Shielded needle assembly

摘要

A needle assembly includes an elongate needle with a proximal end, a distal end and a passageway therethrough. The assembly has a needle hub with a proximal end, a distal end and an outside surface. The hub has an axial opening therethrough to receive and hold the proximal end of the needle with the distal end of the needle projecting distally axially. The assembly includes an elongate shield with an open proximal end, a closed distal end and a sidewall that has an elongate opening on one side extending from the closed end to the open end. The shield of the invention is movable between an open position, in which the needle is exposed for use by passage through the elongate opening and a latched position, in which the shield is substantially prevented from movement to the open position and the shield substantially obstructs access to the needle. The assembly has a hinge including a mount for holding the shield onto the needle hub with the shield movable between the open position and the latched position by an off-axis pivotal movement about the hinge. There is a latch for releasably latching the shield that includes at least one hook on the proximal end of the shield adjacent the elongate opening and at least one lug on the mount. The lug includes a deflectable projection disposed so that when the projection is deflected toward the axis of the assembly, the hook and the lug are disengaged.