DR. JOSEPH STEPHEN WAND, M.D.
Medical Practice at Nielsen Rd, Santa Rosa, CA

5933936, Aug 10, 1999

Nov 14, 1997

8/970786

Joseph S. Wand - Santa Rosa CA

B23Q 100

29283

A safety vise for collection and disposal of used hypodermic needles, having an associated disinfecting apparatus which is operably coupled to a viseing mechanism to prevent its subsequent use unless a disinfecting operation using the disinfecting apparatus is performed. The safety vise is primarily intended for reclaiming the sleeve of a pistonless blood collection system, like VACUTAINER. RTM. assemblies, assembled from three independent sections: a sleeve, a specimen tube, and a double-ended needle. A disposable, needle collection container seats a project top. The project top includes a first station having guard elements particularly structured for safely removing a double-ended needle, and a second station for disinfecting the sleeve. The viseing mechanism is internally affixed to the project top and operably links the first station to the second station so that, after a needle and syringe is initially introduced into the first station and the viseing mechanism is used to remove the needle in a one handed technique, the viseing mechanism is rendered subsequently inoperable unless the needle is disengaged from the viseing mechanism by operation of disinfecting the sleeve at the second station. The viseing mechanism may comprise elongated, bipartite jaw members which are separable by a downward pressure on the disinfecting apparatus during cleaning, wherein a wedge component is driven between jaw members causing the separation and loosening of the jaws holding the used needle, allowing the used needle to fall into the collection container.