SAFETY DEVICE FOR THE USER OF A PRE-FILLED SYRINGE

Abstract

A safety device for the user of a pre-filled syringe, characterized in that it has a support (1) comprising: a lower stop (1.1) at one end; two pins (1.2); an opening (1.3) for fitting the pre-filled syringe (4); anti-rotation locking tabs (1.4) for radially blocking rotation about the support (1); and flexible tabs (1.5) for blocking axial displacement; a protector (2) comprising: guide slots (2.1) for housing the pins (1.2); second slots (2.2) for the pin stop (1.2); a finger tab (2.3); an upper stop (2.4); and internal recesses (2.5); and a spring (3) that fits compressed between the lower stop (1.1) of the support (1) and the upper stop (2.4) of the guard (2), where once the spring (3) is released, it drives the guard (2) and the pins (1.2) along the guide slots (2.1) of the guard (2).

Description

SAFETY DEVICE FOR THE USER OF A PRE-FILLED SYRINGE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is a safety device that acts as a protector for the user of a pre-filled syringe after administering the dose. The protector is activated by the movement of a plastic assembly that prevents the needle from coming into contact with the user after the dose is delivered, thus preventing accidents and eliminating the possibility of transmission to other people. TECHNICAL SECTOR Syringes. Injectors. Safety accessories for syringes. Syringe protectors. Hypodermic needles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The common medical syringe has been used for many years to inject medications and other fluids into patients' bloodstreams. Syringes are also used to aspirate or draw fluids, such as blood samples, from patients. These syringes typically consist of a cylindrical body with a tubular needle mounted at one end and a plunger that slides inside the body to inject and aspirate fluids. Once a needle is inserted into a patient's bloodstream, it can become contaminated (and often does) with microscopic viruses or bacteria that may be present in the blood. A contaminated needle of this type can be extremely dangerous for medical personnel handling the syringe, as an accidental needle stick or even contact with the exposed needle can infect them with the virus or bacteria present in the needle. This danger is particularly serious in emergency medical situations where there is often not enough time to dispose of contaminated needles carefully and properly. Every year, numerous cases of infection among medical personnel are documented due to accidental contact with contaminated needles. Sometimes, doctors and nurses who accidentally stick themselves or touch a contaminated needle contract life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), coronavirus, and others. Attempts have been made to reduce the dangers of contaminated syringe needles. The most common solution is to simply cover the needle with a plastic cap that fits over it and can be removed for use and replaced afterward. In the prior art, European patent application EP4180072 describes a safety device for a syringe, the safety device comprising: a syringe housing having a main body comprising a generally cylindrical portion configured to receive a syringe and a flange support configured to support a flange of the syringe. The flange support is configured to prevent or limit movement of the syringe relative to the syringe housing once the syringe has been inserted into the housing. Preferably, the safety device further comprises a locking mechanism for locking the needle shield in the extended position after injection.The syringe housing further comprises a plurality of elastically deformable arms, each of them inclined to a first position in which an inner contact surface of the arm is located radially into an inner surface of the generally cylindrical portion. Patent application EP3338840 discloses an injection device comprising a pre-filled syringe retained within the support body of the safety device. The pre-filled syringe includes a hypodermic needle attached to a distal end of the pre-filled syringe, a cylinder with an inner cavity in fluid communication with the hypodermic needle, and a piston that seals against fluids at a proximal end of the inner cavity. The piston is movable by actuating a piston rod protruding from a proximal end of the cylinder. The pre-filled syringe is retained within the support body of the safety device, such that the hypodermic needle protrudes from the distal end of the support body. The hypodermic needle of the injection device is surrounded by the needle guard in the initial and / or advanced positions, and the hypodermic needle is exposed when the needle guard is in the retracted position.The injection device, comprising the pre-filled syringe and safety device, combines the advantages mentioned above and prevents accidental needle sticks before, during, and after an injection that delivers the medication under the patient's skin. The injection device is particularly suitable for self-administered subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. The present invention significantly improves upon prior art devices by disclosing a safety device that acts as a protector for the user of a pre-filled syringe after administration. The protection is activated by the user's action, which allows the circumferential and longitudinal movement of an assembly covering the needle of the pre-filled syringe. This assembly includes several elements that prevent movement in these directions, ensuring that if the assembled device falls, the protection prevents any contact with the user. Furthermore, the device is easy to assemble; it is activated by inserting the pre-filled syringe into the device holder and fitting the syringe's tab into the holder's opening.The device allows the syringe user to be notified when the assembly reaches its final position by being activated by the "click" sound. The device comprises a tubular protector with a variable diameter, designed to protect the user from accidental needlestick injuries. This protector houses a support and a spring, which is located between a lower stop on the support and an upper stop on the protector. The diameter of the tubular protector is variable, depending on where the spring and the protector are located. The protector includes slots that facilitate assembly of the device for pre-filled syringes, a needle guard, and an anti-return function that prevents the support from returning to its original position after activation. Furthermore, the support, which stabilizes the syringe, includes flexible tabs that insert into the slots of the protector, allowing the syringe to slide securely into place. