Device for removal and disposal of syringe needles

Claim 1

A needle removal and disposal device comprising container means having at least one rigid wall, an aperture within said rigid wall sufficiently large to admit a needle joined to the barrel of a blood-collection device and means joining said needle to said barrel; and, operatively associated with said aperture, means for gripping said joining means with sufficient force to permit manual disengagement of said needle from said barrel, said gripping means comprising means for biasing said gripping means into a closed, gripping position while simultaneously occluding said aperture; and means for opening said engaging means sufficiently to admit said needle and joining means.

Claim 3

A device for removing and disposing of needles from syringes, vacutainers, and other blood collection devices comprising: (a) a container of impervious construction having a flat bottom, and sidewall structure extending upwardly from said bottom, the size of said container being such as to permit secure gripping and manipulation by one hand, (b) a lid disposed upon the upper extremity of said sidewall structure, said lid being bounded by an upper surface directed away from the underlying container, a lower surface directed toward the container, and a lateral perimeter, and containing an aperture communicating between said upper and lower surfaces, and (c) gripping means associated with said lid and comprised of: (1) stationary jaw means partially occluding said aperture, (2) second jaw means which movably engage said stationary jaw means, (3) stationary holding means supported by the lid, (4) second holding means in fixed association with said second jaw means, (5) resilient means held by said stationary and second holding means in a manner to draw said jaws together in mutual abutment, and (6) moving means for displacing said second jaw means away from said first jaw means, whereby (d) during non-use of the device for needle removal, the abutting jaws cause substantially complete occlusion of the aperture, and (e) during use of the device for needle removal, finger pressure applied to said moving means causes separation of the jaws against the urging of said resilient means, permitting insertion of a needle through said aperture.

Claim 4

A device for removing and disposing of needles from syringes, vacutainers, and other blood collection devices comprising: (a) a container of impervious construction having a flat bottom, and sidewall structure extending upwardly from said bottom, the size of said container being such as to permit secure gripping and manipulation by one hand, (b) a lid disposed upon the upper extremity of said sidewall structure, said lid being bounded by an upper surface directed away from the underlying container, a lower surface directed toward the container, and a lateral perimeter, and containing an aperture communicating between said upper and lower surfaces, and (c) gripping means associated with said lid and comprised of: (1) stationary jaw means partially occluding said aperture, (2) second jaw means which movably engage said stationary jaw means, (3) stationary holding means supported by the lid, (4) second holding means in fixed association with said second jaw means, (5) resilient means held by said stationary and second holding means in a manner to draw said jaws together in mutual abutment, and (6) moving means for displacing said second jaw means away from said first jaw means, whereby (d) during non-use of the device for needle removal, the abutting jaws cause substantially complete occlusion of the aperture, and (e) during use of the device for needle removal, finger pressure applied to said moving means causes separation of the jaws against the urging of said resilient means, permitting insertion of a needle through said aperture.