Abstract:
An adapter for putting two incompatible medical systems in fluid communication with each other. The adapter may have a continuous outer diameter and may include two segments: a first segment composed of a rigid material and including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a continuous outer diameter and the second portion defining one or more flanges, the first segment defining a first passage therethrough; and a second segment composed of a flexible material and coupled to the first segment, including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the second segment may have an inner surface configured to surround the flanges of the second portion of the first segment, and the second portion of the second segment having a tapered inner surface, the second segment defining a second passage therethrough that is continuous with the first passage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    n/a 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    n/a 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to a device for putting two incompatible systems in fluid communication with each other. For example, the present invention relates to a universal connecting device to connect the hose of a cryotreatment system to a scavenging outlet of a medical facility, regardless of the configuration of the outlet and/or the geographic area in which the medical facility is located. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Cryoablation, the process of killing tissue using extreme cold, is a commonly used technique for treating many medical conditions, particularly those relating to cardiac arrhythmia. During cryoablation, a liquid refrigerant is circulated from a fluid source to a treatment element of a medical device, at which point the refrigerant may expand and cause a reduction in the temperature of the treatment element. For example, liquid refrigerant may be delivered to a balloon of a cryoablation device, and the balloon may have a larger volume than the one or more conduits of the fluid flow path by which the refrigerant is delivered. The liquid refrigerant may expand when it is injected into the balloon, causing a temperature reduction by the Joule-Thomson effect. 
         [0005]    Once the refrigerant has expanded within the treatment element, the gaseous refrigerant must be removed from the treatment element and either reclaimed or vented to the atmosphere. For example, the medical device may also be in fluid communication with a vacuum or scavenging system for the recovery of the expanded refrigerant. Typically, a medical facility may include one or more scavenging system outlets built into the walls of the facility. However, the outlet may have any of a variety of configurations, depending on the country or geographic origin in which the facility is located. As a result, a cryoablation console must be specially adapted for each country in which the console is used. For example, a hose that is part of a console&#39;s gas scavenging system may be matably connectable to a United States scavenging outlet, but not to an Asian scavenging outlet. Predictably, this increases the cost and difficulty of using a single console in a variety of geographic locations. 
         [0006]    Additionally, cryoablation systems are not the only scenario in which compatibility problems may arise. Specialty adapters frequently have to be adapted in other types of facilities, such as auto mechanics garages, laboratories, and water distribution systems. Like cryoablation systems, it is costly and inefficient to develop and use a plethora of hose or conduit adapters to connect to an incompatible fluid system. 
         [0007]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a universal adapter that could be used to fluidly connect a hose or conduit, or other component, to any of a variety of system outlets without the need for a specialized adapter for each outlet type or configuration. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention advantageously provides a method and device for putting two incompatible systems in fluid communication with each other. For example, the present invention relates to a universal connecting device to connect the hose of a cryotreatment system to a scavenging outlet of a medical facility, regardless of the configuration of the outlet and/or the geographic area in which the medical facility is located. In one embodiment, a universal adapter for a medical system may include a first segment composed of a rigid material and defining one or more flanges and a second segment composed of a flexible material, the second segment being coupled to the first segment with at least a portion of the second segment being disposed about the one or more flanges of the first segment. The second segment may include a continuous outer diameter, and each of the first segment and the second segment includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion of the first segment may include the one or more flanges and a continuous inner diameter. The first portion of the first segment may include a plurality of inner diameters and at least a portion of the first portion may have a threaded inner diameter. Further, the first portion of the second segment may abut the second portion of the first segment. The first portion of the second segment may include a plurality of inner diameters. The second portion of the second segment may have a tapered inner diameter. For example, the second portion of the second segment may have an inner diameter that increases from a first end to a second end of the second portion. The first portion of the second segment may also have a first end and a second end, with at least one of the plurality of inner diameters at the first end of the second portion being at least substantially the same as an inner diameter at the second end of the first portion. The first portion of the second segment may also include a plurality of inner diameters. The first portion of the second segment may be at least partially disposed about the one or more flanges of the first segment. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, a universal adapter for a medical system may include: a first segment composed of a rigid material and including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a continuous outer diameter and the second portion defining one or more flanges; and a second segment composed of a flexible material and including a first portion and a second portion, the second segment having a continuous outer diameter that is the same as the continuous outer diameter of the first portion of the first segment, the first portion and the second portion of the second segment each including a plurality of inner diameters, the first segment and the second segment being coupled to each other such that at least a portion of the first portion of the second segment surrounds the one or more flanges of the second portion of the first segment. Each of the first segment and the second segment may define a passage therethrough. At least a portion of an inner surface of the first portion of the first segment may be threaded. The plurality of inner diameters in the first portion of the second segment may be configured to surround the one or more flanges of the second portion of the first segment. Further, the plurality of inner diameters in the second portion of the second segment may increase from a first end to a second end of the second portion of the second segment. 
