Syringe needle protector

Abstract

A lockable syringe needle protector is provided. The syringe protector includes a clamping member and a guard member. The clamping member includes at least one deformable flange portion and a toothed or ribbed surface. Insertion of the clamping member into the guard member creates a locking interaction between the toothed surface of the clamping member and a complementary toothed or ribbed surface of the guard member. A used syringe inserted into the protector is held by urging the clamping member into the guard member, thereby deforming the flange portion of the clamping member and compressibly holding the syringe in the protector.

1 . A syringe protector for enclosing the needle portion of a syringe, comprising: 
 a clamping member having a toothed surface, an axial passage adapted to receive a syringe therethrough, and at least one flexible flange portion; and    a guard member having a toothed surface and a deflecting surface;    wherein interaction between the toothed surface of the clamping member and the toothed surface of the guard member lockably engages the clamping member and the guard member; and    wherein the deflecting surface deflects the at least one flange portion so as to compressively grip a syringe inserted through the axial passage.    
   
   
       2 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the clamping member further includes a second toothed surface configured and arranged such that the second toothed surface engages the syringe inserted through the axial passage when the at least one flange is deflected.  
   
   
       3 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the clamping member includes at least two flexible flange portions.  
   
   
       4 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the clamping member includes at least four flexible flange portions.  
   
   
       5 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flange portion includes a toothed surface.  
   
   
       6 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the toothed surface of the clamping member is an exterior surface and the toothed surface of the guard member is an interior surface.  
   
   
       7 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the toothed surface of the clamping member is an interior surface and the toothed surface of the guard member is an exterior surface.  
   
   
       8 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the axial passage of the clamping member further includes a plurality of ridges that compressively grip a syringe and which are substantially parallel to the axial passage.  
   
   
       9 . The syringe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the guard member further includes a stop member configured and arranged so as to allow the needle of a syringe to pass therethrough and to abut the body of the syringe.  
   
   
       10 . A syringe protector kit, comprising: 
 a plurality of clamping members having a toothed surface, an axial passage adapted to receive a syringe therethrough, and at least one flexible flange portion; and    a guard tray having a plurality of locking sites, each locking site adapted to receive one of the plurality of clamping members, each locking site having a toothed surface and a deflecting surface;    wherein interaction between the toothed surface of a clamping member and the toothed surface of a locking site lockably engages the clamping member and the guard tray; and    wherein the deflecting surface of a first locking site radially deflects the at least one flange portion of a first clamping member so as to compressibly grip the syringe inserted through the axial passage.    
   
   
       11 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of locking sites is engaged with one of the plurality of clamping members.  
   
   
       12 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of locking sites is individually separable from the guard tray.  
   
   
       13 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of clamping members further include a second toothed surface configured and arranged such that the second toothed surface engages the syringe inserted through the axial passage when the at least one flange is deflected.  
   
   
       14 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein the axial passage of the plurality of clamping members further include a plurality of ridges which are substantially parallel to the axial passage.