PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A SYRINGE NEEDLE

Abstract

A protective cap for a syringe needle includes a main body which extends circumferentially about a main axis and having a predetermined axial extension, wherein the main body comprises first gripping surface elements arranged at a first cylindrical portion of the main body and distributed throughout the first cylindrical portion circumferentially spaced apart from each other.

Claims

1. A protective cap for a syringe needle, comprising a main body extending circumferentially about a main axis and having a predetermined axial extension, wherein the main body comprises first gripping surface elements arranged at a first cylindrical portion of the main body and distributed throughout said first cylindrical portion, circumferentially spaced apart from each other.

2. The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein said first cylindrical portion is a distal portion of the main body with respect to a patient when the protective cap is coupled to the syringe needle and the tip of the syringe needle is oriented towards the patient.

3. The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein each of said first gripping surface elements is arranged between two respective recesses which extend substantially parallel to the main axis.

4. The protective cap according to The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein said first gripping surface elements are circumferentially equally spaced apart from each other.

5. The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises second gripping surface elements arranged at a second cylindrical portion of the main body.

6. The protective cap according to claim 5, wherein said second gripping surface elements extend substantially parallel to the main axis.

7. The protective cap according to claim 5, wherein said second gripping surface elements are grouped in two or three areas circumferentially spaced apart from each other.

8. The protective cap according to claim 7, wherein said areas are circumferentially equally spaced apart from each other.

9. The protective cap according to claim 5, wherein said second cylindrical portion is a proximal portion of the main body with respect to a patient when the protective cap is coupled to the syringe needle and the tip of the syringe needle is oriented towards the patient.

10. The protective cap according to claim 9, wherein the main body comprises, at the second cylindrical portion, two or three through openings, each one arranged between two respective second gripping surface elements.

11. The protective cap according to claim 10, wherein each through opening has an axial extension lower than or equal to 25% of the axial extension of the main body.

12. The protective cap according to claim 1, comprising a secondary body extending circumferentially about said main axis in a radially inner position with respect to said main body and having an axial extension lower than that of said main body.

13. The protective cap according to claim 12, wherein said secondary body comprises a plurality of surface ribs in contact with a radially inner surface of the main body.

14. The protective cap according to claim 13, wherein the ribs of said plurality of surface ribs are substantially parallel to said main axis.

15. The protective cap according to claim 13, wherein the ribs of said plurality of surface ribs are circumferentially equally spaced apart from each other.

16. The protective cap according to claim 15, wherein the secondary body comprises a plurality of surface recesses, each one arranged between two respective ribs of said plurality of surface ribs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the appended drawings and provided for indicative and non-limiting purposes. In such drawings:

[0041] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a protective cap for syringe needle according to the present invention;

[0042] FIG. 2 is a further schematic perspective view of the protective cap for syringe needle of FIG. 1, taken from another vantage point;

[0043] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an axial section of a first component (main body) of the protective cap for syringe needle of FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second component (secondary body) of the protective cap for syringe needle of FIG. 1;

[0045] FIG. 5 is a schematic axial section of a distal portion of the protective cap for syringe needle of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, a protective cap for a syringe needle according to the present invention is indicated with 10.

[0047] The protective cap 10 is of the “rigid needle shield” (RNS) type and comprises a main body 20 and a secondary body 30, which are shown separately in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

[0048] The secondary body 30 is housed in a radially inner position with respect to the main body 20.

[0049] The main body 20 and the secondary body 30 are mutually coupled so as to be fixed to each other.

[0050] The main body 20 has a substantially cylindrical shape and extends circumferentially about a main axis X.

[0051] The main body 20 has a predetermined axial extension.

[0052] The main body 20 comprises a cavity 200 open at a distal end portion 21 of the main body 20 and closed at a proximal end portion 22 of the main body 20. Such a cavity 200 is configured to house the secondary body 30.

[0053] The main body 20 is preferably made of a rigid thermoplastic material, for example polypropylene.

[0054] The secondary body 30 has a substantially cylindrical shape and extends circumferentially about the main axis X.

[0055] The secondary body 30 has an axial extension smaller than that of the main body 20.

[0056] The secondary body 30 comprises a cavity (not visible in the drawings) open at a distal end portion 31 of the secondary body 30 and closed at a proximal end portion 32 of the secondary body 30. Such a cavity is configured to house the syringe needle.

[0057] The secondary body 30 is made of a material permeable to the gases (in particular to the ethylene oxide), for example a thermoplastic polymeric elastomer.

[0058] The secondary body 30 has a rigidity lower than that of the material from which the main body 20 is made of.

[0059] The secondary body 30 is connected to the main body 20 by means of an undercut coupling, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0060] In particular, the distal end portion 21 of the main body 20 comprises a distal lip 21a which extends circumferentially and engages with a circumferential seat 31a formed in the distal end portion 31 of the secondary body 30.

