| abstract |
A hypodermic syringe having protective shielding for preventing injury to persons by being pricked by the syringe after use. A shield is mounted to the sleeve for longitudinal movement, and this is extendable from a retracted position in which the shield is withdrawn from the syringe of the syringe, to an extended position in which the shield is positioned around the syringe so as to cover the tip portion thereof. The shield may be made up of first and second clamshell halves which are spread apart from one another along the sides of the tubular sleeve in the retracted position, and which come together in the extended position so that their tip portions cover the syringe. The shield may be extended manually by means of a button, or automatically by means of a spring mechanism. Disinfectant pads may be mounted to the interior surfaces of the clamshell halves so that these come into contact with the tip of the syringe and sterilize it when the clamshell halves are extended. |