Automatically locking hypodermic needle hiding shield for a dose metering syringe

摘要

A hypodermic needle shield to be coupled to a conventional dose metering syringe to hide a hypodermic needle from view of a patient (e.g. a child) to whom an injection is to be administered so as to minimize the anxiety that will be experienced by the patient. The needle shield includes an inner anchoring sleeve that surrounds and is coupled to a medication cartridge housing and an opaque needle guard that surrounds and shields the hypodermic needle that is connected in fluid communication to the medication cartridge housing. A pair of locking keys projects from the needle guard for receipt in respective guide tracks formed in the inner anchoring sleeve. The needle guard is rotated relative to the inner anchoring sleeve to cause the keys to move through the guide tracks from a first position at which the inner anchoring sleeve and medication cartridge housing are blocked from advancing distally through the needle guard to a second position at which to permit the inner anchoring sleeve and the medication cartridge housing to be advanced distally through the needle guard for unshielding the hypodermic needle during the administration of the injection.