Syringe guard apparatus

Claim 1

An assembly adapted for injecting or drawing fluid into or from a surface, said assembly comprising: a barrel portion for containing fluid, said barrel being equipped with a needle on an end thereof, said needle being adapted to pass fluid contained in said barrel into or from said substrate; tubular guard means telescopically related to and surrounding the end of said barrel equipped with said needle, said guard means having first and second ends and being adapted to telescope along said barrel between a first extended position, and a second retracted position; and, end-piece means mounted on a first end of said guard means, said end-piece capable of being oriented in first and second positions, said first position allowing passage of said needle through said first end of said guard when said guard is moved to said retracted position, said second position of said end-piece means blocking passage of said needle through said first end of said guard means, and enabling positive destruction of said needle when said guard is moved to said retracted position, wherein said end piece comprises a rotatable insert mounted for rotation about an axis within said first end of said guard, said axis being transverse with respect to the direction of said needle, said wheel member including an aperture therethrough transverse to said axis, said aperture being approximately aligned with said needle when said rotatable insert is oriented in said first position, and not aligned with said needle when said rotatable insert is in said second position.