| 摘要 |
A needle tip protector (16) which assures that a needle (14) is secured and protected against accidental puncture after it is withdrawn from a patient's body. The needle tip protector includes a needle, having a needle tip (18) for initiating a body puncture, with a wire (20) attached to the needle at its end (22) opposite to the needle tip. A needle tip protector tubing (24) which is curved along its length surrounds the needle and has a fitting such as a Luer (26) fitting at a first end with a first through hole (28) having a diameter sufficiently large to enable the needle to pass therethrough. A cap (30) is provided at the second end of the protector tubing, with a second through hole (32) having a diameter sufficiently large to enable the wire to pass therethrough but small enough to prevent the needle from passing therethrough. The needle tip protector tubing has a length larger than the length of the needle, such that after a body puncture, the needle is withdrawn by pulling the wire and needle until the needle is stopped by the cap, at which position the entire needle is encased by the needle tip protector tubing, with the needle tip deflected to one side of the first through hole because of the curvature of the curved needle tip protector tubing. The needle tip protector can be used with a catheter, such as an intravenous (IV) or winged IV catheter, or with an endoscopic device. |
