WO1997010016A1

WO1997010016A1 - Syringe

Info

Publication number: WO1997010016A1
Application number: PCT/SE1996/001128
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Olson
Original assignee: James Olson
Priority date: 1995-09-12
Filing date: 1996-09-11
Publication date: 1997-03-20
Also published as: SE9503132D0; AU7004096A; SE9503132L; SE504974C2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement that- when a device is used, comprising a hypodermic needle and a fastening unit intended for the needle, in coaction with a cover that can enclose said needle and fastening unit - can be used to create the conditions necessary for safely bending a hypodermic needle, thereby rendering the needle and/or the device unusable. The cover (3) is displaceably arranged in relation to the needle (4) and its fastening unit. The cover (3) is dislocated after a performed injection and/or aspiration in a direction so as to totally enclose or cover the used hypodermic needle (4). The cover (3), or part thereof, is in this position, according to 'a', tilted relative a centre line of the needle so that the hole (5) is dislocated in relation to said tip of the needle, whereby the tip (4a) of the hypodermic needle is oriented off-centre from the hole (5) in said end partition. The cover (3) is pressed towards the fastening unit with force enough to bend the hypodermic needle (4) within the cover (3) while the cover is pushed in a direction over the fastening unit.

Description

TITLE OF INVENTION: SYRINGE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates primarily to a method that — when a device comprising a hypodermic needle and a fastening unit intended for the needle, where the needle and the faste¬ ning unit are oriented in a longitudinal prolongation in coac- tion with an enclosable cover, where an needle tip related end partition belonging to said cover presents a hole, which hole is positioned in a centre line of the needle at a coaction be¬ tween the device and the cover, where said cover is movably arranged in relation to said needle and fastening unit, and where said cover is movable to a position where said needle is mainly outside of said cover before an injection and/or aspi- ration, — can be used to create the conditions necessary for safely bending a hypodermic needle, thereby rendering it and/or an entire device unusable.

Intended for these purposes, the present invention presents a specific arrangement comprising a cover in coaction with an a hypodermic syringe for aspiration or injection.

The present invention comprises secondarily such an arrange¬ ment.

Although the present invention is primarily intended to provide a complete arrangement so that a hypodermic needle can be safely bent after it has been used, thereby rendering it and/or the complete arrangement unusable, a potential exists, within the scope of the invention, for the embodiment — when a previ¬ ously known, standardised, reusable, hypodermic syringe for aspiration or injection is allowed to co-act, before the sample collection or injection, with cover, which is dimensioned so as to form an arrangement according to the present invention — for using the method described by the invention.

The term "injection" means to put a substance underneath the skin through used needle, such as the injection of a pharma- ceutical liquid substance, and the term "aspiration" means to collect something from underneath the skin through used needle, such as the collection of a blood sample. The present invention is not restricted to any of these uses, hence the use of the general term "hypodermic needle" (hypo:under [greek] and derma:skin [greek]), wherefore the term "hypodermic syringe" is used, for the sake of simplicity, for a device comprising a needle, which syringe is intended provide possibilities for an injection and/or an aspiration, or the like, through said needle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART

The need to protect personnel handling needles that have been used in an injection and/or aspiration have been known for a long time, since these needles can be contaminated and carry deceases that can be transferred to the personnel if they are stuck by such needle. It is also known that used needles are desired objects at thefts by persons that can not get hold needles in a legal way, wherefore it is desirable to be able to destroy used and perhaps contaminated needles in a safe way in order to reduce the desirability at thefts.

A number of earlier known ways to protect and/or destroy hypo¬ dermic needles will be described in the following description of prior art.

Hypodermic syringes of various kinds are known to have existed before. Those that are most closely related to the present invention are mentioned below.

