RETRACTABLE SYRINGE

Abstract

An automatic retractable syringe comprised of a syringe inside a compressed spring loaded locking safety sheath that moves into a protective position over the needle of the syringe that is triggered by the depression of the plunger, causing the positional locking mechanism to displace from its initial position and activate a compressed spring that expands, moving the locking safety sheath into its protective position and locks the sheath, preventing further movement of the locking safety sheath. An optional fusing system acts to permanently fix the locking mechanism in place to further secure the locking safety sheath in the protective position.

Claims

1. A retractable syringe wherein, said retractable syringe is comprised of a syringe barrel (5) with open forward and rearward ends comprising two areas on the side of the barrel, position A (11) and position B (12), in which said locking mechanism (3) is positioned without being under tension, a plunger (1) in the barrel with one end of the plunger extending out the rearward open end comprised of a plunger top (10), said syringe is also comprised of a needle (9), with needle huh (7), and needle adapter (6) into the forward end of the barrel, a protective needle cap (14), a spring loaded locking safety sheath (4) that is triggered when said plunger is depressed and the underside of said plunger top (10) presses down and activates said mechanism trigger (2), a viewing port (16) on the side of the locking safety sheath to allow proper measurement of materials into the barrel of the syringe, a safety tab (17) to prevent activation of the locking mechanism during transport and prior to use, stoppers (18) to prevent separation of the syringe from the locking safety sheath, and stabilizer guides (19) to ensure smooth movement of said syringe and said locking safety sheath in relation to each other, wherein said locking safety sheath has a locking mechanism (3) that comes under tension when it is displaced out of said position A (11), when said mechanism trigger causes position A (11) to close, the displacement of said locking mechanism activates the compressed spring (8) allowing said spring to expand, and said locking mechanism and the locking safety sheath it is attached to then move downward, causing said needle to retract, said locking mechanism moves to position B (12) and the tension said locking mechanism is under releases, as said locking mechanism moves into the gap provided by position B (12), said locking mechanism is then locked in place by said position B, as it cannot move up or down, said position B (12) comprises an optional fusing system (15a and 15b) as an added safety measure, said optional fusing system (15a and 15b) is comprised of an adhesive or bonding chemical (15a) contained in a protective but breakable coating (15b), said protective coating breaks as said locking mechanism (3) enters said position B (FIG. 3) and makes contact with said protective coating, said adhesive is released when said protective coating breaks, said adhesive fuses said locking mechanism to position B preventing further movement, said locking safety sheath is now in a position in which the needle is no longer exposed and the user is now protected from injury from the needle, said locking mechanism (3) is encased in a tamper proof encasement (13) to prevent tampering of the locking mechanism and to aid in the stability and strength of said locking mechanism, said locking mechanism and related components can exist in plurality.

2. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said locking safety sheath (4) comprises a locking mechanism that acts as a spring (3) that comes under tension as the last of the contents from the syringe barrel are administered and is activated by the downward movement of said plunger top (10) and said mechanism trigger (2) closing the space in position A (11) and causing the locking mechanism to be displaced out of said position A (11) and conic under tension, said locking mechanism returns to its original position when the tension from being displaced is released by said position B (12) when said locking mechanism moves down to and enters position B (12) (FIGS. 2 and 3).

3. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said plunger (1) has one end located inside the barrel and when said plunger is pulled upwards, draws the contents to be administered into the available space in the barrel (5) of the syringe without activating said mechanism trigger (2), and when said plunger is depressed and reaches the bottom of said barrel, the contents of said barrel will have been administered completely and said mechanism trigger (2) will be activated.

4. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said spring (8) that was compressed and under tension when said locking mechanism was in position A (11) is activated and expands when said locking mechanism (3) is displaced from said position A (11) and the pressure applied to the plunger top (10) is released, said expanding spring causes said locking safety sheath (4) to move downward causing said needle (9) to be covered by a portion of said locking safety sheath and causing the locking mechanism (3) to move downward and into position B (12) releasing the tension it was under from the displacement of said position A (11).

5. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 4 wherein, said locking mechanism (3) is locked into place by position B (12) situating said locking safety sheath (4) in a protective position over said needle and locking said safety sheath in place.

6. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, a tamper proof encasement (13) covering the locking mechanism (3) protects the locking mechanism from being damaged or tampered with and aids in the stability and strength of said locking mechanism.

7. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said needle (9) is covered by a removable protective needle cap (14) that is removed and discarded prior to using the syringe

8. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the contents inside said barrel (5) move through said needle (9) that is attached to the syringe via a needle hub (7) and needle adapter (6) and into the patient as said plunger (1) moves downwards and said plunger lop (10) makes contact with said mechanism trigger (2), activating said locking mechanism (3) and said locking safety sheath (4).

9. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said locking safety sheath (4) has a viewing port (16) on the side of the safety sheath in an area not occupied by said locking mechanism, that allows the user to view the measurement markings on the side of the syringe in order to draw an accurate measurement of liquid into the barrel.

10. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, a safety tab (17) is attached to said plunger top (10) and to the locking safety sheath (4), in order to prevent premature activation of said locking mechanism during transport or prior to use, said safety tab is to be removed and discarded prior to using said retractable syringe (FIG. 4).

11. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said barrel (5) of said syringe comprises two notched positions, Position A (11) in which said locking mechanism (3) is located in the open/ready, or needle exposed position (FIG. 1), and Position B (12) in which the locking mechanism moves towards and becomes positioned in when said locking safety sheath is in the closed/locked, or needle retracted position (FIG. 3).

12. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said locking safety sheath (4) and said barrel (5) comprise stoppers (i 8) located on opposing sides, on said locking safety sheath and on said barrel of the syringe, said stoppers move towards each other when said locking safety sheath is activated, said stoppers act to prevent said syringe from being removed from said locking safety sheath (FIG. 4).

13. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said locking safety sheath and said barrel comprise Stabilizer guides (19), said stabilizer guides aid in the stability of movement of said syringe inside said locking safety sheath and prevents binding while said locking safety sheath and said syringe are in motion.

14. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said position B (12) comprises an optional fusing system (15a and 15b), said optional fusing system acts as an additional safety measure and can be used to secure any part of said locking safety sheath as an additional safety measure to prevent needle exposure, such as securing said locking mechanism in place at said position B through bonding or fusion, said position B and said locking mechanism and said locking safety sheath and said retractable syringe all function properly and work to retract said needle and lock said locking safety sheath in its protective position with or without the use of the optional fusing system.

15. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 14 wherein, said optional fusing system (15) is comprised of an adhesive or bonding chemical (15a) contained in a breakable protective coating (15b)

16. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 15 wherein, said protective coating (15b) is comprised of material that keeps said adhesive or bonding chemical contained and in good order ready for use

17. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 16 wherein, said protective coating (15b) is comprised of material that breaks when said locking mechanism (3) enters said position B (12)

18. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 17 wherein, said protective coating (15b) breaks and releases said adhesive or bonding chemical (15a) when said locking mechanism (3) enters said position B (12) and strikes said optional fusing system, or when a surface of said locking safety sheath comes into contact with a surface of said barrel containing said optional fusing system.

19. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 18 wherein, said adhesive or bonding chemical (15a), once released, secures said locking mechanism in place at said position B (12), or contacted surface, preventing further movement of said locking mechanism and locking safety sheath.

20. A retractable syringe as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said locking mechanism, mechanism trigger, and all said related parts that aid in the action of said locking mechanism and the movement of said locking safety sheath can be situated perpendicular relative to the safety locking sheath (FIG. 5a), or can be positioned to the left or to the right by design (FIG. 5b), or other configuration of this locking mechanism's design, allowing the locking mechanism and related parts to lay sideways, flat against said barrel and locking safety sheath to allow a slimmer design without changing the basic design concepts of said locking mechanism, locking safety sheath, and retractable syringe (FIGS. 5a and 5b).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows the retractable syringe in its open/ready, or needle exposed position, where the locking mechanism (3) is located in position A (11) prior to use. The plunger of the syringe can be pulled outwards in order to draw materials into the barrel of the syringe without causing the locking mechanism to activate. When the plunger is depressed, it makes contact with said mechanism trigger (2), which activates the locking mechanism (3).

[0024] FIG. 2 shows the retractable syringe in its activated position, where the plunger (1) is depressed, and said mechanism trigger (2) has closed said position A (11), causing said locking mechanism (3) to be displaced and under tension. With the displacement of said locking mechanism from position A, the spring (8) is now activated and begins to expand. The locking safety sheath (4) can now move to its protective position, where it will cover the needle. The locking mechanism (3) can now move to protective position B (12).

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the retractable syringe in its needle retracted position. The locking mechanism (3) has moved to position B (12) and the locking safety sheath (4) is now covering the needle (9) and is locked in place. When the optional fusing system (15) is utilized, said locking mechanism will now be permanently fixed in place at said position B (12).

[0026] FIG. 4 shows the viewing port (16), safety tab (17), Stoppers (18), and stabilizer guides (19), which are not expressed in FIG. 1, 2, 3, or 5.

[0027] FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b and demonstrates two of the possible variations of this locking mechanism and is meant to demonstrate that variations of this locking mechanism are possible. FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b are not intended to limit the many variations of this positional locking mechanism, as other variations are possible and should be included under the protection of this patent.

[0028] FIG. 5a shows said locking safety sheath as seen from the front view, wherein said locking mechanism, mechanism trigger, and all said related parts that aid in the action and positioning of said locking mechanism and the movement of said locking safety sheath are situated perpendicular relative to the safety locking sheath as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

[0029] FIG. 5b shows said locking mechanism and related parts in an alternative design configuration, wherein said locking mechanism and related parts are positioned to the right (or can be arranged in a different variation or position) in design, allowing the locking mechanism and related parts to permit a slimmer design without changing the basic design concepts of said locking mechanism, locking safety sheath, and retractable syringe.

