WO2003103754A1

WO2003103754A1 - A syringe guard

Info

Publication number: WO2003103754A1
Application number: PCT/AU2003/000711
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gregory Mark Peterson; Glenn Jacobson
Original assignee: University Of Tasmania
Priority date: 2002-06-07
Filing date: 2003-06-06
Publication date: 2003-12-18
Also published as: AUPS282702A0

Abstract

A guard for use in conjunction with a hypodermic syringe comprising a flexible and resilient fitting adapted for placement on a needle or needle end of a syringe, wherein said fitting includes an elongate body (1) having a first end (7) adapted for engagement of a needle (2) or needle end (3) of a syringe (4) and a second remote end (10), wherein said body has an internal space (5) between said first and second ends adapted to house and contain said needle when the guard is in a resting position and an elongate longitudinal slot communicating with said internal space such that said guard can be temporarily bent straight back from a resting position thereby exposing at least the tip of said needle through said slot and automatically return to said rest position upon release.

Description

A Syringe Guard

Introduction and Background to the Invention

This invention relates to a low cost hypodermic needle guard that acts without requiring user activation.

Needle and syringe distribution systems have been directly responsible for the comparatively low HIV/ AIDS and hepatitis C infection rates in Australia. Despite low risk of infection, public perception of the risk of stepping on discarded needles used for illicit drug use has been gathering increasing attention during the last 2 years. There is concern about needle-stick injury, and finding needles in the street, schools and public places has led to a growing sense of anxiety in the community. It has been reported that at least 2.1 million used syringes are being abandoned in public places in Victoria each year. The inappropriate disposal of syringes and needles is a drug-related public nuisance that has become a critical issue for many metropolitan councils around the country.

It is currently estimated that existing safety needles (the majority of which require user activation) make up less than 3 percent of the $400 million per annum syringe market in Australia. The major barrier to the widespread introduction of active syringe/needles has been cost and ineffectiveness if the device is not activated by the user.

The invention developed here has been designed with manufacturing costs in mind and represents a far less expensive alternative to other safety syringe/needle devices currently available. More importantly, the device guards the needle in a passive way and requires no user input to activate the guard.

Statement of the Invention

Accordingly in one aspect the invention provides a guard for use in conjunction with a hypodermic syringe comprising a flexible and resilient fitting adapted for placement on a needle or needle end of a syringe, wherein said fitting includes an elongate body having a first end adapted for engagement of a needle or needle end of a syringe and a second remote end, wherein said body has an internal space between said first and second ends adapted to house and contain said needle when the guard is in a resting position and an elongate longitudinal slot communicating with said internal space such that said guard can be temporarily bent straight back from a resting position thereby exposing at least the tip of said needle through said slot and automatically return to said rest position upon release. The elongate body may be cylindrical and of similar diameter to said syringe body. The internal space is preferably dimensioned to allow snug housing and containment of said needle thereby providing maximum body material to protect said needle. The elongate body may have a first open end adapted for placement over the needle or may include a syringe port adapted for placement over the needle end of said syringe body.

The elongate body may have a second closed end thereby ensuring full protection and containment of said needle when in a resting position. The elongate slot in said body is preferably formed along the length of said body corresponding to the position of said needle when fitted to a syringe.

The elongate slot may be formed as a straight slot parallel to the elongate axis of said body. The slot may be formed as a straight radial slot normal to the surface of said body. Most preferably, the elongate slot is formed radially at an angle away from normal up to about 45° from normal so that said slot overlaps when the body is in a resting position to ensure full containment of said needle.

The elongate slot is preferably configured to allow said guard to be bent back to expose said needle without any portion of the body contacting the needle. The slot may be provided with optional overlapping protective flaps. The elongate body may be formed of silicone rubber or similar flexible and resilient material including thermoplastic elastomeric polymers. The elongate body may be provided with a means to facilitate bending back from the resting position. The means may include a gripping device selected from a finger or thumb indent formed at or near the second end thereof to allow direct tactile manipulation of said elongate body.

Alternatively, the second end of said body may be provided with a tie means preferably extending back along the body to provide remote activation and bending of said body.

The elongate body may be provided with a constricted neck region between said first and second ends to facilitate and control bending back. The neck region may be a scallop shaped recess or a pair of opposing scallop shaped recesses. Most preferably the neck region includes a scallop shaped recess opposed by a transverse slot. The transverse slot may be formed orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the body or at an angle thereto. The guard may be further provided with an optional sliding cover adapted for fitting over said guard and/or syringe body and adapted to move co-axially from a first position fully covering said elongate body of the guard to a second position along the syringe body thereby exposing said guard.

The sliding cover may include a key way and locking key to prevent movement from the first position to the second position without release of said locking key. In another aspect the invention provides a syringe incorporating the guard as previously described either as a permanent fitting or as a retrofitting.