The American patent publication 4,425,120 made known a hypo- dermic syringe with a container; a plunger arranged within the interior of the container; a backwards-and-forwards-movable rod that is inserted into the container, being able to co-act with the plunger; a hypodermic needle that extends away from the container and that is oriented as a longitudinal prolongation of said container; and a cover that partially encloses said container, which is arranged so that it can be rotated relative to the container of the hypodermic syringe, and where the cover can take a first and a second position by means of a bayonet mount, where a rotation of the cover brings it into a firm but readily detachable coaction with the container of the hypo¬ dermic syringe. The hypodermic needle is protected in the first position, but is exposed in the second position.

Another hypodermic syringe, made known through the American patent publication 2,571,653, is of the kind previously des¬ cribed, having a cover arranged to enclose the container of the hypodermic syringe. Here, as well, the cover is arranged to provide two positions: one that protects and one that exposes the hypodermic needle.

As relates to the characteristics of the invention — namely, its being able to safely bend a hypodermic needle after it has been used, thereby rendering the hypodermic needle and/or the hypodermic syringe unusable for a second injection — various arrangements, intended for these purposes, are known to exist.

As examples of prior art regarding these characteristics, refe¬ rences are made to the content of the American patent publi¬ cations 4,266,544; 4,634,428; 4,728,320; and 4,735,618.

An arrangement described in the American patent publication 4,725,267 also belongs to prior art. This arrangement, made known through the patent publications US-A-5,259,841 and FR-A-2,654,346, uses a cover to protect the hypodermic needle. The cover is arranged to enclose the con¬ tainer of the hypodermic syringe. In this arrangement, the hypodermic needle is positioned off-centre from the centre line of the container.

It is also known to use a device comprising a container whereto a needle is fastened to aspirate, or take samples of, blood. The needle can be exposed or protected through a movable cover, which can be moved into a fixed position, where the needle is enclosed and protected, or over the container, where the needle is exposed and can be used for aspiration. A blood sample can be collected as said needle is stuck underneath the skin of a body, and thereto into a vein, if the pressure in the vein is higher then the pressure in the surroundings of the body, whereafter the blood can be collected in the container.

These devices can also be given a needle with two tips, where the first needle tip is used to be stuck underneath the skin of a body and where the second needle tip is pointed towards or into an external container, wherein an internal container, a vacuum container, can be inserted. The second needle tip is adapted to penetrate the vacuum container and the low pressure in this internal container causes a flow from the first needle tip to the vacuum container. The vacuum container can thus easily and fast be filled with, for instance blood, if the first needle tip is positioned within a vein.

Regardless of what arrangement that is used with a container to inject or aspirate something from/to a container to/from a body it is previously known to do so through a needle, a hypodermic needle, and it is also previously known to protect or to destroy this needle in various ways, as described above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

In view of prior art, as described above, one technical problem is to show, in a simple way, a method that — when a device, such as a hypodermic syringe, comprising a hypodermic needle, is used with the aid of a cover that partially encloses the device — makes it possible to create the conditions necessary for safely bending a hypodermic needle, thereby rendering it and/or an entire device unusable after use.

Another technical problem is to discern the importance of this method; that is, that it can be performed only if the device is allowed to be an essential part of a specific arrangement that meets predetermined conditions, in order to fulfil the desire to safely be able to bend the hypodermic needle.

Another technical problem is to be able to show an arrangement related to an aspiration or injection needle that can be handled in a known way by hospital personnel or others, where the hypodermic needle can be safely bent by means of a very simple manipulation after use, and where the bent hypodermic needle will be completely encased within a space and thus un¬ able to harm anybody at further action or disposal procedures.

Another technical problem is to discern the importance of providing the cover with a hole in the end partition close to the needle tip, where the needle tip and the needle stick through as the cover partially encloses the device, and to let the cover present a longitudinal prolongation, so that, through an acceptable coaction with the device, it can be dislocated over the hypodermic needle, thereby totally covering the needle.

It must then be regarded as a technical problem to be able to realize the conditions necessary for, and the necessity of, forming the device so that the hole can be dislocated in rela- tion to a centre line of the needle in a position where the cover encloses the needle completely.

