Pen needle assembly

Abstract

A needle hub assembly for a pen needle includes a needle hub, an inner shield and an outer cover. The open end of the outer cover is closed by a removable seal to access the needle hub. The needle hub has a body with a shoulder and a tower extending from the body for supporting a cannula. The inner shield fits over the tower and the cannula and includes a flange that has an outer dimension complementing the outer dimension of the needle hub and contacts the shoulder of the needle hub in the assembled condition. The outer cover encloses the needle hub and the inner shield and includes a stop member on an inner surface that contacts the flange of the inner shield to capture the inner shield between the shoulder of the needle hub and the outer cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A needle hub comprising:
 a body having an open end for coupling with a medication delivery pen device, said body having a sidewall with an outer surface with an outer dimension, and an inner surface, said outer surface having a plurality of recesses extending from a top end of said side wall and extending toward said open end, a bottom end of said side wall having a thickness less than a thickness of said top end of said side wall;   a tower extending from said body and having a sidewall with an outer surface, an inner surface, and having an outer dimension less than said outer dimension of said body, and an end wall defining a skin contact surface; and   a post extending from an inner surface of said end wall and extending toward said open end of said body, said post configured for supporting a cannula extending from said end wall of said tower.   
     
     
         2 . The needle hub of  claim 1 , wherein
 said bottom end of said inner surface of said side wall of said body includes a recess extending around said open end to define a substantially uniform thickness at said bottom end.   
     
     
         3 . The needle hub of  claim 2 , wherein said body has an inner diameter at said open end greater than an inner diameter at said top end. 
     
     
         4 . The needle hub of  claim 1 , wherein
 said end wall has an inner surface with a plurality of stabilizing ribs projecting into a cavity of said needle hub and extending between said side wall of said tower and said post.   
     
     
         5 . The needle hub of  claim 4 , wherein
 said post has a conical base portion at said inner surface of said end wall, and where said plurality of ribs are formed at least partially on said conical base portion.   
     
     
         6 . The needle hub of  claim 5 , wherein said stabilizing ribs have a substantially uniform height, and where said stabilizing ribs extend from said conical base portion and from said inner surface of said end wall. 
     
     
         7 . The needle hub of  claim 6 , wherein said post has a length greater than a length of said tower, where said post projects into a cavity defined by said sidewall of said body. 
     
     
         8 . The needle hub of  claim 1 , wherein
 said outer face of said end wall of said tower includes an outer ring at an outer edge of said end wall and having an axial face that is inclined with respect to a center axis of said needle hub, and an inner ring at the center portion of said end wall and having an axial face spaced inwardly from said outer ring with respect to the center axis, said inner ring and said outer ring defining a skin contact surface and defining a recess between said inner ring and outer ring.   
     
     
         9 . The needle hub of  claim 1 , further comprising an inner shield on said tower of said needle hub, said inner shield including a shell body with a sidewall having an inner surface with a first dimension to couple to the tower of said needle hub, a top wall, and a top portion extending from said top wall of said body, said top portion having a sidewall with an inner surface with a second dimension less that said first dimension, said sidewall having an outer surface with a friction surface configured for gripping by a user. 
     
     
         10 . The needle hub of  claim 1 , further comprising an inner shield having a plurality of substantially flat sidewalls with a surface facing outwardly from said inner shield, each of said side surfaces having a projecting member for gripping said inner shield. 
     
     
         11 . The needle hub of  claim 10 , wherein each of said sidewalls of said inner shield has a substantially convex curvature, and where each of said projecting members has an inclined major face and an inclined minor face. 
     
     
         12 . The needle hub of  claim 9 , further comprising an outer cover with a body having a sidewall with an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface having an inner dimension to receive the needle hub, and a top section extending from a top end of said body, said top end having a side wall with an outer surface and an inner surface having an inner dimension less than the inner dimension of said body of said outer cover, said outer surface of said top end portion having a friction surface. 
     
     
         13 . A cover assembly for covering a needle hub, said cover assembly comprising:
 an inner shield including a body with a sidewall having an inner surface with a first dimension to couple to a needle hub, a top wall, and a top portion extending from said top wall of said body, said top portion having a sidewall with an inner surface having a second dimension less than said first dimension, said side wall having an outer surface with a friction surface configured for gripping by a user; and   an outer cover with a body having a sidewall with an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface having an inner dimension to receive the needle hub, and a top section extending from a top end of said body, said top end having a sidewall with an outer surface and an inner surface having an inner dimension less than the inner dimension of said body, said outer surface of said top end portion having a friction surface.   
     
     
         14 . The cover assembly of  claim 13 , wherein
 said inner surface of said body of said outer cover has a plurality of inwardly projecting detents extending in an axial direction with respect to a center axis of said outer cover, and a plurality of stop members to contact said inner shield to limit travel of said inner shield into said outer cover.   
     
     
         15 . The cover assembly of  claim 14 , wherein
 said stop members are integrally formed with a respective detent and have an axial face to contact said inner shield.   
     
     
         16 . The cover assembly of  claim 15 , wherein
 said inner shield has an outwardly extending flange having an outer dimension complementing an outer dimension of the needle hub and where said axial face of said stop member contacts a top surface of said flange.   
     
     
         17 . The cover assembly of  claim 16 , wherein
 said upper section of said inner shield has at least one substantially flat outer side surface, and where said friction surface is formed by at least one projecting member extending outwardly from said side surface.   
     
     
         18 . The cover assembly of  claim 13 , wherein
 said top end portion of said inner shield has at least two opposite facing, substantially flat side surfaces, each of said side surfaces having a plurality of grip members forming said friction surface for gripping by a user.   
     
     
         19 . The cover assembly of  claim 18 , wherein
 said grip members have an outer surface that is inclined with respect to a center axis of said inner shield.   
     
     
         20 . The cover assembly of  claim 19 , wherein
 said body of said inner shield has an outwardly extending flange having an outer dimension complementing an inner dimension of said body of said outer cover, and where said upper section of said inner shield has a substantially square cross-section.   
     
     
         21 . The cover assembly of  claim 19 , wherein
 side wall of said top end portion of said inner shield is tapered to define a substantially conical shape, and where said inner surface has at least one inwardly projecting rib extending an axial direction with respect to the center axis of said inner shield.