Inventors:
Jennifer A. White - Cambridge MA
International Classification:
A61M 532
Abstract:
A medical device including a needle having a substantially rectilinear shank portion joining a base and a tip for penetrating the skin of a patient; and an elongated tubularly wound coiled spring member having a compressible inner length portion with an end fixed to the base and a tubular outer length portion formed by engaged longitudinally distributed coils, the spring member having a normal length greater than the combined length of the shank portion and tip, the outer length portion having an arcuate normal shape, and the spring member defining a tube receiving the shank portion with the inner length portion compressed against the base so as to expose the tip and the outer length portion deformed from its arcuate normal shape into a substantially rectilinear shape by engagement with the shank portion. Also included is a latch engaging the spring member to retain the inner length portion compressed against the base and releaseable to allow expansion of the inner length portion, movement of the outer length portion over the tip, and return of the outer length portion to its normal arcuate shape with an outer end thereof displaced transversely from the tip.