US Patent Issued to Becton Dickinson and Co. on March 11 for "Hinged needle shield and needle assemblies" (American, Spanish Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,246,170, issued on March 11, was assigned to Becton Dickinson and Co. (Franklin Lakes, N.J.).

"Hinged needle shield and needle assemblies" was invented by Kevin M. Ryan (Whitehouse Station, N.J.), Angela Huenerfauth (Morristown, N.J.), Thomas Anthony Pick (Columbus, Neb.), Ramon Arazo (Fraga Huesca, Spain) and Miguel Luis Nogues Rubio (Torrente de Cinca, Spain).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A needle shield assembly comprises an elongate needle shield comprising a shield portion, a hub connection portion and a bridge portion including a living hinge having a thickness, the bridge portion joining the hub connection portion and the shield ...