WO2005049116A1

WO2005049116A1 - Huber needle protector

Info

Publication number: WO2005049116A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/012574
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gaetano Zannini
Original assignee: High Tech Initiatives Italia S.R.L.
Priority date: 2003-11-05
Filing date: 2004-11-04
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: ITMI20032128A1

Abstract

A Huber needle comprises a hollow needle (element A) connected to an articulated structure (element B) having four walls (a-b, b-c, c-d, d-e) and four hinge means (a, b, c, d) wherein a portion of said needle comes out from said articulated structure when the walls a-b and d-e approach the walls b-c and c-d respectively and returns completely into said articulated structure when the walls a-b and b-c approach the walls d-a and c-d respectively.

Description

HUBER NEEDLE PROTECTOR *_***_*****_**_** The present invention relates to an improvement in a Huber needle. More particularly the present invention relates to a Huber needle which may be easily applied to a patient and is safe for the operator when it is removed from the patient. Some types of therapy require the administration of solutions containing therapeutic substances for a long period of time, e.g. therapies requiring intravenous infusions. A case is that of target therapies which direct a drug (e.g. an anti- tumour drug) towards a specific organ through a subcutaneous implant (access-port). The drug is fed by a hollow needle which is inserted in the subcutaneous implant through the skin (Huber needle). According to the present invention there is provided a Huber needle comprising a hollow needle (element A) connected to an articulated structure (element B) having four walls (a-b, b-c, c-d, d-e) connected by hinge means (a, b, c, d) and wherein a portion of said needle comes out from said articulated structure when the walls a-b and d-e approach the walls b-c and c-d respectively and returns completely into said articulated structure when the walls a-b and b-c approach the walls d-e and c-d respectively. Preferably, said articulated structure is made of a ribbon. Typically, said hollow needle is shaped at angle and has a first part (A-1 ) capable of penetrating through a skin of a patient, a second part (A-2) capable of being connected to a small tube supplying a liquid to be injected to said patient, and a third part A-3 capable of being connected to said articulated structure. In a preferred embodiment, said part A-3 of the needle is connected to hinge means a of said articulated structure. When said part A-3 of the needle is connected to a hinge means (a) of said articulated structure the opposed hinge means (c) is provided with a hole which is crossed by said portion of said needle which comes out from said articulated structure when the walls a-b and d-e approach the walls b-c and c-d respectively and returns completely into said articulated structure when the walls a-b and b-c approach the walls d-e and c-d respectively. Typically, said portion of said needle which comes out from and returns completely into said articulated structure is a portion of part A-1 of the needle. Advantageously, the hollow needle (element A) and the articulated structure (element B) of this invention are assembled during the production process before the sterile packaging step. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 1 to 5, which are given merely as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. In the attached Figures.

- Fig. 1 is a front view of hollow needle of the invention;

- Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the articulated structure of the invention;

- Fig. 3 shows a cross section of the articulated structure of Fig. 2 in a flat position;

- Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the articulated structure of Fig. 2 in the flat position of Fig. 3; - Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the articulated structure of Fig. 2 after use. As shown in Figure 1 , element A is a hollow needle suitably shaped at angle wherein a first part (A-1 ) is capable of penetrating the patient's skin and entering the underlying "access-port", a second part (A-2) is suitable to be connected to a small tube supplying the liquid to be injected, which flows inside the needle from part A-2 to part A-1 and therefrom into the patient, and lastly a third part A-3 suitably shaped to be connected with element B. Specifically, part A-3 is shaped to slidably enter a groove in the element B. The element B shown in Figure 2 has four hinge means (a, b, c, d) and four walls (a-b, b-c, c-d, d-a). Preferably, the element B is made of a folding ribbon of plastic material folded back on itself. The junctions of the four walls, i.e. the hinge means, are flexible and allow the ribbon to take different positions moving like a pantograph. The hinge means a has suitable means such as, for example, a groove /^', capable of receiving with strain part A-3 of the needle of the invention so that A and B are made integral. Preferably, from hinge means a departs a possibly knurled tab e, which allows to handle the needle with two fingers. The opposite hinge means c has a hole (/) crossable by a portion of part A-1 of the needle to be inserted into the patient. Unlike the hinge means a and c, the hinge means b and d have no other function than to allow the pantograph-like movement of the element B. The walls b-c and c-d have a tab g on their inner side. All the walls have a slot (h) wherein a tab g_ can be engaged. In use, the part A-1 of needle exit the hole /by pressing the walls a-b and d-a towards the walls b-c and c-d, respectively. The hinge means b and d move away from each other whilst the hinge means a and c approach each other until they come in contact. The mutual approach of the walls allows the tabs g to enter the slots h and in particular the tab of the inner side of the wall b-c enters the slot of the wall a-b and that of the wall c-d enters the slot of the wall d-a. As a result, the Huber needle of the present invention takes a flat shape as shown in Figures 3 and 4, with a portion of the part A-1 of the needle (not shown) projecting out of the hole /. Once the needle is inserted in the patient's body, the wings formed by the superposition of the contiguous walls serve to fasten the needle in place, e.g. by means of an adhesive bandage. When the needle is to be removed from the patient, after freeing it from the constraints that fastened it to the patient's body, the needle is extracted from the body by gripping with two fingers on the tab e. Whilst holding the tab e, it will be easy to cover (i.e. protect) the part

