초록 ▼

A single-use cover assembly that obscures a substantial majority or an entirety of an injection needle from view before, during, and after an injection procedure. The cover assembly includes a housing and a needle sleeve that retracts and extends by sliding axially within the housing. The needle sle

A single-use cover assembly that obscures a substantial majority or an entirety of an injection needle from view before, during, and after an injection procedure. The cover assembly includes a housing and a needle sleeve that retracts and extends by sliding axially within the housing. The needle sleeve carries a locking collar that moves from a first position to a second position once the needle sleeve is fully retracted. In the first position the locking collar allows retraction of the needle sleeve from a fully extended position. In the second position, a portion of the locking collar covers a tip of the needle, thereby preventing retraction of the needle sleeve from the fully extended position.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A needle cover apparatus for attachment to a syringe needle, the needle defining an axis and having a distal tip, the apparatus comprising: a base; a sleeve supported by the base and including a distal end defining an opening, the sleeve axially moveable only once relat

The invention claimed is: 1. A needle cover apparatus for attachment to a syringe needle, the needle defining an axis and having a distal tip, the apparatus comprising: a base; a sleeve supported by the base and including a distal end defining an opening, the sleeve axially moveable only once relative to the needle from an extended position wherein the distal tip does not extend through the opening, to a retracted position wherein the distal tip extends through the opening, and back to the extended position, the sleeve biased toward the extended position; and a locking member moveable relative to the sleeve and including a locking portion that, in response to movement of the sleeve from the retracted position to the extended position, moves to cover the opening, thereby preventing subsequent movement of the sleeve to the retracted position; wherein the locking member moves axially with the sleeve from the extended position toward the retracted position, wherein as the sleeve reaches the fully retracted position the locking member moves axially relative to the sleeve to a locked position in which the locking member is substantially axially fixed relative to the sleeve, wherein the locking member moves axially with the sleeve from the retracted position back to the extended position, wherein the locking member includes a latching tab and the sleeve includes a first recess and a second recess distal of the first recess, wherein the latching tab engages the first recess to axially couple the sleeve and the locking member during movement of the sleeve and the locking member from the extended position toward the retracted position, wherein the latching tab is disengaged from the first recess and moved into engagement with the second recess when the locking member moves to the locked position, and wherein the latching tab engages the second recess to axially couple the sleeve and the locking member during movement of the sleeve and the locking member from the retracted position back to the extended position. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein movement of the sleeve from the extended position to the retracted position moves the locking member relative to the sleeve from a first position to a second position. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein prior to movement of the sleeve from the extended position to the retracted position, the locking portion is positioned proximal of the distal tip, and wherein subsequent to movement of the sleeve from the retracted position back to the extended position, the locking portion is positioned distal of the distal tip between the distal tip and the opening. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is axially moveable between the extended position and a partially retracted position without causing movement of the locking member relative to the sleeve such that the locking portion does not move to cover the opening and thereby allowing repeated movement of the sleeve between the extended position and the partially retracted position, wherein the distal tip extends through the opening in the partially retracted position. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a cap assembly including a cap base removably coupled to the base and covering a portion of the sleeve when the sleeve is in the extended position, and a cap tip including at least a portion removably coupled to the cap base and covering the opening of the sleeve when the sleeve is in the extended position and the cap tip is coupled to the cap base, wherein when the cap tip is removed from the cap base, the cap base permits movement of the sleeve from the extended position to the partially retracted position to expose the distal tip, and prevents movement of the sleeve beyond the partially retracted position to the retracted position. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sleeve defines a needle cavity that receives the locking member, the locking member including a body surrounding the needle, a resilient arm extending distally from the body, and a foot formed on an end of the resilient arm and defining the locking portion, wherein the locking member is moveable relative to the sleeve from a first position to a second position in response to movement of the sleeve from the extended position to the retracted position. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the foot is positioned proximally of the distal tip, engages an outer surface of the needle, and is thereby offset from the axis until the sleeve moves back to the extended position with the locking member in the second position, and wherein as the foot moves distally beyond the distal tip, the resilient arm biases the foot into axial alignment with the opening to cover the opening. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is biased toward the extended position by a spring. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the spring is a progressive spring. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking member is fabricated as one piece. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking member is fabricated from a single material. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cap removably coupled to the base and covering the sleeve when the cap is coupled to the base, the cap including indicia for distracting a child patient. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cap is fabricated to resemble a cartoon character.