, the needles of
syringes and even the hollow barrels and plungers, should not be
used again and should be discarded immediately after use. Also, to
keep nurses, doctors or workers who deal with discarded syringes
from getting injured or infected by used needles, a safety syringe
is needed. The conventional safety syringe often has a complex
structure, so to provide a simple and effective safe design for the
needles of syringes is still needed.
[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of conventional syringes, the
present invention provides a safety syringe to mitigate or obviate
the aforementioned problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a safety syringe that has a simpler structure than the conventional
safety syringe and improves safety. The safety syringe in
accordance with the present invention comprises a hollow barrel, a
plunger, a tube and a needle hub.
[0007] The hollow barrel has a proximal open end, a distal closed
end, an outside surface, a dovetail keyway and a first through
hole. The plunger is slidably mounted inside the hollow barrel. The
tube has a proximal open end and a distal open end and is mounted
on the hollow barrel. The needle hub and the spring are mounted
inside the tube, and the needle selectively extends from the
proximal open end of the tube. The first through hole is defined in
the hollow barrel through the dovetail keyway, and a second through
hole is defined in the tube. The first through hole faces the
second through hole.
[0008] When using the safety syringe, the needle hub extends out of
the tube to draw a blood sample. When finishing taking a blood
sample, the used needle hub is retracted inside the tube to keep
the used needle from injuring or infecting a person.
[0009] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a safety syringe
in accordance with the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side plan view in partial section of the safety
syringe in FIG. 1 with the plunger pressed into the hollow barrel
and a covered needle in the tube;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an operational side plan view in partial section
of the safety syringe in FIG. 1 with the plunger partially
retracted from the hollow barrel and the needle extending from the
tube; and
[0013] FIG. 4 is an operational side plan view in partial section
of the safety syringe in FIG. 1 with the plunger pressed into the
barrel and a used needle retracted into the tube.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a safe syringe in
accordance with the present invention has a hollow barrel (10), a
plunger (20), a tube (30) and a needle hub (40).
[0015] The hollow barrel (10) is cylindrical and has a distal
closed end (11), a proximal open end (12), a sidewall (not
numbered), an outside surface (not numbered), an annular flange
(not numbered), a dovetail keyway (13) and a first through hole
(14). The annular flange is defined radially around and extends out
from the proximal open end (12). The dovetail keyway (13) is formed
longitudinally on the outside surface of the hollow barrel (10).
The first through hole (14) is defined through the sidewall in the
dovetail keyway (13) near the distal closed end (11).
[0016] The plunger (20) has a proximal end (not numbered), a distal
end (not numbered) and a seal (not numbered) and is slidably
mounted inside the hollow barrel (10). The seal is attached to the
distal end of the plunger (20).
[0017] The tube (30) is connected to the hollow barrel (10) and has
an outside surface (not numbered), a dovetail key (31), a lip (not
numbered), a distal open end (32), a proximal open end (33), a
guide slot (34), a sidewall (not numbered) and a second through
hole (37). The dovetail key (31) is formed longitudinally on and
extends from the outside surface and engages the dovetail keyway
(13) on the hollow barrel (10). The lip is formed at the distal
open end (32) and protrudes radially inward so that the distal open
end (32) is smaller than the proximal open end (33). The guide slot
(34) has a proximal end (not numbered), a distal end (not
numbered), a retracted locking slot (35) and an extended locking
slot (36) and is defined longitudinally through the sidewall of the
tube (30) diametrically opposite from the dovetail key (31). The
proximal end of the guide slot (34) can be open and is at the
proximal open end (33) of the tube (30). The retracted locking slot
(35) is formed near the proximal end of and perpendicular to the
guide slot (34). The extended locking slot (36) is formed at the
distal end of and perpendicular to the guide slot (34). The second
through hole (37) is defined through sidewall of the tube (30) and
the dovetail key (31) and faces and aligns with the first through
hole (14) defined through the hollow barrel (10). The tube (30)
also can connect to the hollow barrel (10) in other ways such as
integrally formed together with the hollow barrel (10).
[0018] The safety syringe in accordance with the present invention
further comprises a spring (50) and a plug (60). The spring (50)
has a distal end (not numbered) and a proximal end (not numbered)
and is inserted mounted into the tube (30). The distal end of the
spring (50) abuts the lip in the distal open end (32) of the tube
(30).
[0019] The needle hub (40) is slidably mounted inside the tube (30)
and has a needle (41), a stopper (42), a guide stub (43), a fluid
channel (44) and a tapered hole (45). The stopper (42) is
cylindrical and has a top surface (not numbered), a bottom surface
(not numbered) and a cylindrical surface (not numbered). The bottom
surface abuts the distal open end (32). The needle (41) has a
longitudinal fluid passage (not shown), and can pass through the
spring (50) and is mounted in the bottom surface of the stopper
(42). The fluid channel (44) has a first end (not numbered) and a
second end (not numbered). The first end is defined through the
bottom surface of the stopper (42), and the second end is defined
through the cylindrical surface of the stopper (42). The first end
of the fluid channel (44) is connected to the needle (41), and the
second end of the fluid channel (44) is connecting to the tapered
hole (45) that is formed in the cylindrical surface. The guide stub
(43) is attached to the cylindrical surface of the stopper (42) so
the tapered hole (45) aligns with the second through hole (37) when
the guide stub (43) is fully seated in the extended locking slot
(36).
[0020] With further reference to FIG. 3, the needle hub (40) may
optionally include a needle cap (46). The needle cap (46) is
detachably attached to the bottom surface of the stopper (42) to
cover the needle (41) to protect the needle (41) from contaminants
and to keep the needle (41) injuring a person when the needle (41)
is being extended from the tube (30). The needle cap (46) is
removed from the needle (41) and discarded to draw a blood sample
or medicine into the hollow barrel (10).
[0021] The plug (60) is cylindrical and is mounted securely inside
the distal open end (33) of the tube (30) to hold the needle hub
(40) inside the tube (30).
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, when taking blood or
putting medicine into patients' body, the user moves the stopper
(42) from the retracted locking slot (35) to the guide slot (34) by
means of holding the guide stub (43). The stopper (42) is slid
toward the distal end of the guide slot (34) and is moved into the
extended locking slot (36) to hold the needle (41) outside the
distal open end (32) of the tube (30) and to align the tapered hole
(45) with the second through hole (37) in the tube (30). The spring
(50) is compressed between the lip at the proximal open (32) and
the bottom surface of the needle hub (40). The plunger (30) is
pulled toward the proximal end of the hollow barrel (10) so blood
sample or medicine can be drawn through the needle (41), the fluid
channel (44), the second through hole (37) and the first through
hole (14) into the hollow barrel (10).
[0023] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, used syringes should be
discarded after use. The guide stub (43) is released from the
extended locking slot (36), and the spring (50) pushes the guide
stub (43) toward the proximal end of the guide slot (34). The
spring (50) also holds the needle hub (40) and the needle (41) in
the tube (30). The needle cap (46) can be inserted through the
distal open end (32) of the tube (30) to cover the used needle (41)
to further protect people who deal with the used syringes.
[0024] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the
present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description,
together with details of the structure and function of the
invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be
made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and
arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the
full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in
which the appended claims are expressed.
* * * * *