In another aspect the invention provides a needle incorporating the guard as previously described either as a permanent fitting or as a retrofitting.

The guard may be coloured to enhance visibility and may include luminescent elements.

The guard body may include tamper resistant reinforcement attached thereto or bonded into the matrix of said body.

The guard body may incorporate flexible material that hardens on exposure to UN radiation or oxygen so as to prevent or limit flexing and use once the unit has been disposed.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will be described with reference to particular examples as shown in the following figures. Figure 1 shows the guard of the invention attached to a hypodermic syringe.

Figure 2 shows the guard of the invention attached directly to a needle base.

Figure 3 shows the guard of the invention bent back to expose the hypodermic needle.

Figure 4 shows the guard of the invention provided with tamper proof reinforcement.

Figure 5 shows a cross section of the guard body detailing the elongate radially formed slot.

Figure 6 shows the guard of the invention with a selection of finger gripping means. Figure 7 and 8 show the guard of the invention with a remote activating means in the form of an elongate tie.

Figure 9 and 10 show the guard (and syringe) of the invention with a sliding cover.

Figure 11 shows the sliding cover as applied to the guard in isolation. Figure 12 shows the guard of the invention form detailing the neck region of the body. Figure 13 shows the neck detail of the guard body in another embodiment.

Referring firstly to figures 1, 2 and 6, the invention provides a guard adapted for use in conjunction with a hypodermic syringe, either in the form of a retrofittable unit adapted for application to a^' wide range of readily available hypodermic syringes, or alternatively, in the form of a guard means incorporated in the design of a new range of hypodermic syringes.

The guard comprises a flexible and resilient fitting adapted for placement onto or in the vicinity of a needle 2 or a needle end 3 of a hypodermic syringe 4. The fitting takes the form of an elongate body 1, preferably as a cylindrical unit of similar dimensions to the syringe to which it is adapted to be fitted. The elongate body 1 includes an internal space 5 adapted to house and contain the needle 2 within the safe confines of the guard. In order to expose the needle for use, the elongate body is provided with an elongate longitudinal straight slot 6 running up the length of the body preferably in a position corresponding to the placement of the needle 2 within the confines of the internal space. The longitudinal slot 6 communicates with the internal space but is only opened up so as to expose the needle when the guard is temporarily bent back from its resting position where the flexible and resilient nature of the elongate body allows the body to bend back upon itself so as to expose the needle through the elongate slot in a manner whereby the syringe can be used in the normal way. Immediately upon release of the deformed elongate body, it automatically retracts and returns to the resting position and in doing so, again engulfs and fully contains the previously exposed needle. The elongate body may be of similar external diameter to this syringe body to which its attached and the internal space 5 is preferably dimensioned to snugly house and contain the needle thereby providing maximum material and mass for the elongate body so as to maximise the protection provided for the needle.

The body of the guard is manufactured from a uniform material having flexibility and resilience so as to allow the characteristics of the material per se to provide the bendability of the guard. A suitable thermoplastic elastomeric polymer would be selected according to requirements. In this manner, the guard of the invention does not require a dedicated hinge or flexing means and operates in a highly intuitive, simplified, reliable and efficient manner with minimal component parts. The guard can therefore be manufactured in a highly economical manner and provide maximum reliability. The elongate body 1 has a first end 7 which is provided with an open end and is particularly adapted for placement over a needle end of a syringe by the provision of a syringe port 9, or alternatively, may be configured as shown in figure 2 for placement directly over a needle 2 with the provision of a needle port 8 at the first end. The elongate body has a second end 10 which is closed off to ensure no access to the needle point is available unless the guard is activated in the manner previously described. Referring now to figure 3, the bending action of the elongate body 1 against its resting resilient shape, exposes the needle 2 for use and provides a substitute protection to the normally provided needle cap 21.

Referring now to figures 5 and 6, the elongate body 1 incorporates an elongate slot 6 which takes the form of a straight slot formed in the longitudinal axial direction of the elongate body 1. The slot is formed in a radial direction most preferably orientated at an angle away from normal to the surface of the body 1. This is shown in figure 5, where the angle of the slot is moved away from the normal so as to ensure that in its resting position, the slot does not provide any unintended or inadvertent access to the needle 2 and access is only provided once the body is bent back. Furthermore, if the guard is trodden on it will collapse and fold onto itself further protecting the needle.

Referring now to figures 6 to 8, the elongate body is provided with a suitable means 11 to facilitate the bending back operation from its resting position. The means may include a gripping device in the form of a thumb or finger hollow as detailed in figure 6, or alternatively may take the form of an elongate tie 12 as detailed in figures 7 and 8. The elongate tie may be provided with a finger grip means at a determined length thereof and in the resting position of the elongate body is adapted to lie substantially along the body of the syringe. The finger grip may take the form of a ring. The tie can be manufactured from the same material as the body as the guard and when made to suitable length will have the finger grip aligned with the plunger of the syringe so as to allow ready single handed simultaneous use of the syringe and guard.

