Owen Mumford Limited

National Carpet Equipment, Inc.

Owen Mumford Limited of Brook Hill

David Danvers Crossman

Jeremy M Marshall

Ernest J Mumford

Steven Mark Guy Rolfe

Glenn Davison

A needle tip storage and removal device comprises a storage compartment having a splined socket which engages complementary splines on a needle tip collar, the storage compartment being sealed by a peelable foil. Alongside the storage compartment is a removal compartment having a drive socket of similar configuration. The device assists safe removal and disposal of a used needle prior to fitting a new needle.

Needle tip storage and removal device

When a trigger of an injection device is released, a main spring () expands, driving a member () forwards. This compresses a weak spring (), but a spring () is stiff enough to remain expanded. A syringe () is thus thrust forwards via a collar (), so that a needle () projects from a barrel (). The spring () continues to expand after the syringe has reached its forward position, with the spring () fully compressed, so that the stem () of the member () acts on a piston () within the syringe (), to expel the dose while the spring () is caused to be compressed. The spring () ensures that the syringe is retained in its forward position during this phase.

Multi-spring support for needle syringes

A lancet has a generally tubular body (). A hollow insert () with a closed end plugs one end of the body (), and it has a co-axial projection () forming a sharp tip proud of that end of the body. The body () and insert () are simultaneously formed by twin shot moulding, the body being of polyethylene and the insert being of a liquid crystal polymer which will create a sharp tip of adequate strength.

Lancets

A housing retains a lancet body which encloses a needle whose tip is covered by a cap. The cap has a head provided with flanges. These flanges locate within notches at the end of the housing on only two sides of the housing. The location of the flanges within the notches holds the lancet within the body, before use, so as to compress a spring positioned between a head and a slotted portion of the housing. When the device is to be used, the head of the cap is rotated through 90&#xb0; so as to detach the cap from the rest of the lancet body and release the flanges from the notches. This allows the lancet body to be actuated by a sprung-loaded trigger-release mechanism, when required, so that the tip of the needle projects momentarily through the opening at the end of the housing and then bounces back.

Blood sampling devices

A lancet body () is integrally molded with a cap () for a firing device, the cap concealing the needle tip (). the cap () can be used to insert the lancet (), which is held while the cap is twisted off. The cap () is then fitted to the firing device to provide an apertured platform to be held against the skin and through which the needle tip () will momentarily project. The cap () has to be deformed to fit, and on being removed and recovering its natural shape internal lugs () catch hold of the released lancet () and remove that as well.

Integration of a lancette with its capturing and removing cap

A one-shot throwaway injection device has a barrel that houses a syringe initially in a retracted state held back by a trigger against a drive spring. Actuation of the trigger causes the syringe to be thrust forwards by the spring acting on its plunger until the needle is fully projecting, and then the dose is ejected by the final expansion of the spring. Release of the trigger allows a return spring to urge the syringe back and retract the needle. The barrel is a unitary plastics moulding of two longitudinally split halves hinged together with the trigger integrally formed with one of these halves. The other components and the syringe are positioned in one half which is then closed up and fastened to the other half to complete the barrel.

Injection devices

A blood sampling device has a lancet ( ) captive within a housing ( ), to be released from a rearward primed position by pressing a trigger ( ) on the side of the housing. A spring ( ) shoots the lancet ( ) forwards, momentarily to project its tip. The lancet ( ) is initially held by a hooked tongue ( ) that latches behind a transverse web ( ) within the housing, the trigger action dislodging that engagement. The tongue ( ) either springs back after release and so will abut the trigger ( ) or the front of the web ( ) if pushed back in an attempt to re-latch, or it will stay permanently deformed and thus be unable to re-engage the web ( ). Alternatively, the trigger ( ) may slice off the hook ( ), making re-use impossible.

Blood sampling device

Injection device

Lancet device

Skin prickers

A lancet has a needle (2) embedded in a plastics body (1), its tip (3) projecting from the forward end but being initially encased in a cap (4). This cap (4) may be integrally moulded with the body, around the needle tip (3), and be sheared away before use. The needle (2) can be pushed back in relation to the body (1) after use, conveniently by applying the cap (4) to the tip (3), until the tip is safely flush with, or set back with respect to the leading end of the body (1). The rear end of the body (1) has a structure (9) to prevent the rear end of the needle (2) being pushed forwards again. To ensure that the tip disappears, the body (1) may be formed with an intermediate, resiliently flexible bridge (19) stiff enough to remain rigid during pricking. But when the needle (2) is forced back and pressure is also applied to the part of the body forward of the bridge (19), the needle (2) and that forward part move back with respect to the rear part of the body. Then the forward part is released to move forwards, sprung by the bridge (19), leaving the needle held by the rear part.

An injection device has a needle (22) which, when the device is operated, is first caused to project, then liquid is forced out through it, and finally the needle is automatically retracted. The needle (22) extends forwardly from a capsule (18) that can slide longitudinally within a barrel-like body (1), a relatively weak spring (19) normally maintaining the capsule and needle retracted. A more powerful spring (14) acts oppositely on a plunger (26) which, when released, shoots the capsule forward by acting on the liquid therein, and then forces the liquid out through the projecting needle (22). At the end of the forward stroke the plunger (26) and capsule (18) are decoupled and the weak spring (14) returns the exhausted capsule and its needle to the retracted position.

Growing community of inventors

Oxford, United Kingdom

David Danvers Crossman