| 摘要 |
2084069 9118635 PCTABS00008 A reusable arrangement to protect against accidental contact with the surfaces of needles and other invasive medical instruments. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a collar that engages a sharp surgical instrument in advance of its sharp end. Attached to the collar by means of a flexible hinge is a slotted longitudinal member (21), which swings over the sharp end of the instrument, thereby engaging either the collar or the portion of the instrument just in front of the collar and also retaining the instrument behind a keeper shelf (44). In second and third embodiments, the collar extends into an arcuate sheath, which is molded to assume a rest position that bends away from the sharp end of the instrument. This arcuate sheath ultimately forms an elbow curl (52) and extends back toward the collar, thereby forming upper and lower arcuate portions. The lower portion terminates in a set of flanges (56) that help define a trough (54) to carry the sharp end of the instrument. In a fourth embodiment, the keeper shelf (44) is modified so that it may be engaged with the opposite side of the longitudinal member (21) to lock this member over the sharp instrument. The longitudinal member may also be equipped with wing member (92) to facilitate movement of the sharp instrument around the keeper shell (44). In a fifth embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a set of flanges (97) depending from the longitudinal member (21) that are gripped by complementary catches (98) on the collar when the device is placed into the closed position.
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