Patent attributes
A butterfly needle device having a passive needle protection system includes a needle that has a proximal end, a distal tip and defines a needle axis. A cylindrical base member having an axially aligned groove is disposed over the needle with a first wing extending radially from the base member. A second wing is provided for rotation about the needle axis relative to the first wing between a closed configuration in which the wings are juxtaposed and an open configuration in which the wings are displaced from each other. A cylindrical needle guard having a plug is disposed over the needle. A spring biases the needle guard distally relative to the base member. A wing-activated mechanism is provided to align the plug with the groove after a closed-open-closed wing cycle allowing the needle guard to distally advance to cover the needle tip at the end of the cycle.