Abstract:
An intravenous connector device for coupling a plurality of intravenous fluid conduits to a single intravenously insertable portion. The device includes a body having two or more inlet lumens for receiving fluid conduits in which at least one of the lumens has a mechanism for limiting the depth to which a fluid conduit can be inserted in use.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to an intravenous connector device and particularly to a connector device for coupling a plurality of intravenous fluid conduits to a single intravenously insertable portion such as a cannula or catheter.  
         [0002]     In many cases it is desirable to administer several different fluids to a patient at the same time. For example, it is desirable to administer a separate fluid infusion with a drug infusion as this helps to flush the drug into the patients venous system and also helps to keep the vein open during drug infusions; this also helps to reduce the chance of an adverse reaction to the drug.  
         [0003]     In order to infuse fluids into a vein, devices such as a cannula or catheter are used as an intravenously insertable portion. The ability to infuse a plurality of different fluids through a single insertable portion is advantageous because only a single puncture is required.  
         [0004]     Whilst multiple fluid conduit connectors are known they do not control the depth to which conduits are inserted into the device and this can lead to problems such as different tubes being inserted to a different extent into the device and tubes not being inserted sufficiently into the device and so not being secured in position.  
         [0005]     The present invention seeks to address the problems with known intravenous connector devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to the present invention there is provided an intravenous connector device for coupling a plurality of intravenous fluid conduits to a single intravenously insertable portion, the device comprising a body having two or more inlet lumens for receiving fluid conduits, in which at least one of the lumens has means for limiting the depth to which a fluid conduit can be inserted in use.  
         [0007]     The connector device of the present invention therefore includes lumens which have a defined point to which fluid conduits can be inserted. Accordingly, all fluid conduits in the connector device can be connected to a required depth and a user will feel an increased resistance once the conduits have been inserted to the required extent.  
         [0008]     The conduits may be insertable so as to be removable; alternatively more permanent attachment means may be employed. For example, the conduits may be attached into the lumens by medical glue by first coating the exterior of the conduit end with glue and then inserting the conduit into the lumen so that adhesion is achieved between the exterior wall of the conduit and the interior wall of the lumen.  
         [0009]     The device may further comprise attachment means for attaching it to an insertable portion. For example, the device may be provided with a Luer lock system in which a male or female Luer lock component is provided at the end of the device for attaching to a female or male Luer lock component on a cannula, catheter or the like.  
         [0010]     The depth limiting means may comprise a formation in the or each lumen. The formation may be formed, for example, as a shoulder or continuous annulus or may comprise one or more individual projections which project radially inwardly from the lumen walls. A shoulder portion defining a radially inward region may be preferred because of the ease of moulding and de-moulding a structure which has an absence of undercuts.  
         [0011]     At least one of the lumens may taper inwardly towards its distal end remote from the end at which the fluid conduit is inserted. Tapering lumens have the advantage that the lumen can be slightly larger than required at its proximal end to facilitate initial insertion and then by the gradual reduction in lumen diameter the tube can be forced towards the distal end and held tightly in place.  
         [0012]     The device may have three inlet lumens and thus constitute a trifurcated hub-type device. Where three lumens are provided they may be arranged in a trilobate, “clover leaf” configuration in order to give the most compact arrangement of lumens.  
         [0013]     The inlet lumens may have different diameters to each other. This would enable fluid conduits of different diameters to be used in the same device.  
         [0014]     The space between the point at which the fluids from the lumens enter a common volume may be minimised. This is particularly advantageous where fluids being coupled have physical and/or pharmacological incompatibility so that they do not have chance to mix before reaching the patients blood stream.  
         [0015]     The device may comprise a single common final outlook portion in fluid communication with the inlet lumens. Therefore the device may have a “Y” configuration in which a common final length is provided prior to the distal end of the device which connects to the insertable portion. This is opposed to a device of a “V” configuration in which each of the lumens terminate at the distal end of the device, which is also possible in the case of the present invention.  
         [0016]     The device may be formed from a plastics material.  
         [0017]     The device may be formed by a moulding process, such as injection moulding.  
         [0018]     The present invention may also provide an intravenous fluid infusion system comprising a connector device as described herein together with fluid conduits connected in the lumens.  
         [0019]     The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a connector device formed according to the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the proximal end of the connector of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a section of the device of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a connector device formed according to an alternative embodiment.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a section of the device of  FIG. 4  along lines V-V.  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the proximal end face of the device of  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a section of a connector device formed according to an alternative embodiment.  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the proximal end of the connector device of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of the proximal end of a connector device formed according to an alternative embodiment.  
         [0029]      FIG. 10  shows an intravenous fluid infusion system formed according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]     Referring first to FIGS.  1  to  3  there is shown a connector device generally indicated  10 . The device  10  comprises a generally cylindrical body  15  having a proximal end  16  and a distal end  17 .  
         [0031]     At the proximal end  16  two inlet lumens  20 ,  25  extend distally. The lumens  20 ,  25  are separated by a central stem  30  giving the distal end  16  a generally “figure of eight” configuration (see  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0032]     Approximately half way along the length of the body  15  each of the lumens  20 ,  25  reduces in diameter at shoulders  21 ,  26 .  
         [0033]     Distal to the shoulders  21 ,  26  the lumens  20 ,  25  continue with outlet linking portions  22 ,  27  of reduced diameter. The linking portions  22 ,  27  are also separated by the central stem  30 .  
         [0034]     The linking portions  22 ,  27  lead to a common outlet chamber  35  which leads to an outlet  36 .  
