Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
  • A61M5/178—Syringes
  • A61M5/31—Details
  • A61M5/32—Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body; Devices for protection of needles
  • A61M5/3205—Apparatus for removing or disposing of used needles or syringes, e.g. containers; Means for protection against accidental injuries from used needles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B50/00—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers
  • A61B2050/005—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers with a lid or cover
  • A61B2050/0051—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers with a lid or cover closable by rotation
  • A61B2050/0054—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers with a lid or cover closable by rotation about the central longitudinal axis perpendicular to the lid plane

Definitions

• the present invention is concerned with containers for disposal of used hypodermic needles, for use, for example, in dentistry.
• a container capable of receiving a plurality of used syringe needles for safe disposal thereof, the container havi an aperture in an upper face thereof which is capable of receiving a used syringe needle, and means for grippingly engaging opposed faces of a syringe hub within the aperture s as to permit the hub to be unscrewed from the barrel of the syringe.
• the upper face is substantially rigid and has a first zone of a diamete greater than the diameter of the hub and a second zone having opposed edges arranged to grippingly engage opposed faces of the hub.
• the second zone preferably tapers away from the first zone, such that the hub can be sli therealong until it reaches a position where it is firmly engaged by the opposed edges.
• the latter edges may be mille or serrated for improved grip with the hub.
• the aperture t have a plurality of such second zones (for example, two, thre or four thereof), typically arranged symmetrically around the first zone.
• the latter typically has a diameter of at least one centimetre, while the or each second zone preferably tape to a width of 6mm or less (that is, narrower than the diamete of the standard hub of a dental syringe) .
• a gripping member which is movable with respect to the upper face and which can engage the syringe hub between a gripping surface of the gripping member and an edge of the aperture.
• the gripping member typically comprises an apertured lid member which is movable between a first position in which its aperture is in register with the aperture in the upper face and a further position in which one edge of the aperture in the lid member and an edge of the aperture in the upper face can co-operate together to grip a syringe hub. It is particularly preferred that the lid member is rotatable with respect to the upper face.
• either the lid, or the body of the container be transparent, so that the user can readily see when it is full.
• Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the container according to the invention, showing how it may be used with a cartridge syringe;
• Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a further embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of Figure 2.
• FIGS 4A to 4F diagrammatically illustrate the operation of the device of Figure 2.
• a container comprising a substantially cylindrical transparent body portion 1 and a substantially planar transparent lid 2 (with an overlapping rim 3 which, as illustrated, is opaque).
• an aperture 4 substantially centrally in the lid is an aperture 4; the latter has a central portion 5 of diameter at least one centimetre so that it can accommodate the used needle and its guard, and radiating therefrom, an array of tapering slots 6,7,8,9. These slots taper to less than 6mm across (less than the 6mm diameter of the hubs of standard dental disposable hypodermic needles) .
• a syringe 11 having a barrel 12, a pisto 13 and a removable, screw-on needle 14 is posted through the central portion 5 of aperture 4 until the needle is fully within the body portion 1.
• the hub 15 (by means of which the needle 14 is screwed onto the barrel 12) is then caused to engage one of the slots 6 and the barrel 12 then twisted anti-clockwise to disengage from the needle 14. The latter then drops down into the body portion 1.
• a container generally designated 20 comprises a body portion 2 for receiving spent hypodermic needles and the like.
• the body portion 22 is provided with a closure 24 which is in two parts, the lower portion being a plate 26 fixedly attached to the upper extremity of the body 22.
• the upper, or cap, portion 2 of the closure 24 is held ca'ptive on plate 26 but is rotatable with respect thereto.
• the cap 28 has an approximately trapezoidal aperture 30 which may be brought into register wit a similar shaped aperture 32 in the plate 26.
• the aperture 32 in the plate 36 is elongated at either side thereo with narrower portions 34.
• the container body 22 is preferably made from a plastics material such as polypropylene which is naturally transparent, or rather translucent, so that the contents can b seen giving a visual indicated when the container is full. Th cap and plates may also be made from plastics materials, for example high impact polystyrene and/or polypropylene.
• the cap 28 has a projecting handle or thumb grip 36 by which it may be conveniently rotated with respect to the fixed plate 26 and therefore the rest of the container. Operation of the device is best shown in Figure 4. The container is gripped and the cap 26 rotated by means of the handle 36 until the holes 30, 32 are in register.
• a hypodermic syringe 11 having a barrel 12, a piston 13 and a removable, screw on needle 14 held in place by means of a hub 15 is inserted into the container through the apertures 30,32.
• the cap 28 is rotated until one edge of the aperture 30 cooperates with one of the elongated portions 34 of the aperture 32 to grip the hub 15 of the syringe 11 therebetween.
• the syringe may then be rotated by unscrewing the needle.
• the handle 36 may once again be operated in a clockwise direction releasing the needle and hub and allowing them to drop into the container body 22, after which the apertures 30,32 can be rotated completely out of register thereby closing the container.
• a further position or positions may be provided on the closure assembly 24 whereby the cap 28 can be rotated to a "locked" position with respect to the plate 26 when the container is full.
• the full container may then be removed for disposal, for example, by incineration.
• the container 20 (or 1) is secured to a rigid support.
• the container fits within a wall bracket mounted in a convenient place leaving both hands free to operate the cap 28 and the syringe 11 respectively.
• the wall bracket may conveniently comprise an adjustable band adapted to fit around the container body °22 and fixed to a plate or the like, which is adapted to be screwed to the wall.
• T ⁇ te present invention therefore further comprises a container according to the invention having therein a multiplicity of sterile, disposable needles for a hypodermic syringe.
• a method of disposal of used syringe needles which comprises providing a container according to the invention, inserting a used syringe needle, attached to a syringe body, through an aperture in the upper face of the container, manipulating either the syringe body or the gripping means such that the needle can be unscrewed from the body, unscrewing the needle from the body and allowing the needle to fall into the interior of the container.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Anesthesiology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26291015

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1987
  • 1987-06-04 GB GB08713127A patent/GB2192382A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1987-07-09 EP EP87904304A patent/EP0318479A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1987-07-09 JP JP62503999A patent/JPH02500882A/ja active Pending
  • 1987-07-09 AU AU76476/87A patent/AU7647687A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1987-07-09 WO PCT/GB1987/000483 patent/WO1988000067A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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