Needle protector

Claim 1

A needle protector for disabling the sharpened end of an infusion needle which telescopically surrounds a pliable indwelling catheter tube comprising: a pair of essentially planar wings each of substantially uniform thickness, each wing having a major essentially flat inside surface and a major essentially flat outside surface, initially disposed in an open position with the wings oppositely extending and a reduced thickness linear fold line joining the wings one to another and about which relative arcuate displacement of the wings precisely occurs; one wing comprising a centrally disposed male press fit uniting means projecting outward from said inside surface of the wing and defining a locking enlargement, the other wing having a centrally-disposed female press fit uniting means opening at the inside surface and sized and located to snugly receive the male uniting means and defining locking structure with which a permanent union is created with the locking enlargement after the two uniting means have been forced together whereby a permanent retained contiguous closed position results following relatively arcuate displacement of the wings precisely about the fold line until the two inside flat surfaces meet and the exterior of the closed protector comprises essentially the two outside generally flat, parallel surfaces free of exposed projections and together comprising a thickness equal only to the combined thickness of the two planar wings, and recess-Defining means disposed in at least one of the two inside flat surfaces which meet and are adapted to receive and conceal the sharpened end of the needle when the wings are united in the closed position, the wings exerting an even compressive force along the entire enclosed length of the needle so as to bind the needle without crushing the needle against the catheter tube.