US2704266A - Cleaning process for hypodermic needles and holder for the needles - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1955 J ROSE 2,704,266

* CLEANING PROCESS FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND HOLDER F0 HE E DLES Filed Feb. l

United States Patent CLEANING PROCESS FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND HOLDER FOR THE NEEDLES Jay Rose, New York, N. Y.

Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,932

3 Claims. (Cl. 134-22) This invention relates to the cleaning of used hypodermic needles and more particularly to an improved method in locating clogged needles in hospitals where as many as three thousand may be handled darly.

The present method is not satisfactory. It is time corrsuming, tedious, a health hazard and often results in damage to the needles. The needles are piled up in a heap in a basin which may contain water or a detergent solution and soaked therein for a long time, usually overnight. The needles are top-heavy because of the needle hubs and the sharp points are in all directions, some pressed into hubs of other needles or pressed against metal with resultant bending and dulling of points. This renders some needles unfit for further use and some requiring more frequent sharpening. Before the needles are sterilized each must be checked to be certain that none are clogged or obstructed which often occurs from hardened blood left in the needle tube after use. It is at this time, when each needle is picked up out of the heap, for styletting or clearing with other means which may be with water or air pressure or both, that the handler often is stuck by the needle points and there is always the danger of possible infection from punctured skin. Also handling the needles one at a time from a batch which may contain a thousand takes up considerable time.

One object of my present invention is to speed the whole process of cleaning hypodermic needles thereby saving time, labor and money.

Another object is to prevent damage to needles in the cleaning process.

Still another object is to eliminate the health hazard in the cleaning process of hypodermic needles.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the description and drawing which hereinafter appear.

According to my invention a thousand needles may be used for cleaning and checking for clogged needles at one time, the needles separated one from the other and needle points out of the way. Instead of styletting the needles one at a time I place the needles in a device wherein the needles hang by the hubs and use the hubs as indicators for clear and clogged or obstructed needles. I put water or other suitable liquid in the hubs. Hubs retaining the liquid obviously indicate clogged or obstructed needle tubes. Empty hubs at once indicate clear tubes. Thus in a matter of seconds clogged needles, if any, are found. These may at once he styletted or removed from my device for later attention. If any needles are found to be clogged and are at once cleared, the liquid in the hubs that are styletted disappears providing proof that the obstruction has been removed, then all needles together with the device which holds them are submerged in a suitable detergent solution for needle-metal cleaning after which the device is removed from the cleaning solution and the needles rinsed with water. In a very short time a thousand needles are now cleaned, all known to be free from any obstruction and are ready for sterilizing. What is now accomplished in minutes, with my invention, has heretofore taken hours.

For a clear understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device or holder for the needles with parts broken away and parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a view of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view with parts in section and parts broken away.

A 2,704,266 Patented Mar. 15, 19 55 In Fig. l, a device is shown for holding the needles which is made up of an upper and lower plate, and both held in place by bent sections at the ends which are secured together. Handles are secured to the sides. Legs extend below and are not shown in this view.

The legs are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper platehas holes and the lower plate has narrow slots centered beneath. The hypodermic needle tubes are passed through the top holes and through the slot below. The hubs rest on the lower plate and the metal of the upper plate which surrounds the hubs prevent the hubs from toppling over. For efliciency the hubs must be in at least nearly perpendicular position. It is now seen that the device or holder is simple in construction and inexpensive to make. It can be made large enough to hold a thousand needles. The needles are at all times handled by the hubs, when inserted in the holder and later when removed from the holder. The needles are apart from each other, the points away from each other. For metal cleaning, the detergent solution may be in a pan having proper dimensions or it may be in a sink. Since the solution would be reusable it is advisable that a pan be used. A pan also may be used at first for finding clogged needles, the holder with needles submerged in liquid in a pan and then raised out. A pan may also be used for the rinsing finally given the needles. These pans are not shown in the drawing. A stylet, which is a thin wire, commonly used for testing and clearing clogged needles is also not shown in the drawing. In Fig. 1, the top plate is indicated by numeral 1, holes by 2, top flange by 3, lower plate by 4, slot in lower plate by 5 and handle by 6. Another construction may be thin metal strips with narrow holes therein long enough to hold the needle tubes in vertical position. The end result is the same.