Another technical problem is to discern the conditions neces¬ sary for, and the necessity of, adapting the outer surface of the device to the inner surface of the cover, so that these can be given not only an axial dislocation, but also a rotational movement, relative to each other, without — for these purposes — having to complicate the connecting arrangements.

Another technical problem is to discern the importance of making the end partition of the cover hard enough to be able to bend the hypodermic needle without allowing the tip of the needle to penetrate the end partition.

Another technical problem is to discern how to provide the possibilities to make sure that the needle does not slip through the hole at the bending of the needle.

Another technical problem is to be able to show a means for securing the cover to the device in a fixed but readily detachable manner.

Moreover, it is a technical problem to discern the importance of letting said means consist of dot-formed meltdowns in the opposing surface layers of the device and the cover.

Another technical problem is to discern the importance of letting said means consist of an irregularity, such as ridges positioned in a radial or axial manner along the inner surface of the cover.

Another technical problem is to discern the importance of letting said means consist of a thread on the inner surface of the cover in coaction with a thread on the outer surface of the device. In addition, another technical problem is to discern the im¬ portance of arranging said means so that it is active in a relative position between the cover and the device that corre¬ sponds to the hypodermic needle when sufficiently bent.

Yet another technical problem is to discern how important it is for the cover to have an inner form that is directly adapted to be able to enclose a standardised, reusable, hypodermic syringe, in order to make it unusable.

SOLUTION

In order to solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention currently shows a method that — when a device is used comprising a hypodermic needle with a fastening unit for the needle, where the needle end the faste¬ ning unit are oriented in a longitudinal prolongation, and in coaction with a cover whereby the needle and fastening unit can be enclosed — can be used to create the conditions necessary for safely bending said hypodermic needle, thereby rendering it and/or the device unusable.

The significant method of the invention requires both a speci¬ fic arrangement and a specific action.

The arrangement requires that said cover is formed with a hole at the end partition of the cover that is close to the needle, which hole is positioned in a centre line of said needle, and that said cover is arranged so as to enclose said container so that the hypodermic needle is positioned outside the end partition of said cover.

With an arrangement of this kind, the present invention shows that if, after an injection and/or aspiration has been made, it is desirable to safely bend the hypodermic needle in order to render the needle and/or device unusable, the cover must be dislocated in a direction so as to totally enclose the used hypodermic needle; in this position, the cover is dislocated relative to the centre line of the needle so that the tip of the hypodermic needle is oriented at the side of the hole in said end partition, and the cover is pressed towards the needle and its fastening unit with force enough to bend the hypodermic needle within the cover while the cover is pushed in over the needle and towards the fastening unit during the bending process.

As a proposed embodiment, falling within the scope of the invention, it is shown that, while said cover is to be able to enclose said device so that the hypodermic needle is positioned outside of said end partition, the cover is firmly related to the device, and that said firm relationship can be broken or released immediately before said dislocation is made in a direction so as to completely enclose or cover the used hypo¬ dermic needle.

Moreover, it is shown that during the method of safely bending the hypodermic needle, the cover can be rotated relative to the device.

The present invention also shows the use of an arrangement com¬ prising a device, which in turn comprises a hypodermic needle and a fastening unit for the needle, where the needle and the fastening unit are oriented in a longitudinal prolongation, and a cover that encloses the needle and the fastening unit, and where the cover is adapted to partially enclose said device.

It is hereby required that said cover is formed with a hole at its end partition positioned closest to the hypodermic needle, which hole is positioned in a centre line of the needle in a coaction between the device and the cover, where said cover is movably arranged in relation to said device, where it is mov- able to a position where hypodermic needle is surrounded by said hole, positioning the hypodermic needle mainly outside said cover. The cover is given, in known manner, a longitudinal prolon¬ gation, so that it can be dislocated with an acceptable coac¬ tion with the device over the hypodermic needle, thereby com¬ pletely covering the hypodermic needle.