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To complement the description being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of its practical embodiment, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the user safety device for a pre-filled syringe, illustrating the three sections that make up the device. The support (1) comprises a lower stop (1.1); two pins (1.2); an opening (1.3) for inserting the pre-filled syringe (4); anti-rotation locking tabs (1.4); and flexible tabs (1.5). The protector (2) comprises: internal guide slots (2.1) for housing the pins (1.2); secondary slots (2.2) for the pin stops (1.2); a finger tab (2.3); and an upper stop (2.4). and internal recesses (2.5), The spring (3) that fits compressed between the lower stop (1.1) of the support (1) and the upper stop (2.4) of the guard (2), where once the spring (3) is released, it drives the guard (2) and the pins (1.2) along the guide slots (2.1) of the guard (2). Figure 2 shows the user safety device of a pre-filled syringe in the operating position, where the pre-filled syringe (4) comprises a central section, a piston (5) that enables the mechanism to apply the dose, a tab (6) for adjusting the fingers when applying the dose, and a needle (7), where the safety device is assembled for operation by inserting said syringe (4) into the holder (1) by fitting the tab (6) of the syringe (4) into the mouth of the holder (1), such that the needle (7) of the syringe (4) protrudes from the distal end of the protector (2), allowing injection. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The present invention discloses a safety device that acts as a protector for the user of a pre-filled syringe after administering the dose. The protector is activated by the displacement of a plastic assembly that prevents the syringe needle from coming into contact with the user after the dose is delivered, thus preventing accidents and eliminating the possibility of transmission to others. The safety element consists of a protector (2) that shields the user from the needle, a support (1) that keeps the syringe stable, and a spring (3) that actuates the support (1) so that it moves and locks into place. Conventional pre-filled syringes (4) comprise a central section, a piston (5) that enables the mechanism to be actuated to apply the dose, a tab (6) to adjust the fingers when applying the dose, and a needle (7). The safety device has a support (1) comprising; a lower stop (1.1); two pins (1.2); a mouth (1.3) for fitting the pre-filled syringe (4); anti-rotation locking tabs (1.4); and flexible tabs (1.5); a protector (2) comprising; internal guide slots (2.1) for housing the pins (1.2); second slots (2.2) for stopping the pins (1.2); finger tab (2.3); upper stop (2.4); and internal recesses (2.5); and a spring (3) that fits compressed between the lower stop (1.1) of the support (1) and the upper stop (2.4) of the guard (2), where once the spring (3) is released, it drives the guard (2) and the pins (1.2) along the guide slots (2.1) of the guard (2). The spring (3) is compressed between a lower stop (1.1) of the support (1) and an upper stop (2.4) of the shield (2). To assemble the shielding device in an operating position, the two pins (1.2) of the support (1) run through internal guide slots (2.1) of the shield (2) until the pins (1.2) are seated in the slots (2.2) of the shield (2). In this operating position, the support (1) is locked to the shield (2) by both the second grooves (2.2) against which the pin (1.2) abuts and the spring (3), which is compressed and pushes the shield (2) in the shielding direction so that the pin (1.2) abuts the second grooves (2.2). If the syringe (4) is inserted into the support (1) by fitting the tab (6) of the syringe (4) into the opening (1.3) of the support (1) when the shielding device is in this operating position, the needle (7) of the syringe (4) protrudes from the distal end of the shield (2), allowing injection. If, after injection, the syringe plunger (5) is pressed while holding the finger tab (2.3) of the guard (2), the force exerted by the spring (3) is overcome, further compressing the spring (3) so that the pin (1.2) comes out of the second set of slots (2.2) that hold the spring (3) compressed; that is, the spring (3) is released. Once the spring (3) is released, it propels the guard (2) and the pin (1.2), sliding along the guide slots (2.1) of the guard (2). The device comprises locking means, firstly, anti-rotation locking tabs (1.4) for the rotation of the protector (2) with respect to the support (1) to radially lock the shielding device and thus prevent it from returning to said guide slot (2.1), i.e., to the operating position, and furthermore, means for locking the axial displacement of the protector (2) with respect to the support (1), by means of flexible tabs (1.5) and pins (1.2), both locking means acting in the protection position. The anti-rotation tabs (1.4) on the bracket (1) engage in the internal recesses (2.5) of the shield (2) when the pin (1.2) enters the guide slot (2.1) after exiting the second slot (2.2). When the anti-rotation locking tabs (1.4) engage in the internal recesses (2.5) of the shield (2), a click is heard to let the user know that the shielding device is secured and cannot be returned to the operating position. Once the device moves out of the operating position and the click is heard, the spring (3) pushes the guard (2) until the pin (1.2) stops at the end of the guide slot (2.1), retaining the guard (2) attached to the bracket (1) in the guard position. The flexible tabs (1.5) open radially to engage the upper stop (2.4) of the guard (2) to axially block the guard (2) from moving back into the operating position. The main advantages of the protective device for pre-filled syringes are that it can prevent movement by locking both radially and longitudinally, thanks to several components that prevent displacement in these directions. Furthermore, the protective device is easy to assemble: simply insert the pre-filled syringe into the device's holder (1) and fit the syringe's tab (6) (4) into the holder's opening (1). The device indicates to the user when the syringe has reached its final position with a "click" sound. It also features an anti-return function that prevents the holder from moving back after activation.

Claims

1. A safety device for the user of a pre-filled syringe, characterized in that it has a support (1) comprising: a lower stop (1.1) at one end; two pins (1.2); an opening (1.3) for fitting the pre-filled syringe (4); anti-rotation locking tabs (1.4) for radially blocking rotation about the support (1); and flexible tabs (1.5) for blocking axial displacement; a protector (2) comprising: guide slots (2.1) for housing the pins (1.2); second slots (2.2) for the pin stop (1.2); a finger tab (2.3); an upper stop (2.4); and internal recesses (2.5); and a spring (3) that is compressed between the lower stop (1.1) of the support (1) and the upper stop (2.4) of the guard (2), where once the spring (3) is released, it drives the guard (2) and the pins (1.2) along the guide slots (2.1) of the guard (2). 2.A safety device for the user of a pre-filled syringe according to claim 1, characterized in that the pre-filled syringe (4) comprises a central section, a piston (5) that enables the mechanism for applying the dose to be actuated, a tab (6) for adjusting the fingers when applying the dose, and a needle (7), wherein the safety device is assembled for operation by inserting said syringe (4) into the holder (1) by fitting the tab (6) of the syringe (4) into the opening (1.3) of the holder (1), such that the needle (7) of the syringe (4) protrudes from the distal end of the protector (2), allowing injection.

3. A safety device for the user of a pre-filled syringe according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that when the safety device is adjusted to the operating position, the two pins (1.2) of the holder (1) run through the guide slots (2.1) of the protector (2) until the pins (1.2) are housed in the second grooves (2.2) of the protector (2).

4. Safety device for the user of a pre-filled syringe according to claims 1-3 characterized in that, in the operating position, the support (1) is locked with respect to the protector (2), both by the second grooves (2.2) against which the pm (1.2) abuts and by the spring (3) which is compressed and pushes the protector (2) in the protection direction so that the pm (1.2) abuts the second grooves (2.2).

5. Safety device for the user of a pre-filled syringe according to claim 1 characterized in that once the device is removed from the operating position, the spring (3) drives the guard (2) until the pm (1.2) stops at the end of the guide slot (2.1), retaining the guard (2) attached to the support (1) in the protective position and the flexible tabs (1.5) open radially until they are housed in the upper stop (2).4) of the protector (2) to axially block the movement of the protector (2) towards the operating position.