SIGLE-USE, NON-REVERSIBLE SYRINGE

IT IS WELL ESTABLISHED THAT THE SHARING OF SYRINGES BETWEEN INFECTED AND NONINFECTED I.V. DRUG USERS HAS BEEN A MAJOR CAUSE IN THE SPREAD OF AIDS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SINGLE-USE MECHANISM THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO ALL DISPOSABLE SYRINGES WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM BEING SALVAGED AFTER LEGITIMATE USE AND REUSED BY I.V. DRUG USERS, THEREBY MITIGATING OR ELIMINATING THE SPREAD OF THE EPIDEMIC BY THIS PATH. ANCO ENGINEERS, INC., WILL DESIGN AND DEVELOP A UNIQUE CHECK VALVE THAT WILL CLOSE AND PERMANENTLY SEAL AN ORIFICE AFTER THE SYRINGE HAS BEEN USED ONCE. THE VALVE IS SMALL ENOUGH TO BE INCORPORATED EITHER INTO THE SYRINGE BODY OR HYPODERMIC NEEDLE WITHOUT INCREASING THEIR PRESENT SIZE OR SHAPE. THIS WILL PERMIT IT TO BE USED IN BOTH SEPARATE AND INTEGRAL NEEDLE DISPOSABLE SYRINGES.