Further, the hole can be dislocated in relation to the centre line of the needle, when given a position where the cover is completely moved or dislocated over said needle so that the cover encloses the hypodermic needle.

The invention shows that the end partition of said cover is hard enough to bend the hypodermic needle, by pressing the cover towards the device with a force high enough to bend the needle within the cover, without allowing the tip of the needle to penetrate the end partition.

One specific proposed embodiment shows that the device can be given such form that provides a wedge at the end of the device from where the hypodermic needle prolongs, which allows the cover to be tilted in relation to the centre line of the needle, whereby a dislocation of the hole is possible.

It is also possible to let the mantle part of the cover totally or partly consist of a material which is soft enough to allow the cover to be bent and thereby make a dislocation of the hole possible.

In order to make sure that the needle does not slip out through the hole during the bending process of the needle it is, by the present invention, proposed that the hole of the cover is en¬ closed by a collar formed protrusion, which prolongs parallel with the longitudinal prolongation of the cover from the hole towards the inner part of the cover.

It is further shown that the cover is given a longitudinal prolongation so that it can be dislocated, with an acceptable coaction with the device, far enough over the hypodermic needle to let the tip of the hypodermic needle, at said dislocation of the hole, be positioned between said collar formed protrudance and the inner of the cover, whereby the tip of the needle will be locked between the collar formed protrudance and the inner surface of the external container during the bending process of the needle.

As a proposed embodiment, it is specifically shown that the cover, in a position where the hypodermic needle is enclosed by said hole and positioned mainly outside of said end partition, is related to the device through a fixed but readily detachable securing or fastening means.

Said means can consist of a dot-formed meltdown in the opposing surfaces of the device and the cover.

It is further shown that said means can consist of an irregu¬ larity formed in the inner surface of the cover.

Besides this it is shown that said means can consist of a thread on the inner surface of the cover adapted to a coaction with a thread on the outer surface of the device.

Said means are to be arranged to be active in a relative posi- tion between the cover and the device associated with a hypo¬ dermic needle that has been sufficiently bent.

Finally, it is shown that the cover is to be given an inner form that is directly adaptable for enclosing a standardised, reusable, hypodermic syringe.

ADVANTAGES

The advantage that primarily can be regarded as characteristic for a method and arrangement according to the present invention is that conditions have been created for rendering, in a simple way — if necessary — a device comprising a hypodermic needle unusable solely by ensuring that said device has a specific form, and that a cover has a hole at the end partition closest to the hypodermic needle, and to make sure that said cover is arranged to encloses said container, so that the hypodermic needle is positioned on the outside of said end partition, and that by means of a specific dislocating movement of the cover, relative to the device, the hypodermic needle can be safely bent within the external container, rendering the hypodermic needle unusable.

The primary characteristic features of a method, according to the present invention, are set forth in the characterising clause of Claim 1; the primary characteristic features of an arrangement, according to the present invention, are set forth in the characterising clause of Claim 5.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A unique arrangement according to the invention, adaptable for use in the method that has been described, will now be des- cribed in greater detail while referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates, partly in cross-section and in side view, the arrangement in a position where the hypodermic syringe is reusable;

Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement in a position where a cover has been dislocated so as to totally cover or enclose a hypodermic needle;

Figure 3 illustrates a position where the cover has been some¬ what tilted, rendering a small dislocation of a hole belonging to the cover relative to the tip of the needle;

Figure 4 illustrates a position where the cover has been bent, rendering a small dislocation of a hole belonging to the cover relative to the tip of the needle;

Figure 5 illustrates a position where the cover has been pressed over the container of the hypodermic syringe, while the hypodermic needle has been bent safely within the cover;

Figure 6 illustrates, in side view, a first embodiment of securing means that hold the cover to the hypodermic syringe;

Figure 7 illustrates, in side view, a second embodiment of said securing means;

Figure 8 illustrates, in side view, a third embodiment of said securing means;

Figure 9 illustrates, in perspective, a cover whose securing means are formed of axial ridges;