         [0010]    An adapter for a medical system may include: a first segment composed of a rigid material and including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a continuous outer diameter and the second portion defining one or more flanges, the first segment defining a first passage therethrough; and a second segment coupled to the first segment and composed of a flexible material and including a first portion and a second portion, the second segment having a continuous outer diameter that is the same as the continuous outer diameter of the first portion of the first segment, the first portion of the second segment having an inner surface that is configured to surround the one or more flanges of the second portion of the first segment, and the second portion of the second segment having a tapered inner surface, the second segment defining a second passage therethrough that is continuous with the first passage of the first segment, the adapter being configured to put a cryotreatment system in fluid communication with an incompatible fluid scavenging system of a medical facility. The first segment of the adapter may be coupled to at least a portion of the cryotreatment system and the second segment of the adapter may be coupled to at least a portion of the fluid scavenging system of the medical facility. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an adapter device; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of the adapter device; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a flanged segment of the adapter device; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of the flanged segment of the adapter device; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of a conical segment of the adapter device; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows an exploded view of an exemplary use of the adapter device; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows a partially schematic view of an exemplary use of the adapter device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , an adapter device is shown. The adapter device  10  (which also may be referred to as a “universal adapter”) may include a flanged segment  12  and a conical segment  14 . Further, the adapter device  10  may define a passage  16  between a first device end  18  in the flanged segment  12  and a second device end  20  in the conical segment  14 , and the passage  16  may lie along the device&#39;s longitudinal axis  22 . The passage  16  may mean that both segments  12 ,  14  may be broadly referred to as being at tubular. The first device end  18  may be the same as the first end  18  of the flanged segment  12  and the second device end  20  may be the same as the second end  20  of the conical segment  14 . The flanged segment  12  may be composed of a rigid material, such as plastic or metal, and the conical segment  14  may be composed of a flexible material, such as silicon or similar materials. 
