Disposable self-shielding unit dose syringe guard

Abstract

An improved guard for a medical cartridge, such as a unit dose pre-filled glass syringe, comprising a body for receiving the cartridge, and a shield slidably attached to the body which are pre-assembled and ready to receive a cartridge therein. The body has a mechanism on a proximal end thereof which holds the cartridge therein. The body and shield have cooperating detents and detent pockets which allow the shield to be directed distally, from an unguarded position in which the needle on the cartridge is uncovered for delivery of medication, to a guarded position in which the needle is permanently covered for disposal. The body may also include a substantially rectangular-shaped finger grip on its proximal end for receiving a similarly shaped proximal flange on the cartridge, whereby the cartridge is received in a predetermined orientation. The body may also include one or more ribs within the cavity for accommodating a cartridge with a large needle cap, such as a 0.5 mL capacity pre-filled syringe. In addition, the guard may include a finger grip plug lockably attachable to the proximal end of the body, and a plunger insertable through the finger grip plug to engage a piston in a cartridge not having its own plunger. The plunger may include a one-way locking member to prevent removal of the plunger from the finger grip plug after assembly.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 023,587, filed Dec. 17, 2001, which is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 09 / 634,689, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,032, filed Aug. 8, 2000, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08 / 942,938 filed on Oct. 2, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,184, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08 / 814,199, filed Mar. 10, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,283, all of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to syringes, and more particularly to an improved syringe guard for a unit dose cartridge or pre-filled syringe and including a shield for covering the needle thereof after medication is dispensed from the syringe. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Medication is often dispensed using a unit dose medical cartridge, such as an ampule, vial or syringe, and a syringe holder, injector...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026] In a final preferred embodiment, the syringe guard is adapted to receive relatively small cartridges or pre-filled syringes, for example a 0.5 mL unit dose pre-filled syringe including a rigid nose shield or needle cap having a diameter larger than the barrel of the syringe. The guard includes a body having a mechanism in its proximal end for lockably engaging the proximal end of the pre-filled syringe received therein, such as those described above. In addition, the body includes one or more semi-rigid members, for example pairs of tabs or longitudinal ribs, extending along the cavity for engaging the barrel of the syringe. The body may also include one or more lead-in ribs at or near the proximal end of the cavity for guiding the pre-filled syringe during insertion. When the syringe is inserted into the body, the cap engages the tabs as it enters the cavity. The tabs are forced radially out to allow the cap to pass through the cavity. Once the cap extends beyond the proximal end of the body, the tabs resiliently return to abut or engage the wall of the barrel, thereby preventing substantial lateral movement of the syringe within the body during use. The tabs also preferably prevent the rails of the guard body from being compressed after use to prevent inadvertent release of the cooperating locking detents on the shield and body.

[0027] As will be understood, the present invention provides an improved guard for medical cartridges or pre-filled syringes that may include as few as two parts, but generally has no more than four parts. The device may be used for a wide variety of conventional prepackaged medications or drugs, such as anesthesia, anti-thrombotic drugs, biological drugs or vaccines, for use within the medical and / or dental fields, where the cartridge or pre-filled syringe is generally disposed of after a single use. Because the device is relatively simple, the parts may be provided in standard configurations. For example, a single shield design may be provided that fits on a variety of bodies for receiving cartridges or pre-filled syringes made by different manufacturers. In addition, the distal openings in the body and / or the shield may be provided in a plurality of sizes to accommodate a variety of needle caps, luer adapters and the like. Thus, the guard may be more easily mass produced, reducing manufacturing costs, and thereby providing a more competitively priced disposable syringe guard.

[0028] In addition, the rectangular configuration of the present device provides improved rigidity, thereby affording greater protection to the cartridge held in the guard. Although the cartridge or pre-filled syringe is fully encapsulated within the guard, the windows in the guard allow the medical or dental professional to effectively monitor the cartridge or pre-filled syringe and the medication being delivered.

[0029] Finally, the slidable shield and cooperating detents allow the user to operate the guard using only one hand, thereby allowing their other hand to be free to perform other necessary tasks, such as restraining a young patient or providing improved access to the target region for the needle. Once the shield is locked in the guarded position, the device may be disposed of safely if used properly, substantially eliminating concerns that the needle may become exposed and cause an accidental stick.

[0030] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved unit dose syringe device that is easy to manufacture and convenient to use.

[0031] It is also an object to provide an improved syringe guard that affords improved protection for a cartridge or pre-filled syringe encapsulated therein but still allows effective monitoring of the medication being dispensed.

Problems solved by technology

One or more windows, preferably the same windows used for viewing the cartridge, also cooperate with a stop tab or tabs molded on the body, thereby limiting the relative sliding relationship of the shield and the body.

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