Figure 10 illustrates, in perspective, a cover whose securing means are formed of radial ridges;

Figure 11 illustrates, in side view, a hypodermic needle adapted for aspiration with a fastening unit to a container and a thereto applied cover;

Figure 12 illustrates, in side view, a hypodermic needle with a fastening unit applied to a container:

Figure 13 illustrates, in side view, that the cover has been dislocated in order to enclose the fastening unit; Figure 14 illustrates, in side view, that the cover has been dislocated to enclose a needle and that it thereafter can be tilted in relation to the needle;

Figure 15 illustrates, in side view, that the cover has been dislocated into a tilted position, whereby the hypo¬ dermic needle has been bent.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS AT PRESENT PREFERRED

The invention will be described primarily in use with a needle intended for injection in the following description. It should nevertheless be understood that nothing prevents the invention from being used in a corresponding way with a needle intended for aspiration or both injection and aspiration.

The description will also disclose embodiments specifically adapted to devices intended for aspiration.

With reference to Figure 1, an arrangement 1 is shown to consist of a standardised reusable hypodermic syringe 2 and a cover 3 in the form of two separate units that coact with one another.

The hypodermic syringe 2 presents, in a known way, a container 2a with an arrangement arranged within the interior of the contained, whereby an injection and/or aspiration through a needle 4 is possible. The arrangement consist of a plunger 2b and a rod 2c that is able to co-act with the plunger.

The backwards-and-forwards-moveable rod 2c is inserted in a known way into the container 2a, first, with an aim to fill the container, aspirate, with a movement from a hypodermic needle 4, with a liquid that is meant to be injected; and second, with a movement in the opposite direction, in order to be able to press said liquid, inject, through the hypodermic needle. The hypodermic needle 4 is arranged to extend away from a fastening unit 2a' belonging to the container 2a and is oriented as a longitudinal prolongation of the container.

The invention also shows the use of a cover 3, which partially encloses the container 2a, and whose length approximately corresponds to the length of the container 2a. The cover 3 is equipped with a collar 3d that faces away from the hypodermic needle.

The arrangement shown by the invention requires the cover 3 is provided with a hole 5, in line with a centre line 41a' of the hypodermic needle 4.

The conditions have hereby been created for the cover 3 to be able to mainly enclose the hypodermic syringe 2, and more specifically its container 2a, whereby, in a specific position, the hypodermic needle 4a can be enclosed by said hole 5, placing it mainly on the outside of the end partition 3e of said cover 3.

Figure 2 illustrates how the cover 3 has been dislocated in a direction so as to completely cover the used hypodermic needle 4 so that its tip 4a is positioned within the cover 3 at a slightly adapted distance from the hole 5.

Figure 3 is intended to illustrate that the container 2a is provided with a form presenting a wedge 2d at the end of the container where from the needle 4 prolongs, which makes it possible to tilt the cover 3 in relation to the centre line 4a' of the needle 4, whereby a sidewise dislocation of the hole 5 is possible so that the tip 4a of the needle will be oriented at the side of the hole 5 adjacent to the end partition 3c.

Figure 4 is intended to illustrate that the mantle surface of the cover 3 completely or partly consist of a material with a softness that makes a bending 3f of the cover possible, whereby a dislocation of the hole 5 is possible so that the tip 4a of the needle will be oriented at the side of the hole 5 adjacent to the end partition 3c.

When the cover 3 is dislocated over container 2a, the tip 4a of the hypodermic needle rams into the inner surface 3e' of the cover 3, which, when pressed with sufficient force towards and over the container 2a, bends the hypodermic needle 4 within the cover 3, moving the cover in a direction over the container 2a during the bending process.

The hole 5 is enclosed by a collar formed protrudance 6, which prolongs parallel with the longitudinal prolongation of the cover 3 from the hole towards the inner part of the cover. The inner surface 3e', which the tip 4a of the needle rams into, will hereby be limited by the collar formed protrudance 6 and the inner surface of the cover. Through this it is made sure that the tip 4a of the needle will slip of the surface 3e' and out through the hole 5 during the bending process.