In order to activate the bending of the body, the finger of an operator is merely inserted into the tie means so as to draw back the body and expose the needle for use.

Referring now to figures 9 to 11, the elongate body and/or syringe body may be provided with a sliding cover 17 which is adapted to move back and forth along the length of the syringe and guard combination so as to provide in a first position detailed in figure 10 an additional protective cover for the elongate body so as to prevent activation of the tie means and exposure the needle. The sliding cover can be retracted separately or in concert with the action of the tie means 12 and detailed in figure 9 to expose the guard and allow the guard to be bent back so as to expose the needle for use. Referring now to figure 11, the sliding cover 17 can be provided with a key way

18 and locking key 19 to again further enhance security in the use of this device. In order to facilitate the bending back operation, the elongate body may be provided with a neck region 13 as detailed in figure 12 midway along the length of the body. The neck region may include one or more scallop shaped recesses 14 and may include opposing scallop shaped recesses which form an area or weakness along the region of the elongate body so as to specify where the body will bend back and thereby control the manner and rate at which the needle 2 is exposed.

Referring now to figure 13, an alternative neck region is shown comprising one scallop recess 14 and a transverse slot 15. The transverse slot may be formed at an angle. The slot would be formed on the opposing side to the tie means 12 so as to ensure that the elongate body is drawn back against the scallop opening and thereby opening up the slot 15 to expose the needle. A further advantage of this embodiment is the enhanced resistance to the needle being bent out of the guard in the reverse direction. The function of the slot has advantages over an opposing second scallop recess in that this configuration prevents the elongate body from being bent back in a reverse direction, thereby potentially damaging the needle and possibly leaving it exposed once the body returns to its resting position.

The guard body may be provided with tamper proof reinforcements 20 as detailed in figure 4, where the removal means 21 is provided to allow access to the device. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A guard for use in conjunction with a hypodermic syringe comprising a flexible and resilient fitting adapted for placement on a needle or needle end of a syringe, wherein said fitting includes an elongate body having a first end adapted for engagement of a needle or needle end of a syringe and a second remote end, wherein said body has an internal space between said first and second ends adapted to house and contain said needle when the guard is in a resting position and an elongate longitudinal slot communicating with said internal space such that said guard can be temporarily bent straight back from a resting position thereby exposing at least the tip of said needle through said slot and automatically return to said rest position upon release.

2. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed of a unitary material having sufficient flexibility and resilience to allow said guard to be bent back without the need for a dedicated hinge or other folding means.

3. A guard according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said elongate slot is formed parallel to the elongate axis of said body over the substantial length of said needle including at least the tip thereof.

4. A guard according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said slot is formed radially at an angle away from normal.

5. A guard according to claim 4, wherein said angle measures up to about 45° from normal.

6. A guard according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said slot is configured to allow the guard to be bent back to expose said needle without any portion of the body contacting said needle.

7. A guard according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second end of said elongate body is provided with a means to facilitate the bending back of said body from said resting position.

8. A guard according to claim 7, wherein said means is a gripping device in the form of a finger or thumb indent formed at the second end of said body.

9. A guard according to claim 7, wherein said means is an elongate tie fitted to said second end of said body and having a finger grip remote from the point of fitting to said body to facilitate remote activation and bending of said body.

10. A guard according to claim 9 wherein said finger grip is a loop and said elongate tie is formed of the same material as said body.

11. A guard according to claim 10 wherein said tie is sufficiently elongate so as to position said finger grip at or near the plunger of said syringe to allow single handed operation of said syringe and said guard.

12. A guard according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said body is generally cylindrical and has a constricted neck region between said first and second ends to facilitate and control bending back at said region.

13. A guard according to claim 12, wherein said constriction is a scallop shaped recess.

14. A guard according to claim 12, wherein said constriction is a pair of opposed scallop shaped recesses.

15. A guard according to claim 12, wherein said constriction is a single scallop shaped recess opposed by a transverse slot formed orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the body.

16. A guard according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further including a sliding cover for fitting over said guard and/or syringe body wherein said guard is adapted to slidably move co-axially between a first position fully covering said guard body and a second position along the syringe body thereby exposing said guard.

17. A guard according to claim 16, wherein said cover includes a locking key to prevent movement from said first position to said second position without release of said locking key.

18. A syringe incorporating a guard as defined in any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A syringe needle incorporating a guard as defined in any one of claims 1 to 17.

20. A guard according to any one of claims 1 to 19 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures.