Blood draw device with retractable needle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247899-B2
Application number	US-201013517465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2010
Priority date	Jan 7, 2010
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

The Invention comprises a body, an actuator pivotally connected to the body, and a retractable needle adapted to provide fluid communication between a patient and a fluid collection tube, typically a blood collection tube, attachable to the device. A significant feature of the subject device is a retraction cavity disposed inside the actuator that is manually positionable to receive a portion of the needle retraction assembly following removal of the blood collection tube. Retraction is initiated by depressing the forwardly extending end of the actuator relative to the body, thereby causing a retainer clip to release the needle holder, after which the needle holder and a part of the needle are propelled into the retraction cavity by expansion of a compressed spring. The needle is thereby withdrawn from the patient and into the housing, reducing the likelihood of accidental needle sticks and preventing reuse of the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medical device adapted for use as a holder for a blood collection tube, comprising:
a body having a substantially cylindrical rear opening, a forwardly extending nose, laterally extending stabilizing flanges disposed adjacent to the cylindrical rear opening, and an upwardly facing slot disposed between the nose and the stabilizing flanges;
an actuator pivotably mounted relative to the body by opposed first and second retainer clips disposed adjacent to the slot near the rear of the body that receive and support bosses projecting laterally from each side of a rear portion of the actuator, the actuator comprising a longitudinally extending retraction cavity with an open front end that can pivot downwardly into the upwardly facing slot, the slot being sufficiently large to permit the front end of the actuator to pivot upwardly and downwardly relative to the body during use;
a retractable needle having an unretracted position projecting forwardly beyond the body and a retracted position disposed inside the body and retraction cavity; and
a retraction assembly comprising a needle holder with a stem and a head, a spring, and a third retainer clip, wherein the retractable needle is held in fixed relation to the needle holder, and the spring is initially seated inside the nose and is compressed by the needle holder and held in a compressed position inside the nose by the needle holder and by the third retainer clip to maintain the retractable needle in the unretracted position prior to and during use of the medical device to collect blood;
and wherein the retractable needle is retractable following the collection of blood by applying manual force to the actuator to pivot the actuator downwardly into the upwardly facing slot, thereby contacting and causing the third retainer clip to move downwardly and release the needle holder, after which the needle holder and a part of the retractable needle are driven into the retraction cavity by expansion of the compressed spring to move the retractable needle into the retracted position.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the laterally extending stabilizing flanges define in part a substantially flat bottom that cooperates with the stabilizing flanges to prevent the medical device from rolling.

3. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the actuator further comprises a rearwardly extending tab limiting a distance that the rear portion of the actuator can pivot relative to the rear of the body.

4. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a top front surface having a textured finger pad adjacent to the open front end for the application of manual pressure downwardly against the top front surface.

5. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the retractable needle comprises oppositely directed beveled ends.

6. The medical device of claim 5 wherein one of the oppositely directed beveled ends is directed rearwardly and is covered by a flexible polymeric sheath until a blood tube holder is inserted into the medical device and engages the rearwardly directed beveled end of the retractable needle.

7. The medical device of claim 6 wherein the flexible polymeric sheath comprises a forwardly facing collar that frictionally engages a rearwardly projecting tubular boss of the needle holder.

8. A medical device adapted for use as a holder for a blood collection tube, comprising:
a body having a substantially cylindrical rear opening, a forwardly extending nose, laterally extending stabilizing flanges disposed adjacent to the cylindrical rear opening, and an upwardly facing slot disposed between the nose and the stabilizing flanges;
an actuator pivotably mounted relative to the body by opposed first and second retainer clips disposed adjacent to the slot near the rear of the body that receive and support bosses projecting laterally from each side of a rear portion of the actuator, the actuator comprising a longitudinally extending retraction cavity with an open front end that can pivot downwardly into the upwardly facing slot, the slot being sufficiently large to permit the front end of the actuator to pivot upwardly and downwardly relative to the body during use;
a retractable needle having an unretracted position projecting forwardly beyond the body and a retracted position disposed inside the body and retraction cavity; and
a retraction assembly comprising a needle holder with a stem and a head, a spring, and a third retainer clip; wherein the retractable needle is held in fixed relation to the needle holder, and the spring is initially seated inside the nose and is compressed by the needle holder and held in a compressed position inside the nose by the needle holder and by the third retainer clip to maintain the retractable needle in the unretracted position prior to and during use of the medical device to collect blood;
and wherein the retractable needle is retractable following the collection of blood by applying manual force to the actuator to pivot the actuator downwardly into the upwardly facing slot, thereby contacting and causing the third retainer clip to move downwardly and release the needle holder, after which the needle holder and a part of the retractable needle are driven into the retraction cavity by expansion of the compressed spring to move the retractable needle into the retracted position;
wherein the third retainer clip comprises opposed arms defining an aperture with an open end and a closed end, a notch formed between the opposed arms, a recess in the opposed arms that is configured to snap onto the head of the needle holder when the retractable needle is in the unretracted position, and a rearwardly extending tab that is contacted by the actuator and moved downwardly relative to the head of the needle holder to initiate retraction of the retractable needle to the retracted position.

9. The medical device of claim 8 wherein the aperture has a portion that is larger than the head of the needle holder.

Assignees

• Shaw Thomas J
• Small Mark
• Zhu Ni
• Retractable Technology Inc

Inventors

• Shaw Thomas J
• Small Mark
• Zhu Ni

Classifications

• A61B5/150656

  semi-automatically triggered, i.e. in which the triggering of the protective sleeve requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means · CPC title

• A61B5/150496

  Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the double-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device · CPC title

• A61B5/15003 Primary

  for venous or arterial blood · CPC title

• A61B5/154

  {Devices} using pre-evacuated means · CPC title

• A61B5/150732

  Needle holders, for instance for holding the needle by the hub, used for example with double-ended needle and pre-evacuated tube · CPC title