A-1 of the needle (not shown) by using only two other fingers. Indeed, by applying a slight pressure on the hinge means b and d, the element B will be reopened and with a further slight pressure on the hinge means b and d, the hinge means b and d will approach each other and the hinge means a and c will simultaneously move away from each other. The walls a-b and b-c will approach the walls d-a and c-d respectively, until they almost abut. Thus, the part A-1 of the needle (not shown) remains enclosed and protected in element B. That is: it no longer projects out of the hole /. Continuing to apply a slight pressure on the hinge means b and d, the tab g of the inner side of the wall b-c engages the slot h of the wall c-d and the tab g of the wall c-d engages the slot h of the wall b-c (Figure 5). The part A-1 of the needle (not shown) will thereby be completely inside the articulated structure (element B) and, thanks to the engagement of the tabs g_ in the corresponding slots h, the articulated structure will remain locked with the needle (not shown) enclosed and protected therewith. Therefore, in the Huber needle of the invention a single articulated structure (element B) provides both two wings which are used to fasten part A-1 of the needle when it is applied to a patient's body, and a housing for part A-1 of the needle when it is removed from the patient, thus protecting the operator against accidental pricking. Moreover, element B makes easy to dispose the needle thus protected and folded. According to another embodiment of the present invention the needle A is irreversibly fastened in the element B. In still another embodiment of the present invention, the hinge means a is provided with a hole in which the part A-2 of the needle is inserted until it projects from the hole /. The needle A can then be fastened, making it integral with the element B, by means of a projection of plastic material which is engaged in the hole of the hinge means a. Preferably, the element B of this invention is made of a suitable polymeric material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene and the hinge means thereof (i.e. junctions) are thinner than the walls.

Claims

1. A Huber needle comprising a hollow needle (element A) connected to an articulated structure (element B) having four walls (a-b, b-c, c- d, d-e) connected by hinge means (a, b, c, a) wherein a portion of said needle comes out from said articulated structure when the walls a-b and d-e approach the walls b-c and c-d respectively and returns completely into said articulated structure when the walls a-b and b-c approach the walls d-e and c-d respectively.

2. A Huber needle according to claim 1 , wherein said articulated structure is made of a ribbon.

3. A Huber needle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said hollow needle is shaped at angle and has a first part (A-1) capable of penetrating through a skin of a patient, a second part (A-2) capable of being connected to a small tube supplying a liquid to be injected to said patient, and a third part A-3 capable of being connected to said articulated structure.

4. A Huber needle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said part A-3 of the needle is connected to hinge means a of said articulated structure.

5. A Huber needle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said hinge means c is provided with a hole which is crossed by said portion of said needle which comes out from said articulated structure when the walls a-b and d-e approach the walls b-c and c-d respectively and returns completely into said articulated structure when the walls a-b and b-c approach the walls d-e and c-d respectively.

6. A Huber needle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said portion of said needle which comes out from and returns completely into said articulated structure is a portion of part A-1 of the needle.