In Fig. 2, the top plate is indicated by numeral 1, hole by 2, top flange by 3, lower plate by 4, handles by 6, lower flange by 7, needle hub by 10 and lower part of hub by 12.

In Fig. 3, the top plate is indicated by numeral 1, hole by 2, outer flange by 3, lower plate by 4, slot by 5, handle by 6, inner flange by 7, top of needle hub by 10, lower part of needle hub by 12, needle tube or canula by 14 and legs by 15.

While the holder as shown has means for preventing the hubs from toppling over I do not limit myself to a device with this feature. With slow and careful handling any type of holder may be used. Without means for preventing the hubs from toppling over the efliciency of the process is lessened since any sudden movement of the holder will cause the top-heavy needles to lean perhaps too much if not completely topple over. To obtain full benefit from my process the hubs should be in substantially perpendicular position at all times. It should be understood that in a batch of a thousand needles there may be only one clogged needle, or a few or none at all. be known to be clear before sterilizing. With means for preventing hubs from leaning too much and from toppling over, assurance is bad that all hubs in the holder have been checked, since liquid in hubs in upright position is easily seen and these needles, if any, made free from obstruction.

It is now readily seen that with my invention the whole hypodermic needle problem is solved in a simple and easy way. After the needles are rinsed the holder may be placed in a suitable location for needle drying or the holder dipped in alcohol for quicker drying of the needles. All needles in the holder may be sterilized at one time. Small holders may be made and used'for each size needle. The cleaning is speeded, damage to needles in the cleaning operation eliminated and punctured skin from the sharp points eliminated, the needles at all times being handled by the hubs.

The form of the device or needle holder shown and described herein is to be considered merely as representative. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention or the scope of the appended clauns. Any

Every needle in the batch however must.

suitable detergent solution may be used. Some may clean faster than others.

I claim:

1. In a method for the cleaning of hypodermic needles, the steps which comprise assembling a plurality of needles requiring cleaning, maintaining said assembled needles with the points thereof in spaced relation and in substantially vertical position with the hubs thereof upwards while (1) completely submerging said needles in a liquid bath and (2) separating the needles from the bath thereby permitting the needles to gravity drain whereby the presence of liquid in the hubs of certain of the needles indicates clogged portions therein, and separating the so-indicated clogged needles from the remaining needles.

2. Ina method for the cleaning of hypodermic needles, the steps which comprise assembling a plurality of needles requiring cleaning, maintaining said assembled needles with the points thereof in spaced relation and in substantially vertical position with the hubs thereof upwards while (1) completely submerging said needles in a liquid bath and (2) separating the needles from the bath thereby permitting the needles to gravity drain whereby the presence of liquid in the hubs of certain of the needles indicates clogged portions therein, and removing the obstruction in the so-indicated clogged needles.

3. In a method for the cleaning of hypodermic needles the steps which comprise assembling a plurality of needles requiring cleaning, maintaining said assembled needles with the points thereof in spaced relation and in substantially vertical position with the hubs thereof upwards while 1) completely submerging said needles in a liquid bath and (2) separating the needles from the bath thereby permitting the needles to gravity drain whereby the presence of liquid in the hubs of certain of the needles indicates clogged portions therein, removing the obstruction in the so-indicated clogged needles, thereafter submerging said needles in a detergent liquid bath to clean said needles, separating the needles from the detergent bath and rinsing said needles to remove adhering detergent liquid therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. IN A METHOD FOR THE CLEANING OF HYPODERMIC NEEDLES, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE ASSEMBLING A PLURALITY OF NECDLES REQUIRING CLEANING, MAINTAINING SAID ASSEMBLED NECDLES WITH THE POINTS THEREOF IN SPACED RELATION AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION WITH THE HUBS THEREOF UPWARDS WHILE (1) COMPLETELY SUBMERGING SAID NEEDLES IN A LIQUID BATH AND (2) SEPARATING THE NEEDLES FROM THE BATH THEREBY PERMITTING THE NEEDLES TO GRAVITY DRAIN WHEREBY THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID IN THE HUBS OF CERTAIN OF THE NEEDLES INDICATES CLOGGED PORTION THEREIN, AND SEPARATING THE SO-INDICATED CLOGGED NEEDLES FROM THE REMAINING NEEDLES.

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