A device for holding the protective sheath of at least one hypodermic needle to permit recapping in a single-handed operation includes a hollow receptacle formed with a cavity which contains a deformable support material. The support material is penetrable by the sheath to embed the tip portion thereof in the support material and thereby hold the sheath in a substantially fixed position relative to the receptacle while the needle is withdrawn from or inserted into the sheath. The device also includes a contact adhesive on its base surface to selectively attach the device to a solid object to stabilize the receptacle during use.

An apparatus and a method for recapping of syringe needles while substantially reducing the risk of injury to the user during the recapping thereof. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a cap holder with a base and a weight distribution such that a cap retained in the cap holder is always oriented in an upright position with the upper end thereof being opened. In this way the user of the syringe, can release a needle from the syringe with one hand, and drop the needle into the syringe cap where a cover may thereupon be placed over the open end of the cap. Thereafter, the needle and cap-cover arrangement can be discarded. In another embodiment, a needle retaining element, such as a piece of gauze, foam or the like can be located in the needle cap such that when the needle is inserted into the gauze or foam, it will be at least partially grasped to thereby hold the needle while the user releases the needle from the syringe.

An adhesive "block" device is provided which can be used to grip to removable caps of single-use, disposable, hypodermic needles. Adhesive is provided on four sides of the block allowing for the block to be attached at one side to a tray or other supporting surface, with at least one of the surfaces configured to easily deform, retain said deformation, and adhesively grip and immobilize the caps to allow for safe, "one-hand" removal and subsequent replacement of the needle in the cap.

A disposable safety guard for syringe needles and the like, the safety guard being adapted to laterally receive the tip of a needle in an elongated interior chamber within a body member. The interior encloses a high frictional surfaced gripping device which receives the syringe needle in a lateral direction and prevents the needle from being removed therefrom, after it is secured therein. In a preferred embodiment, the gripping mechanism comprises a rectangular shaped plastic component having two planar members joined by a thinned or living hinge permitting the component to be folded in half so that it may conform to the shape of the interior of the body member and close upon the needle. In that preferred embodiment of the invention, a series of ridges on the folded interior surface of the gripper component increases the frictional engagement with the syringe needle. The gripper component has a pair of lips designed to engage a plurality of ratchet teeth in the interior walls of the body member chamber. The lips prevent the gripper from moving in a vertically upward direction within the interior and thus cooperate with the ratchet teeth in the interior of the body member to form a one way ratcheting effect. The ralationship between the lips and the ratchet teeth creates a leverage effect much like a nut cracker to firmly grasp and retain a needle of virtually any standard size.

An end cap is provided for an endoscopic biopsy forceps instrument having a long coil and a jaw assembly. The end cap is provided with a cup portion, an attachment clip, and preferably a suction cup. The cup portion fits over the closed jaws of the biopsy forceps and has an open end and a closed end, and side walls. The attachment clip extends perpendicularly from the side walls of the cup portion and fits around one or more sections of the biopsy forceps coil, thereby stabilizing the forceps jaw and coil for packaging. The attachment clip can also be used for attaching the cap to the coil of the biopsy forceps instrument when the cap is off of the jaws so that the cap is readily available for later retrieval. The suction cup is coupled to the top of the cup portion and is used both to prevent misplacement and loss of the cap, and to expedite recapping after usage.