Passive needle guard for syringes

<?claim ?>A passive needle guard (10, 110, 410, 510) for a medicine syringe Which includes a plunger slidably received in its proximal end to inject medicine by depressing the plunger (98), the passive needle guard Comprising: to elongate body (20, 120, 420, 520) having open proximal (22, 122, 422, 522) and distal ends (24, 124, 424, 524) and a cavity (26, 126, 426, 526) for receiving the medicine syringe Therein accessible through the open proximal end; the body having a locking mechanism (58, 158, 458) on the proximal end of the body for securing the Substantially medicine syringe received in the cavity, a shield (60, 160, 460, 560) having open proximal (62, 162, 462, 562) and distal ends (63, 163, 463, 563), the shield slidably attached to the outside of the body, the body being biased to retract with respect to the shield from a first position worin the distal end of the body is Adjacent the distal end of the shield towards a second position for Withdrawing the distal end of the body proximally away from the distal end of the shield; cooperating catches on the body (48, 148, 248, 348, 448, 548) and the shield (76, 176, 276, 376, 476, 576) for holding the body and shield in the first position; anda latch member (74, 174, 474, 574) Extending proximally from the proximal end of one of the shield and the body, the latch member being deflectable for disengaging the cooperating catches, whereby the body may be biased to retract to the second position, the latch member being angepasst to be engaged Directly by a radial portion of the plunger (98) When the plunger (98) is depressed distally into the medicine syringe to disengage the cooperating catches.