         [0035]     In use, intravenous fluid supply tubes  40 ,  41  (their distal ends are shown in phantom) can be inserted into the lumens  20 ,  25 . The insertion is facilitated by tapering openings  23 ,  28  at the proximal ends of the outlets  20 ,  25 . Fluid tubes  40 ,  41  are pushed into the lumens  20 ,  25  until they reach the shoulders  21 ,  26  at which point the diameter restriction prevents further insertion. The shoulders  21 ,  26  thereby constitute depth limiting means. In addition the shoulders provide the tubing with a firm seating.  
         [0036]     Fluid is supplied through the tubes  40 ,  41  and the fluid flows via the linking portions  22 ,  27  into the common chamber  35  and then out of the outlet  36 . The outlet  36  is fluidly connected in some way to an insertable portion such as a cannula or a catheter (not shown) so that fluids from both of the tubes  40 ,  41  can be coupled into a single insertable portion via the single common outlet  36 .  
         [0037]     The space between the point at which the fluids from the lumens  20 ,  25  enter the common volume  35  is minimised. This is advantageous where fluids being coupled have physical and/or pharmacological incompatibility so that they do not have chance to mix before reaching the patients blood stream.  
         [0038]     The tubes  40 ,  41  may be secured in position within the lumens  20 ,  25  by the use of medical glue which is applied to the exterior surface of the distal ends of the tubes  40 ,  41  before inserting them into the lumens so that the exterior walls of the tubes  40 ,  41  can bond to the interior walls of the lumens  20 ,  25 .  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIG. 4  to  6  there is shown a device  110  according to an alternative embodiment. The device  110  comprises a body  115  and is in many ways similar to the device  10  of FIGS.  1  to  3 . However, in this embodiment the device  110  includes three lumens  120 ,  125 ,  150 . The lumens  120 ,  125 ,  150  have different diameters, with the lumen  150  having the largest diameter, and the lumen  120  having the smallest diameter.  
         [0040]     The body  115  has a generally trilobate configuration with one lumen  120 ,  125 ,  150  provided in each lobe in order to minimise the dimensions of the body  115 .  
         [0041]     The lumens  120 ,  125 ,  150  taper inwardly from their proximal ends and this allows a tube to be forced into the lumens and gripped tightly.  
         [0042]     Each of the lumens  120 ,  125 ,  150  has a diameter restriction in the form of a shoulder  121 ,  126 ,  151 . The shoulders  121 ,  126 ,  151  function in the same way as the shoulders  21 ,  26  of the device  10  shown in FIGS.  1  to  3  to limit the depth to which tubes can be inserted.  
         [0043]     In this embodiment the device  110  includes attachment means in the form of a male Luer probe  155  which extends from the distal end  117  of the body  115 . The probe  155  includes a single central outlet conduit  156  into which each of the lumens  120 ,  125 ,  150  empties. At the distal end of the conduit  156  is an outlet  157 .  
         [0044]     The probe  155  includes a shoulder portion  158  which comprises a male collar which can be used to connect a cannula or catheter via a corresponding female collar (not shown).  
         [0045]     Use of the device  110  is generally the same as that described in relation to FIGS.  1  to  3  in that tubes (not shown) are inserted into the lumens  120 ,  125 ,  150  to a depth defined by the shoulders,  121 ,  126 ,  151 . Thereafter when fluids are run through the tubes the fluids empty into the common outlet conduit  156  and can then be infused into a patient via the outlet  157  which connects to an insertable portion.  
         [0046]     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8  there is shown a device  210  according to an alternative embodiment. The device  210  is similar to the device  110  shown in FIGS.  4  to  6  in that a body  215  is provided with three lumens  220 ,  225 ,  250  in a trilobate configuration. Each of the lumens  220 ,  225 ,  250  is substantially circular in section and in this embodiment are all of substantially the same diameter.  
         [0047]     At the distal end  217  of the body  215  is an attachment portion  255  which serves as the connection point for a cannula, catheter or the like. The attachment portion  255  includes a single common outlet conduit  256  leading to an outlet  257 .  
         [0048]     Depth limiting means for liming the extent to which a tube can be inserted are provided. In this embodiment only the lumen  220  is provided with depth limiting means, which are in the form of three projections at  260  extending radially inwardly from the wall of the lumen  220 .  
         [0049]     Referring now to  FIG. 9  there is shown a device  310  according to an alternative embodiment. The device  310  is similar to the device  210  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . A body  315  with a trilobate configuration is provided. However, in this embodiment only two active lumens  325 ,  350  are provided. It will be noted that the equivalent of the lumen  220  shown in  FIG. 8  is not present. The lobe of the body  315  is blocked so that only two active lumens  325 ,  350  are provided in a trilobate body. This could be achieved in an injection moulding operation by including a blank in the mould to block the lumen  320 . In this way, the trilobate body  315  could be used as a bi-lumen device without requiring extensive modification.  
         [0050]     Referring now to  FIG. 10  there is shown an intravenous fluid infusion system generally indicated  470 . The system  470  comprises a connector device  410  of the general type described in relation to FIGS.  1  to  9 . The device  410  is connected to an insertable portion  475  in the form of a catheter. The catheter  475  is connected to the body  410  via a Luer lock system with a female Luer lock component  476  provided at the proximal end of the catheter  475  and a male Luer lock component  458  provided at the distal end of the body  415  of the device  410 .  
         [0051]     The device  410  receives three infusion lines  480 ,  485 ,  490  having respective attachment components  481 ,  486 ,  491  for connecting the lines to infusion fluid sources (not shown) for supplying fluids such as drugs in solution.  
         [0052]     The lines  480 ,  485  are fine polyethylene-lined extension lines. The line  490  comprises a large bore, semi-rigid line. The line  490  is pre-formed into a C-shape and is kink-resistant.  
         [0053]     In use the device  410  can be used to couple fluids arriving separately from the lines  480 ,  485 ,  490  into the common catheter  475 .