PROTECTOR FOR USERS OF SYRINGES AND THE LIKE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a protector for users of syringes and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a device adapted to prevent a user of a syringe or the like from being accidentally punctured or injured when he replaces the protection cap of the needle of the syringe on the needle proper after using the syringe. Background Art

As is known, punctures and cuts are the second highest ranking injuries in health facilities. Most injuries entailing a biological risk are caused by punctures caused in particular by syringe needles and by the "butterflies" used for phleboclyses.

Among the possible actions to be implemented in order to limit these incidents, there is the introduction of safeties, by means of which it is possible to prevent accidental puncture during the use of syringes and after their use, particularly during and after operations aimed at eliminating needles that have been used (collection and disposal).

Currently there are appropriately provided rigid plastic containers into which the needles of syringes are to be thrown after use, but without replacing the protection cap thereon.

However, it is not always possible to have available such containers, which moreover have a special disposal route; this is the case, for example, of health workers who work at the patient's homes, of physicians who provide continuity of treatment, and of medical personnel of the emergency service.

It also appears awkward, even in a hospital environment, for nurses or physicians to have to carry these containers with them at all times, especially when health workers have to perform a single injection by going to the patient's bed; finally, it is clear that nobody in his own home has such containers available, and therefore, when one resorts to injection therapies,

in order to avoid the risk of puncture one often ends up discarding the used needles without replacing the protection cap thereon, with all the consequent risks for waste disposal workers.

Replacement caps to facilitate the operation for repositioning the needle after using it are commercially available, albeit not widespread.

However, such caps, which can be purchased separately from ordinary syringes, are disposable and must be discarded with each needle after use and probably for this reason, in view of the costs and inconvenience, they are substantially not used by anyone. Moreover, after administration for medical purposes of an injection or phleboclysis, the operator, be he a physician, a nurse or simply a person who is assisting the patient, encounters difficulties in repositioning the appropriately provided cap on the needle.

This action is not particularly easy for several reasons, and in particular:

- the context in which it has to be performed (rapidly, and very often in awkward positions)

— the size and shape of the objects (the cap of the needle is very narrow and is also made of transparent material, and often because of this characteristic it is difficult to find it once it has been placed on a surface).

For these reasons, the operator may decide not to perform this operation immediately, putting down the needle somewhere, or not to perform it at all, discarding the needle directly without covering. This attitude can cause accidental injuries not only for the operator but also for anyone who is next to him, if he puts down the needle for example on the bed or on a supporting surface, or for anyone assigned to collecting waste and disposing of it if the needle is thrown away without covering.

In repositioning the needle in the cap, instead, the operator may run the risk of puncturing the fingers, back or palm of his hand.

Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a protector for users of syringes and the like that reduces drastically the possibility for a user of syringes and of needles in general to puncture himself accidentally in attempting to close, after use, the needle with the corresponding protection cap.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a protecting device for a user of syringes and the like that allows the user to fit the cap on the needle proper by using a single hand or by using both hands.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protector for users of syringes and the like that can be used for normal needles and/or for so-called "butterfly" needles.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a protector for users of syringes and the like which is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide in practice and at competitive costs.

This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a protector for users of syringes and the like, characterized in that it comprises a body provided with at least one hole for inserting a protection cap of a syringe, in order to allow the user to insert the needle of the syringe in the cap without the risk of accidental punctures and injuries. Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the protector according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the protector according to the present invention, in a first configuration of use; Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the protector according to the

invention, in a second configuration of use.

Ways of carrying out the Invention

With reference to the figures, the protector according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a body 2, which is provided with at least one hole 3, for example a through hole, which is adapted to allow the insertion of a cap, not shown, for closing a needle of a syringe.

Conveniently, the diameter of the hole or through channel 3 is such as to allow the insertion of the protection cap of the needle but not its insertion fully within the channel. Substantially, the cap is inserted within the channel

3 but is blocked, since the diameter of the channel is such as to allow only the partial insertion of the cap.

Conveniently, the body 2 can have for example the shape of a parallelepiped or can be provided as shown in Figures 1 and 2, thus comprising a handle 4, which is provided conveniently with the through channel 3 and is adapted to be gripped by the user, and a protective element

5, which is arranged at the top of the handle 4 and has a larger diameter than the handle 4, so as to allow the user to grip the handle 4 and have his hand protected by the protective element 5. Conveniently, the protective element 5 is provided for example as a disk whose diameter is sufficient to cover and protect the hand of the user while he holds the protector, and is provided with a hole which is connected to the diametrical channel 3, so as to allow to insert, on the side of the disk, the needle protection cap within the channel 3. Substantially, as mentioned, the diameter of the hole or channel 3 is such that the protection cap enters it for most of its length, i.e., the portion that has a smaller diameter, but does not enter in its end portion (the portion that interlocks on the base of the needle) because it has a larger diameter.

Most syringe needles, despite being different one another, have a single cap with standard dimensions.

The principle described above also applies to the distinctly smaller caps of so-called "butterfly" needles.

The disk 5 conveniently has an edge 6 which is raised sufficiently to prevent the sliding of the needle outside the surface of the disk 5 when repositioning the needle in the cap.

The protector can be made of material which can be shaped easily and is capable of ensuring the necessary flexibility and strength of the protector.

The maximum and minimum dimensions for the protector may be defined, but in both cases the grip dimensions of the disk must be compatible with the required functions of ergonomics and protection.

The device can be constituted by a single part or by two or more parts which can be assembled together.

Use of the protector according to the invention can occur in two different manners: - by placing it on a surface so that it remains oblique (Figure 1) and inserting the cap in the hole 3 on the surface of the disk 5, so that it is possible to proceed, at the end of use, with the repositioning of the needle in its own cap, by gripping with one hand the device 1 by the handle 4 and by using the other hand, which holds the syringe, to press in order to insert the needle in its own cap;

- by resting it vertically on a surface, using the disk 5 as a base

(Figure 2) and positioning the cap in the hole 3 so that in the operation for repositioning the needle in its own cap it is possible to use only the hand that holds the syringe, by pressing on the surface on which the device is positioned.

Use of the protector generates an immediate advantage for the operator who has to proceed with the "covering" of the needle; he can in fact act with faster and more forceful movements, since the disk 5 protects his hand against possible accidental punctures and the cap, arranged in the central hole 3 of the disk 5, can be located and reached easily.

The operator therefore works more safely and is better protected in performing his activities.

As an indirect advantage, by reducing the number of accidents due to accidental punctures, the high costs that public or private health facilities must bear every year as a consequence of these accidents are reduced.

In practice it has been found that the protector according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows to protect the user who wishes to fit the protection cap of the needle on the needle proper, substantially reducing to zero the possibilities that the user might accidentally injure or puncture himself with the tip of the needle.

The protector thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus, for example, it is possible to provide a mechanical and/or electronic mechanism that grips and/or retains and/or releases the cap on the operator's command.

Moreover, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PV2007A000014 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.