Needle protecting assembly

Claim 1

A protective medical device comprising an elongated hollow body, there being a needle element carried at one end of the body and extending longitudinally a distance beyond said one end, a sleeve mounted encirclingly on the body and having a sleeve retracted position wherein a first end of said sleeve is proximate the body one end, and a sleeve second end is proximate a body second end, said sleeve being slidable on said body from its retracted position in a sleeve extending travel advancing its second end toward the body one end to position the first sleeve end beyond a tip end of the needle element for the purpose optionally of protecting against inadvertent user contact with the said tip end, or removably mounting the sleeve to a Y-site structure at a securement location distant from that at which the needle element would have passage through a diaphragm covering an entry to the Y-site structure during sleeve mounting to the Y-site, said sleeve having resilient locking means thereon proximal the said first end thereof for removably locking the medical device to the Y-site structure, means for preventing retraction travel of said sleeve from any extended travel position thereof, said means including a linear arrayed series of teeth carried on one of an exterior surface of said body and an inner surface of said sleeve, and a pawl carried on the other of said exterior and interior surfaces, said pawl being urged into locking engagement with the teeth of said series by a force imposed on the sleeve tending to retract it, and a fitting at the second end of the hollow body for connecting it with another medical device.