FIGURE LEGEND

[0030] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, and 5b contain a numbered listing of parts for the retractable syringe. The numbered parts are as follows: [0031] 1 Plunger [0032] 2 Mechanism Trigger [0033] 3 Locking Mechanism [0034] 4 Locking Safety Sheath [0035] 5 Barrel [0036] 6 Needle Adapter [0037] 7 Needle Hub [0038] 8 Spring [0039] 9 Needle [0040] 10 Plunger Top [0041] 11 Position A [0042] 12 Position B [0043] 13 Tamperproof Encasement [0044] 14 Needle Cap [0045] 15a and 15b Optional Fusing System [0046] 15a Adhesive or bonding chemical [0047] 15b Protective coating [0048] 16 Viewing port [0049] 17 Safety Tab [0050] 18 Stoppers [0051] 19 Stabilizer guides

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] An automatic retractable syringe comprised of a syringe inside a compressed spring loaded locking safety sheath (4) that moves into a protective position over the needle (9) of the syringe utilizing a positional locking mechanism (3) on the side of said safety sheath that in the open/ready (needle exposed) position retains said safety sheath with the needle of said syringe exposed for use, where the plunger (1) does not trigger said locking mechanism when drawn outward from the barrel (5) and when said plunger is depressed, the bottom of the plunger top (10) depresses the mechanism trigger (2), closing the gap at position A (11) and forcing said locking mechanism (3) out of said position A (11), causing said locking mechanism (3) to be under tension while displaced and the spring (8) to expand and the locking safety sheath (4) to move into its protective position, where a portion of said locking safety sheath covers the needle, causing said locking mechanism to move to position B (12), where said locking mechanism then locks in place in position B (12), preventing said locking safety sheath from further movement, said position B (12) comprises an optional fusing system (15a and 15b), said fusing system is comprised of an adhesive or bonding chemical (15a) contained in a protective but breakable coating (15b), said locking mechanism is protected by a tamperproof encasement (13), said needle is covered by a removable needle cap (14) prior to use, said locking safety sheath is also comprised of a viewing port (16) to enable clear viewing of the measurement notches on the syringe, a safety tab (17) to prevent the safety feature of the retractable syringe from being triggered prior to use, stoppers (18) to prevent the syringe from being separated from the safety sheath, and stabilizer guides (19) to enable smooth and stable movement of the sheath and syringe and related moving parts in relation to each other, said safety syringe also comprises other basic components of a syringe, such as a needle adapter (6) and needle hub (7).

[0053] This invention is distinct in comparison with prior art, as it has a unique automatic locking feature that is triggered simply by expelling the contents of the barrel with the depression of the plunger that causes the needle to retract only when the user releases the thumb pressure applied to the plunger top. The movement of the locking safety sheath works in such a way that the needle is covered by a portion of the locking safety sheath when it locks into place at position B. Prior art has been previously designed such that the needle retracts into the syringe itself. This invention is unique in that the needle does not retract into the barrel of the syringe, but instead the method of retraction occurs through the movement of the safety locking sheath over the needle. The various safety features, such as the automatic locking safety sheath, helps protect from injury, or infectious diseases the syringe may be contaminated with. The locking safety features of this retractable syringe are unique to other prior art and is an improvement over other attempts to create a retractable syringe for safety purposes, as this safety syringe is designed to be used by not only those in the field of medicine, but also by people who do not have adequate medical training. Once locked, the syringe can be handled safely without the risk or danger of injury. The process of making this retractable syringe will be similar to that of making any other style of hypodermic needle or syringe. The needle is produced from steel that is heated and formed to make the needle, and a bevel is formed on the end during this process. Some needles are formed by using a die casting.

[0054] There are various ways that the barrel, plunger, and locking safety sheath can be made, including extrusion and injection molding. Assembly of the syringe is carried out using specialized automated machines and/or manually. After assembly, the syringes are put into packaging in order to keep them sterilized prior to use.

[0055] The simplicity of the design of this retractable syringe will make this invention less expensive to make compared to prior art and this design incorporates the mechanism parts on the outside of the syringe in order to ensure the syringe maintains its autonomy to minimize internal surface area in which contamination might be able to form in order to create the most sterile conditions possible for the interior working parts of the syringe.

[0056] This invention makes it easier for the handler to identify the syringe as a proper safety syringe simply by sight, due to the external design of the locking safety sheath, whereas other designs cannot readily be identified by sight alone.

[0057] This invention also allows the user to control the retraction of the syringe with minimal effort, as the force used to depress the plunger and activate the locking safety sheath transfers automatically to countering the force released by the compressed spring.

[0058] This invention prevents splatter or backsplash, and will significantly reduce pain due to the retraction of the needle as the function of the needle is autonomous to the locking mechanism and safety sheath and therefore can operate independently without the design of the locking mechanism and safety sheath impeding on the function of the syringe.

[0059] The design of this invention allows it to be identifiable by sight for safety reasons. Finally, the design of this invention protects the handler of a used retractable syringe in order for the syringe to be discarded safely.