Self retracting medical needle apparatus and methods

Claim 1

Apparatus for transporting and using and then withdrawing a medical needle to a safe container after use, said apparatus comprising: a hermetically sealed container comprising: a needle exit and reentry end disposed proximal to a site of needle entry into a patient; a portion proximal to the exit and reentry end being physically distortable without breaking said container; an opposite end associated with blood delivery to a storage vessel for later use; an integrally attached needle cover, initially disposed within said container but having a closed, but separable attachment at said needle exit and reentry end such that the cover is physically detachable from the rest of the housing at the needle exit and reentry end and is thereby provided with an exit path through the exit and reentry end; at least one surface segment comprising a catch for a latch; a medical needle assembly comprising: a medical needle initially disposed within the needle cover and having a sharpened end disposed toward the needle exit and reentry end; cover attachment hub means disposed about said medical needle and separably attachable to and detachable from the needle cover, said cover attachment hub being slideably affixed to said needle during transport and before and during blood withdrawal; said cover attachment hub means further comprising a latch which, prior to blood withdrawal, is positioned to lock, by interaction with said at least one surface segment, said needle assembly at a predetermined position relative to said exit and reentry end whereat the needle extends outward from said housing and is thereby positioned for use; a needle release assembly firmly affixed to said medical needle at at least an end of the assembly distal from the opposite end, said release assembly comprising: a releasable attachment to said cover attachment hub; an attachment release apparatus disposed in close communication with an internal surface of said container such that the release apparatus is actuated after the needle is extended by manual distortion of the physically distortable portion of said container; means for affixing said needle assembly to a linear motion force storage apparatus which derives return energy for needle retraction from needle extension through the needle exit and reentry end; a blood containment and delivery pathway from the needle to the opposite end; means for delivering blood from the containment pathway to the storage vessel.

Claim 7

A method for making a disposable blood withdrawal apparatus with a retractable needle, comprising the following steps: molding a first part having a needle cover, a containment sheath and means for disconnecting the needle cover from the containment sheath during use; molding a second part about a medical needle having a sharp pointed end, the second part comprising a first molded segment which is disposed about the needle, but not attached thereto and a second molded segment which also disposed about the needle and firmly affixed thereto, the two segments in combination comprising means for coupling segment one to segment two and means for selectively separating the two segments; molding a third part about a membrane-piercing needle of a reduced pressure fluid withdrawal device, a portion of the third part forming a connection to the reduced pressure fluid withdrawal device; providing a hollow elastic tube of predetermined length; connecting a first end of the tube to the second part to provide a fluid pathway which communicates between the medical needle and hollow of the tube; connecting a second end of the tube to the third part thereby providing a continuous fluid pathway from the medical needle through the tube and through the membrane-piercing needle; separably affixing the first part to the second part such that the needle cover encloses a portion of the medical needle comprising the sharp pointed end and the first and second parts in combination form a cocking and releasing mechanism; joining the first part to the third part to form a unitized structure.

Claim 8

A method for making a disposable blood withdrawal apparatus with a retractable needle, comprising the following steps: molding a first part having a needle cover, a containment sheath and means for disconnecting the needle cover from the containment sheath during use; molding a second part about a medical needle having a sharp pointed end, the second part comprising a first molded segment which is disposed about the needle, but not attached thereto and a second molded segment which also disposed about the needle and firmly affixed thereto, the two segments in combination comprising means for coupling segment one to segment two and means for selectively separating the two segments; molding a third part about a membrane-piercing needle of a reduced pressure fluid withdrawal device, a portion of the third part forming a connection to the reduced pressure fluid withdrawal device; providing a hollow elastic tube of predetermined length; connecting a first end of the tube to the second part to provide a fluid pathway which communicates between the medical needle and hollow of the tube; connecting a second end of the tube to the third part thereby providing a continuous fluid pathway from the medical needle through the tube and through the membrane-piercing needle; separably affixing the first part to the second part such that the needle cover encloses a portion of the medical needle comprising the sharp pointed end and the first and second parts in combination form a cocking and releasing mechanism; joining the first part to the third part to form a unitized structure.

Claim 13

A method for using a self-retracting blood withdrawal needle and associated apparatus comprising the steps of: providing the needle and associated apparatus comprising a housing which contains a medical needle, a cover for the medical needle and a cocking and releasing mechanism; frangibly separating the cover from the housing; pulling the cover outward from the housing thereby extending the needle outward from the housing and cocking the cocking and release mechanism; removing the cover to bare the needle preparatory to a transdermal needle insertion procedure; withdrawing a desired amount of blood; distorting the housing to disengage a needle affixed portion of the cocking and release mechanism thereby returning the needle to the safe containment within the housing.