[0061] A circumferential rib 21b is provided inside the distal end portion 21 of the main body 20, creating a section narrowing and defining an inner diameter smaller than the external diameter of a cylindrical portion 31b with an increased-diameter formed at the distal end portion 31 of the secondary body 30.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in this configuration the proximal end portion 32 of the secondary body 30 abuts against an abutment surface 22a defined at the proximal end portion 22 of the main body 20, internally to the cavity 200 of the main body 20.

[0063] The distal lip 21a is formed by folding the distal end portion 21 of the main body 20 towards the cavity 200 after softening it by heating or hot moulding, before or after the assembly of the main body 20 on the secondary body 30.

[0064] The distal end portion 31 of the secondary body 30 comprises an annular portion 31c configured to removably house the cylindrical support (not shown) of the syringe needle.

[0065] The radially outer surface 20a of the main body 20 comprises first gripping surface elements 24 and second gripping surface elements 26.

[0066] The first gripping surface elements 24 are arranged at a first cylindrical portion 24a of the main body 20. The first cylindrical portion 24a is a distal portion of the main body 20 and is adjacent to the aforementioned distal end portion 21.

[0067] The second gripping surface elements 26 are arranged at a second cylindrical portion 26a of the main body 20. The second cylindrical portion 26a is a proximal portion of the main body 20 and is adjacent to the aforementioned proximal end portion 22.

[0068] The first cylindrical portion 24a has a diameter larger than that of the second cylindrical portion 26a.

[0069] The first gripping surface elements 24 are distributed throughout the first cylindrical portion 24a circumferentially equally spaced apart from each other.

[0070] Each of the first gripping surface elements 24 is defined between two respective recesses 24b having an elongated shape and which extend substantially parallel to the main axis X. Such recesses 24b are tapered towards the proximal end portion 22 of the main body 20. Thus, the first gripping surface elements 24 correspond to parts of the first cylindrical portion 24a of the main body 20 which protrude with respect to the recesses 24b upon making the recesses 24b.

[0071] The second gripping surface elements 26 are also defined by ribs having an elongated shape and which extend substantially parallel to the main axis X.

[0072] As shown in the non-limiting example of FIG. 2, the second gripping surface elements 26 are grouped in three areas 26b-26d circumferentially equally spaced apart from each other, to form three groups of second gripping surface elements 26.

[0073] In particular, the three areas 26b-26d are circumferentially offset from each other by about 120°.

[0074] In a variant not shown, the second gripping surface elements 26 are grouped in two areas circumferentially spaced (preferably equally spaced) apart from each other.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 20 comprises, at the second cylindrical portion 26a, three through openings 27, each one arranged between two respective groups of second gripping surface elements 26.

[0076] In the aforementioned variant not shown, the through openings 27 are two.

[0077] Each through opening 27 has an axial extension lower than or equal to 25% of the axial extension of the main body 20.

[0078] The through openings 27 are adjacent to the proximal end portion 22 of the main body 20.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 2, the through openings 27 have a circumferential extension substantially equal to that of the groups of second gripping surface elements 26. In particular, each through opening 27 and each group of second gripping surface elements 26 has an angular extension equal to about 60°.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 4, the radially outer surface 30a of the secondary body 30 comprises a plurality of surface ribs 34, which are four in the non-limiting example shown herein.

[0081] The surface ribs 34 are arranged at a proximal cylindrical portion 34a of the main body 20, have an elongated shape, extend substantially parallel to the main axis X and are circumferentially equally spaced apart from each other.

[0082] When the main body 20 is coupled to the secondary body 30, the surface ribs 34 contact a radially inner surface 20b of the main body 20, or are in a close proximal position with respect to said radially inner surface 20b. In both cases, a gap is formed between the main body 20, the secondary body 30 and each pair of circumferentially adjacent surface ribs 34.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 4, the secondary body 30 comprises a plurality of surface recesses 36, which are four in the non-limiting example shown herein.

[0084] Each surface recess 36 is arranged between two respective surface ribs 34.

[0085] The surface recesses 36 are provided at a proximal portion of the secondary body 30 that is adjacent to the proximal end portion 32 of the secondary body 30. In particular, the surface recesses 36 extend up to the proximal end portion 32.

[0086] The protective cap 10 described above is inserted on the needle of the syringe, which is intended to undergo at least one sterilisation process by ethylene oxide fed with pressure. The latter enters the protective cap 10 through the through openings 27 of the main body 20, is substantially evenly distributed in the gaps formed between the main body 20 and the secondary body 30 and passes through the secondary body 30 made of gas permeable material.

[0087] In use, the syringe user removes the protective cap 10 from the syringe needle by moving it in an axial direction after gripping it by placing the fingers on the first gripping surface elements 24 and/or the second gripping surface elements 26. After use, the user may reposition the protective cap 10 on the syringe needle by moving it in an axial direction by placing the fingers on the first gripping surface elements 24 and/or the second gripping surface elements 26.

[0088] Of course, those skilled in the art, in order to satisfy specific and contingent requirements, can bring numerous modifications and variants to the present invention as described above, all of them being in any case within the scope of protection defined by the following claims.