Combined medical device with sliding frontal attachment and retractable needle

1. A medical device comprising:

a connector housing, a frontal attachment, a needle projecting forwardly from the frontal attachment, a needle retraction mechanism, and a locking needle cover;

the connector housing further comprising a forwardly facing surface with a first opening communicating with a rearwardly facing connector for another associated medical device and a second opening communicating with a rearwardly projecting needle retraction cavity;

the frontal attachment further comprising a base with a forwardly projecting needle support having a stepped internal bore and a rearwardly facing surface with an opening into the stepped internal bore;

the forwardly facing surface of the connector housing and the base and rearwardly facing surface of the frontal attachment each further comprising a plurality of cooperatively engaged rails disposed in sliding engagement along at least one sliding interface substantially transverse to the needle and needle retraction cavity with the needle retraction mechanism disposed in the stepped internal bore of the frontal attachment so that the opening into the stepped internal bore is disposed opposite the first opening in the forwardly facing surface of the connector housing and the needle is biased rearwardly by the needle retraction mechanism; and

the locking needle cover comprising a rearwardly extending locking arm that is inserted into the second opening of the forwardly facing surface of the connector housing to restrict relative sliding movement between the forwardly facing surface of the connector housing and the rearwardly facing surface of the frontal attachment prior to use of the subject medical device;

whereby the connector housing is engaged with and is slidable in relation to the frontal attachment in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis through the retractable needle following removal of the locking needle cover and until the connector housing is repositioned by sliding it transversely relative to the frontal attachment to align the needle retraction cavity with the needle and the needle retraction mechanism to initiate retraction of the needle to a safe position with no part of the needle still projecting forwardly from the frontal attachment.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the associated medical apparatus is selected from the group consisting of syringes, vascular catheter insertion devices, fluid infusion sets, and fluid collection devices.

3. The medical device of claim 2 wherein the associated medical apparatus is a syringe.

4. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a fluid seal disposed between the frontal attachment and the connector housing.

5. The medical device of claim 4 wherein the fluid seal is an annular seal seated in a recess disposed in the first opening in the connector housing.

6. The medical device of claim 4 , wherein the fluid seal limits fluid leakage around a fluid pathway between the connector housing and the frontal attachment.

7. The medical device of claim 4 wherein the fluid seal abuts a rearwardly facing end of the needle retraction mechanism.

8. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a stop that restricts the relative sliding movement.

9. The medical device of claim 1 in which the connector housing has a first position relative to the frontal attachment wherein the needle retraction mechanism is coaxially aligned with the connector.

10. The medical device of claim 9 in which the connector housing has a second position relative to the frontal attachment wherein the second opening is substantially aligned with the needle retraction mechanism.

11. The medical device of claim 9 in which the connector housing has a second position relative to the frontal attachment wherein at least part of the needle retraction mechanism and needle are disposed inside the needle retraction cavity.

12. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the locking needle cover is selectively removable.

13. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the frontal attachment is configured to clip onto the connector housing.

14. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the needle retraction cavity has a rear end that is closed or vented.