[54] DISPOSABLE, PRE-STERILIZABLE SYRINGE FOR A PRE-FILLED MEDICATION CARTRIDGE
[75] Inventors: Terry M. Haber, Lake Forest;
William H. Sraedley, Lake Elsinore;
Clark B. Foster, El Toro, all of Calif.
[73] Assignee: Habley Medical Technology
Corporation, Laguna Hills, Calif.
[21] Appl. No.: 101,251
[22] Filed: Sep. 25,1987
[51] Int. CI.4 A61M 5/32
[52] U.S. CI 604/193; 604/232
[58] Field of Search 604/192, 193, 196, 198,
604/263, 232
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
2,707,466 5/1955 Hoskins et al 604/193
2,880,723 4/1959 Adams 604/193
2,888,924 6/1959 Dunmire 604/196
3,820,652 6/1974 Thackston 604/193 X
4,681,567 7/1987 Masters et al 604/198
Primary Examiner—John D. Yasko
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Morland C. Fischer
[57] ABSTRACT
A disposable, sterilizable syringe for injecting a fluid
medication from a pre-filled cartridge or ampule to a targeted tissue area. The syringe includes an elongated, detachable sheath which performs the functions of both a protective sheathing for surrounding a needle cannula at the distal end of the syringe cylinder and the stem of a piston assembly at the proximal end of the cylinder for expulsing medication from the cartridge. An axially extending guide slot having distally and proximally oriented locking detents is formed through a side of the syringe cylinder. A needle position control button is adapted to ride through the guide slot to cause a needle carrying hub, to which the control button is integrally connected and from which the needle cannula projects, to correspondingly move through the cylinder. Accordingly, the needle position button can be located at the distally oriented locking detent for simultaneously causing the needle cannula to project outwardly and distally from the syringe cylinder, so that an injection can be administered. Or, after the medication cartridge has been emptied, the needle position control button can be selectively relocated through the guide slot to the proximally oriented locking detent, so that the needle cannula can be retracted and locked within the cylinder to permit a safe handling and disposal of the syringe after use.