Claim 14

A method for using a self-retracting blood withdrawal needle and associated apparatus comprising the steps of: providing the needle and associated apparatus comprising a housing which contains a medical needle, a cover for the medical needle and a cocking and releasing mechanism; frangibly separating the cover from the housing; pulling the cover outward from the housing thereby extending the needle outward from the housing and cocking the cocking and release mechanism; removing the cover to bare the needle preparatory to a transdermal needle insertion procedure; withdrawing a desired amount of blood; distorting the housing to disengage a needle affixed portion of the cocking and release mechanism thereby returning the needle to the safe containment within the housing.

Claim 19

A method for safely withdrawing a medical needle into a container comprising the steps of: providing a medical needle container at least a portion of which comprises a manually distortable section; providing a blood accessing assembly comprising an extendable-retractable medical needle, the blood accessing assembly being previously extended from the container to thereby cock a return mechanism associated with returning the medical needle to the container and to latch the medical needle in the extended position; distorting the container section to delatch the medical needle by triggering the return mechanism and thereby safely retracting the medical needle into the container.

Claim 20

A method for safely withdrawing a medical needle into a container comprising the steps of: providing a medical needle container at least a portion of which comprises a manually distortable section; providing a blood accessing assembly comprising an extendable-retractable medical needle, the blood accessing assembly being previously extended from the container to thereby cock a return mechanism associated with returning the medical needle to the container and to latch the medical needle in the extended position; distorting the container section to delatch the medical needle by triggering the return mechanism and thereby safely retracting the medical needle into the container.

Claim 21

A method for creating a medical needle reentry orifice in a needle exit-entry hub for a retractable needle withdrawal apparatus whereby the reentry orifice is essentially the same diameter as the exterior diameter of the needle comprising the steps of: providing an elongated medical needle which is sharpened upon at least one end; applying mold release to a portion of the exterior surface of the elongated medical needle; molding the exit-entry hub about the portion where the mold release is applied.

Claim 22

A method for creating a medical needle reentry orifice in a needle exit-entry hub for a retractable needle withdrawal apparatus whereby the reentry orifice is essentially the same diameter as the exterior diameter of the needle comprising the steps of: providing an elongated medical needle which is sharpened upon at least one end; applying mold release to a portion of the exterior surface of the elongated medical needle; molding the exit-entry hub about the portion where the mold release is applied.

Claim 25

A method for making a disposable blood withdrawal apparatus with a retractable needle, comprising the following steps: providing a first set of parts for the apparatus comprising a needle cover, a cover puller and a front plate part, said plate part being integral with, but manually separable from said cover part; providing a medical needle assembly comprising a medical needle having a sharp pointed end opposite another end, said needle being firmly affixed to a first hub segment and slideably affixed to a second hub segment disposed proximal to the sharp pointed end, the two segments being separably affixed one to the other; providing a housing part comprising a barrel part, associated with a reduced pressure fluid withdrawal device and having a fluid pathway defining tube connection, and a containment sheath, the front plate part and containment sheath cooperatively providing means for sealingly connecting said plate part to said sheath, said sheath further comprising a distortable membrane, distortion of which is instrumental in separating the two segments; providing a hollow elastic tube of predetermined length; connecting a first end of the hollow elastic tube to the first hub segment; connecting a second end of the hollow elastic tube to the tube connection whereby a fluid pathway is constructed from the sharp pointed end of the medical needle to the barrel part; disposing the first and second hubs in cooperative arrangement and attaching the cover part to the second hub such that when the cover puller acted upon to separate the cover part from the plate part the needle is pulled by cooperative interaction among the cover, second hub and first hub; and joining the housing part to the front cover part to form a hermetically sealed chamber about the medical needle assembly.

Claim 26

A method for making a disposable blood withdrawal apparatus with a retractable needle, comprising the following steps: providing a first set of parts for the apparatus comprising a needle cover, a cover puller and a front plate part, said plate part being integral with, but manually separable from said cover part; providing a medical needle assembly comprising a medical needle having a sharp pointed end opposite another end, said needle being firmly affixed to a first hub segment and slideably affixed to a second hub segment disposed proximal to the sharp pointed end, the two segments being separably affixed one to the other; providing a housing part comprising a barrel part, associated with a reduced pressure fluid withdrawal device and having a fluid pathway defining tube connection, and a containment sheath, the front plate part and containment sheath cooperatively providing means for sealingly connecting said plate part to said sheath, said sheath further comprising a distortable membrane, distortion of which is instrumental in separating the two segments; providing a hollow elastic tube of predetermined length; connecting a first end of the hollow elastic tube to the first hub segment; connecting a second end of the hollow elastic tube to the tube connection whereby a fluid pathway is constructed from the sharp pointed end of the medical needle to the barrel part; disposing the first and second hubs in cooperative arrangement and attaching the cover part to the second hub such that when the cover puller acted upon to separate the cover part from the plate part the needle is pulled by cooperative interaction among the cover, second hub and first hub; and joining the housing part to the front cover part to form a hermetically sealed chamber about the medical needle assembly.