Automatic-locking safety needle covers and methods of use and manufacture
A single-use needle cover configured to obscure, protect, or hide at least a portion of a needle from view before, during, and/or after an injection and/or aspiration procedure is disclosed. In some embodiments, the cover includes a housing at least partially containing the needle and configured to couple to a syringe, wherein the housing includes an axis and a guide member. In some embodiments, a sleeve has a plurality of tracks configured to slidingly receive the guide member, wherein the sleeve is configured to retract, extend, and rotate with respect to the housing. In some embodiments, after the sleeve has been retracted and extended one time, a first locking member inhibits further retraction of the sleeve and a second locking member inhibits rotation of the sleeve.
1. A single-use needle cover, comprising:
a housing configured to couple to a syringe and at least partly contain the needle, wherein the housing includes a guide member, a first locking member, and a second locking member;
a sleeve configured to move between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the housing, wherein the extended position covers a distal tip of the needle and the retracted position exposes the distal tip of the needle, and wherein the sleeve is biased toward the extended position;
wherein movement of the sleeve from the extended position to the retracted position rotates the sleeve with respect to the housing, transfers the guide member from a first track to a second track included in the sleeve, and engages a first locking member;
wherein movement of the sleeve from the retracted position to the extended position engages a second locking member; and
wherein the first and second locking members inhibit movement of the cover to prevent reuse.
2. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member comprises a rib on the housing.
3. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the second locking member comprises a radially inwardly extending arm on the housing.
4. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further includes a flange.
5. The cover of claim 4 , wherein the flange engages the first and second locking members.
6. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member comprises a rib on the housing, the second locking member comprises a radially inwardly extending arm on the housing, and the sleeve further includes a flange that engages the first and second locking members.
7. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further includes a third track intersecting the first and second tracks.
8. The cover of claim 7 , wherein the third track intersects the first track proximal to the intersection of the third track and the second track.
9. A single-use needle cover, comprising:
a housing at least partially containing the needle and configured to couple to a syringe, wherein the housing includes an axis and a guide member;
a sleeve configured to receive a distal tip of the needle and to translate between a first position and a second position, wherein the sleeve rotates with respect to the housing during at least some of the translation, wherein the sleeve includes a plurality of tracks configured to receive the guide member;
wherein translation of the sleeve engages a first locking member comprising an arm coupled to the housing and configured to inhibit reuse of the needle cover; and
wherein translation of the sleeve engages a second locking member comprising a rib configured to inhibit reuse of the needle cover.
10. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the first position covers the distal tip of the needle and the second position exposes the distal tip of the needle.
11. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the first locking member inhibits reuse of the needle cover by inhibiting translation of the sleeve.
12. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the second locking member inhibits reuse of the needle cover by inhibiting rotation of the sleeve.
13. The cover of claim 9 , wherein a spring biases the sleeve toward the first position.
14. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve moves from the retracted position to the extended position substantially without impediment.
15. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the sleeve further includes a flange configured to engage the first locking member.
16. The cover of claim 15 , wherein the flange is further configured to engage the second locking member.
17. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the first locking member is engaged as the sleeve translates from the first position to the second position.
18. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the second locking member is engaged as the sleeve translates from the second position to the first position.
19. The cover of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the sleeve comprises a plurality of projections configured to engage a patient's skin prior to the distal tip of the needle to thereby engage the patient's pressure-receptor nerves and inhibit the sensation of pain.