In Figure 5, the hypodermic needle 4 is shown bent into a spiral, indicated as 4', owing to the dislocation of the external container 3 — from the position shown in Figure 4 — over the container 2a — to the position shown in Figure 5 — that occurred by rotating the cover 3 relative to the container 2a.

Certain dimensioning rules can be regarded as relevant for achieving an arrangement that is functional and easy to control.

One such rule is that the cover 3 is given a longitudinal prolongation so that it can be dislocated to totally cover the hypodermic needle 4, according to Figure 2, while still maintaining an acceptable coaction with the container 2a.

It is shown that in this position at least half of the length of the cover 3 is able to coact with the lower part of the container 2a.

A second dimensioning rule is that the outer surface 2a' of the container 2a can be adapted to the inner surface 3a' of the cover 3 so that they can be rotated relative to each other. Clearly, cylindrical surfaces with a good match are preferred.

A third dimensioning rule is that the end partition 3e of said cover 3 needs to be hard enough that it can be used to bend the hypodermic needle 4 without allowing the tip 4a of the needle to penetrate it.

This requirement is easily fulfilled by using a plastic material that is suitable for this purpose.

It is further regarded as suitable that the cover 3 be related to the container 2a through a fixed but readily detachable securing means.

Figure 6 illustrates, in side view, such a securing means that consists of an irregularity 7 in the inner surface 3a' of the cover 3.

The form of the irregularity, as well as its position, can be selected arbitrarily in order to achieve an adapted movement for a secure hold between the cover 3 and the container 2a.

The irregularity can have the form of warts.

A second variant, according to Figure 7, is to let said securing means consist of a dot-formed meltdown 8 formed in the opposing surface layers of the container 2a and the cover 3.

This embodiment requires that the meltdown be broken at a dislocation of the cover 3 in relation to the container 2a, according to Figure 2. A third variant, according to Figure 8, is to provide the inner surface 3a' of the cover with an internal thread 9a and the outer surface 2a' of the container with an external thread 9b, where respective thread are intended for a mutual coaction.

In particular, it is shown that said means is arranged to be active in a relative position between the cover and the container that corresponds to the sufficiently bent hypodermic needle 4' , according to Figure 4.

It is specifically suitable to give the cover 3 an inner form 3a that is directly adaptable for mainly enclosing a standardised, reusable, hypodermic syringe.

For this purpose, the inner surface 3a' of the cover 3, illustrated in Figure 7, is equipped with three ridges 10, 11, 12 that are related in a parallel axial manner. The number of ridges can be increased.

A condition for each ridge is that they need to be dimensioned to give container 2a a slow dislocating movement as it is brought into coaction with the cover 3.

Preferably, the container 2a will have a scale on it, and the cover 3 will be transparent enough to make this scale visible.

The hypodermic needle 4 can be permanently fastened to the container 2a, or it can be exchangeable, meaning that the container 2a can be reused by pulling it out of the cover 3, leaving a bent hypodermic needle 4' in the inner part of the cover 3.

Figures 11 to 15 shows, as an example of how the present invention can be used with a device adapted to aspiration, how a specific device is adapted to be used for the collection of blood samples, the device being somewhat modified in order to be used according to the present invention. The arrangement comprises an device for the collection of blood samples with a thereto applied cover 13. The device the arrangement comprises a hypodermic needle 14 and a container 12. As previously known, the needle 14 is available separately from the container 12. It is protected in a transport casing 13' and said cover 13, mounted to a fastening unit 12' according to Figure 11. The needle 14 passes through the fastening unit 12' and it has a first tip 14a and a second tip 14b. The tip 14b can also protected by a rubber sock 14b' .

The cover 13 is provided with a hole 15, which is positioned in line with a centre line 14a' of the needle 14.

