Needle guard

Abstract

A needle guard assembly having a resilient arm extending from a base situated to slide along the shaft of a needle. In one implementation the needle guard has an elongate containment member that rides with the resilient arm and is co-operable with the resilient arm to effectuate a covering of the entire distal tip of the needle upon the needle being retracted into the needle guard.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A needle assembly comprising:
 a needle having a needle shaft and a distal tip, the needle shaft having a change in profile located near the distal tip; and   a needle guard moveable on the needle between a ready position and an activated position, the needle guard comprising an arm that extends distally from a base having an aperture formed therein, the needle guard slideably mounted on the needle shaft with the needle shaft passing through the aperture formed in the base, the aperture sized to engage with the change in profile of the needle shaft to limit movement between the needle and the needle guard, the arm having a distal section that is urged against a side of the needle shaft when the needle is in the ready position, the needle guard further comprising an elongate member having a through passage extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the elongate member, the elongate member extending distally from a position at or near the base and slideable along the needle shaft as the needle guard is moved between the ready position and the activated position, the elongate member having a length such that substantially coincident with the change in profile engaging the aperture in the base the entirety of the distal tip of the needle is positioned to reside within the through passage of the elongate member and the distal section of the arm disengages with the needle shaft to move radially inward to at least partially cover the distal end of the elongate member, the elongate member being sufficiently rigid to restrict a longitudinal movement of the needle with respect to the needle guard when the distal section of the arm at least partially covers the distal end of the elongate member.   
     
     
         2 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein substantially coincident with the change in profile engaging the aperture in the base of the needle guard the distal section of the arm disengages with the needle shaft to completely cover the distal end of the elongate member. 
     
     
         3 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is attached to the base. 
     
     
         4 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the arm and the elongate member are integrally formed from a single piece of material. 
     
     
         5 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the elongate member comprises a conformable material. 
     
     
         6 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal section of the arm comprises a conformable material. 
     
     
         7 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the distal section of the arm and the distal end of the elongate member comprises a conformable material. 
     
     
         8 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member comprises a reservoir at or near its distal end for collecting blood or bodily fluids that may emanate from the distal tip of the needle when the needle guard is in the activated position. 
     
     
         9 . A needle assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member resides entirely between the base and the distal section of the arm. 
     
     
         10 . A needle assembly comprising:
 a needle having a needle shaft and a distal tip, the needle shaft having a change in profile located near the distal tip; and   a needle guard moveable on the needle between a ready position and an activated position, the needle guard comprising an arm that extends distally from a base having an aperture formed therein, the needle guard slideably mounted on the needle shaft with the needle shaft passing through the aperture formed in the base, the arm having a distal section that is urged against a side of the needle shaft when the needle is in the ready position, the needle guard further comprising an elongate member having a through passage extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the elongate member, the elongate member extending distally from a position at or near the base and slideable along the needle shaft as the needle guard is moved between the ready position and the activated position, the through passage of the elongate member having an area of reduced cross-section at a location along the length of the elongate member, the area of reduced cross-section sized to engage with the change in profile of the needle shaft to limit movement of the needle with respect to the needle guard, the elongate member having a length such that substantially coincident with the change in profile engaging the aperture in the base the entirety of the distal tip of the needle is positioned to reside within the through passage of the elongate member and the distal section of the arm disengages with the needle shaft to move radially inward to at least partially cover the distal end of the elongate member, the elongate member being sufficiently rigid to restrict longitudinal movement of the needle with respect to the needle guard when the distal section of the arm at least partially covers the distal end of the elongate member.   
     
     
         11 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein substantially coincident with the change in profile engaging the aperture in the base of the needle guard the distal section of the arm disengages with the needle shaft to completely cover the distal end of the elongate member. 
     
     
         12 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the elongate member is attached to the base. 
     
     
         13 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the arm and the elongate member are integrally formed from a single piece of material. 
     
     
         14 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the distal end of the elongate member comprises a conformable material. 
     
     
         15 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the distal section of the arm comprises a conformable material. 
     
     
         16 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the distal section of the arm and the distal end of the elongate member comprises a conformable material. 
     
     
         17 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the elongate member comprises a reservoir at or near its distal end for collecting blood or bodily fluids that may emanate from the distal tip of the needle when the needle guard is in the activated position. 
     
     
         18 . A needle assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the elongate member resides entirely between the base and the distal section of the arm.