Enclosing the hole 15 is a collar formed protrudance 16, which prolongs parallel with the prolongation of the cover from the hole into the cover.

The fastening unit 13' can be connected to the container 12 after the removal of the transport casing 13' , according to Figure 12. Figure 13 shows that the cover 13 can be moved or dislocated over the fastening unit 12' so that the first tip of the needle 14a can be used to stick into for instance a vein.

In a position where the firs needle 14a is stuck into a vein can an inner container, not shown, with a low pressure be inserted into the container 12. This inner container will then be punctured by the tip of the second needle 14b after that the inner container has pressed away the protective rubber sock 14b' and the second end of the needle can penetrate the inner container.

In this position is a pressure difference created by the inner container between the two tips of the needle, which causes blood to be sucked into the inner container from the vein where the first needle tip 14a is positioned.

The cover 13 can be displaced to totally cover or enclose the used hypodermic needle 14 after the completion of the collection of the sample, and as the inner container has been removed, whereafter the cover can be tilted according to Figure 14, because of the wedge 12d at the fastening unit 12', so that the hole 15 is dislocated sidewise in relation to the tip of the needle 14a.

In this position the cover 13 can be pressed towards the needle 14 and the fastening unit 12' so that the tip of the needle 14a rams into a surface 13e', positioned between said collar formed protrudance 16 and the inner surface of the cover 13.

A bending of the needle 14 within the cover 3 can be performed by pressing the cover 13 with sufficient force towards fastening unit 12', and by moving the cover in a direction over the fastening unit during the bending process, according to Figure 15, where the bent hypodermic needle is indicated as 14' .

The collar formed protrudance 16 prevents the tip of the needle to slip out through the hole 15 during the bending process.

Figure 15 also illustrates that the container 12 can be removed and reused after the bending if the needle. In this position it is possible to put the transport casing 13' back to the fastening unit 12' in order to thereby protect also the second tip of the needle 14b.

A wedge 2d, 12d or a material that allows a bending 3f of the cover is not necessary for an arrangement according to the present invention.

An alternative embodiment could be that the matching between the cover 3, 13 and the device is such that a tilting of the cover in relation to a centre line 4a', 14a' the needle is possible so that the hole 5, 15 is displaced in relation to the tip of the needle 4a, 14a sufficiently to provide a possibility to use a method according to the present invention.

If the cover and the device makes an arrangement that is only to be used once then the present invention shows that stopping means can be provided to the device and cover 3, 13 in order to thereby prevent a displacement of the cover 3, 13 that would give a total separation of the cover 3, 13 from the device.

Hypodermic devices are known from a number of different embodiments, where one difference between various embodiments can be that the needle is fastened differently in relation to a centre line of the device. It is obvious that the present invention can be used regardless of the position of the needle in this respect, as long as the hole of the cover is positioned in line with a centre line of the needle.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated exemplifying embodiments thereof, and that modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive thought illustrated in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method that — when a device is used, comprising a hypo¬ dermic needle and a fastening unit intended for the needle, where the needle and the fastening unit are oriented in a longitudinal prolongation, in coaction with a cover that can enclose said needle and fastening unit, where the needle related end partition of said cover presents a hole, which, in a coaction between the device and the cover, is positioned in a centre line of the needle, where said cover is displaceably arranged in relation to said needle and fastening unit, and where said cover, prior an injection and/or aspiration, is displaceable to a position where said needle is positioned mainly on the outside of sad cover — can be used to create the conditions necessary for safely bending a hypodermic needle, thereby rendering it and/or the device unusable, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in,

a) that after said hypodermic needle has been used to perform an injection and/or aspiration cover is dislocated in a direction so as to totally enclose or cover the used hypodermic needle;

b) that the cover, or part thereof, in the position according to "a", is tilted relative a centre line of said needle so the said hole is dislocated in relation to said tip of the needle, whereby the tip of the hypodermic needle is oriented off-centre from the hole in said end partition;

c) that the external container is pressed towards said fastening unit with force enough to bend the hypodermic needle within the cover while the cover is pushed in a direction over the fastening unit.

2. A method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said cover is firmly related to the container as said cover is arranged to enclose said fastening unit so that the hypodermic needle is positioned outside of said end partition.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i ¬ z e d in that said firm relation can be broken or released before said dislocation during "a".

4. A method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cover is rotatable relative to the device during "c".

5. An arrangement including a device comprising a hypodermic needle (4) and a fastening unit intended for the needle, where the needle and the fastening unit are oriented in a longitu¬ dinal prolongation, and a cover (3), through which the needle and the fastening unit is enclosable, whereby a needle related end partition belonging to sad cover presents a hole (5), which hole, in a coaction between the device and the cover, is posi¬ tioned in a centre line belonging to the needle (4), where said cover is displaceably arranged in relation to said needle and fastening unit, and where said cover is displaceable to a posi¬ tion (Figure 1) where the needle is positioned mainly on the outside of said cover, whereby the cover is given a longitu¬ dinal prolongation so that, given an acceptable coaction with the device, it can be dislocated over the hypodermic needle to completely cover the hypodermic needle (Figure 2), c h a r ¬ a c t e r i z e d in, that said cover (3), in a position where it is dislocated to completely enclose or cover the hypodermic needle (4), is displaceably related to a centre line of the needle (4), where through the hole (5) can be displaced so that the tip (4a) of the needle is oriented at the side of said hole (5), and that the end partition (3e) of said cover (3) is hard enough that it can be used to bend the hypodermic needle, by safely pressing the cover towards the fastening unit with a sufficient force to bend the needle within the cover, without allowing the tip of the needle to penetrate the end partition.

6. An arrangement according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i - z e d in, that said device is given a form consisting of a wedge of the end of the device where from said hypodermic needle prolongates, which makes it possible to tilt said cover in relation to a centre line of said needle, where through said displacement of said hole is possible.

7. An arrangement according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i ¬ z e d in, that the mantle surface of said cover partly or totally consist of a material with a softness that permits a bending of said cover, where through said displacement of said hole is possible.

8. An arrangement according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i ¬ z e d in, that said hole, belonging to said cover, is enclosed by a collar shaped protrudance, which prolongates parallel with the longitudinal prolongation of said cover from the hole towards the inner of the cover.

9. An arrangement according to Claim 5 or 8, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in, that is given a longitudinal prolongation so that it can be dislocated to totally cover the hypodermic needle, while still maintaining an acceptable coaction with the container, so that the tip, belonging to the hypodermic needle, can be positioned between said collar shaped protrudance and the inner surface of the cover at said displacement of said hole.

10. An arrangement according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the cover is related to the device through a fixed but readily detachable securing means in the position where the hypodermic needle is enclosed by the hole and positi¬ oned mainly on the outside of said end partition.

11. An arrangement according to Claim 10, c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in that said means consists of an irregularity in the inner surface of the cover.

12. An arrangement according to Claim 10, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that said means consists of dot-formed mel downs in the opposing surface layers of the device and the cover.

13. An arrangement according to Claim 10, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in, that said means consists of a thread on the inner surface of said cover and a thread on the outer surface of said device, and that respective thread is adapted to coact with one another.

14. An arrangement according to Claim 10, 11, 12 or 13, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said means is arranged to be active in a relative position between the cover and the device that corresponds to a sufficiently bent hypodermic needle.

15. An arrangement according to Claim 5 or 10, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that said means are in the form of ridges on the inner surface of the cover.

16. An arrangement according to Claim 15, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the ridges are related in an axial manner.

17. An arrangement according to Claim 15, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the ridges are related in an radial manner.

18. An arrangement according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that said cover is given an inner form that is directly adaptable for enclosing a standardised, reusable, hypodermic syringe.

19. An arrangement according to Claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in, that stopping means are provided to the device and said cover in order to thereby prevent a displacement of said cover that would give a total separation of said cover from said device.