         [0020]    Each segment  12 ,  14  may be manufactured individually and then assembled together, either removably or permanently. For example, the flexible conical segment  14  may fit over the one or more flanges  24  in the flanged segment  12 . As described in more detail below, the inner surface  26  of the conical segment  14  may include one or more indentations or channels  28 , each one being sized and configured to accept a flange  24  within. The flexible material from which the conical segment  14  is manufactured, plus the configurations of the flanged segment  12  and the inner surface  26  of the conical segment  14 , may create a strong matable connection between the segments  12 ,  14 . As such, use of a permanent means of attachment, such as an adhesive, bonding agent, or other method or material, may be unnecessary. However, it will be understood that the segments  12 ,  14  may be permanently attached to each other by means known in the art. The one or more flanges  24  of the flanged segment  12  and the complementary shape of the inner surface  26  of the conical segment  14  may help “lock” the two segments  12 ,  14  together without the use of a permanent attachment means, and may strengthen the bond between the segments  12 ,  14  when a permanent attachment means is used. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the device  10  may have a continuous outer diameter, with the outer diameter at the first device end  18 , OD 1 , being the same or at least substantially the same as the outer diameter at the second device end  20 , OD 2 . When the device  10  is in use, however, it will be understood that the flexible conical segment  14  may stretch to fit over an outlet connector (as described in  FIG. 6 ), and this may give the device a larger outer diameter D 2 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the flanged segment  12  may include a first portion  34  proximate the first end  18  of the flanged segment  12  and a second portion  40  proximate the second end  36  of the flanged segment  12 . The first portion  34  may have a continuous or substantially continuous outer diameter OD 1  and the second portion  40  may have a non-continuous outer diameter. The second portion  40  may include one or more flanges  24 , at least one of which having a greater outer diameter OD 3  than the outer diameter OD 4  of the intervening portions  42  between the flanges  24  and between a flange  24  and the first portion  34 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , however, one flange may have an outer diameter OD 4  that is greater than the outer diameter OD 5  of another flange. For example, a first flange  24 ′ located at the second end  36  of the flanged segment  12  may have a smaller outer diameter than a second flange  24  located proximate the first portion  34  of the flanged segment  12 . Further, each flange  24 ,  24 ′ may have a rounded outer edge (that is, along the outer diameter) that may make the flanges  24 ,  24 ′ more resistant to breakage. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the inner surface  46  of the flanged segment  12  may be non-continuous. The inner surface of the second portion  40  may have a continuous or substantially continuous inner diameter ID 1 , whereas the inner surface  46  of the first portion  34  may have a non-continuous inner diameter. For example, the inner surface of the first portion  34  may include a first inner diameter ID 2  that is the same or substantially the same as the inner diameter ID 1  of the second portion  40 . The inner surface  46  of the first portion  34  may further include a second inner diameter ID 3  that is greater than the first inner diameter ID 2 , a transition area  44  between the first inner diameter ID 2  and the second inner diameter ID 3  that includes a variable third inner diameter range, and a fourth inner diameter ID 5  that is greater than the first inner diameter ID 2 , second inner diameter ID 3 , and third inner diameter range of the transition area  44 . The inner surface of the second portion  40  may be smooth (that is, not ridged, threaded, textured, or the like). In contrast, at least a portion of the inner surface of the first portion  34  may be threaded  47  to be matably engageable with a compatibly threaded hose, hose component, or other part of the system in which the adapter device  10  is being used. Further, as the outer diameter OD 1  of the first portion  34  of the flanged segment  12  is continuous or substantially continuous, the variable inner diameter of the first portion  34  may produce a corresponding increasing thickness of the wall  48  of the first portion  34 , with the wall  48  thickness generally increasing from the second end  36  to the first end  18 . 
         [0024]    The conical segment  14  may have a continuous or substantially continuous outer diameter OD 2 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . In contrast, however, at least a portion of the conical segment  14  may include a non-continuous inner diameter. For example, the conical segment  14  may include a first portion  50  that has an inner surface that is grooved to correspond, both in number and size, to the one or more flanges  24  of the flanged segment  12 . In the non-limiting embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the inner surface of the first portion  50  of the conical segment  14  may include two grooves  52  and two intervening portions  54 . For example, one intervening portion  54  may be located between the two grooves  52  and the other intervening portion  54  may be located between one of the two grooves  52  and the first end  56  of the conical segment  14 . As an example, the inner diameter ID 8  of a first groove  52 ′ of the first portion  50  may be the same or substantially the same as the outer diameter OD 5  of the first flange  24 ′ and the inner diameter ID 6  of the second groove  52  of the first portion  50  may be the same or substantially the same as the outer diameter OD 3  of the second flange  24 . However, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the inner diameter ID 7  of the intervening portions  54  of the conical segment  14  may be slightly larger than the outer diameter OD 4  of the corresponding intervening portions  42  of the flanged segment  12 . The conical segment  14  may also include a second portion  60  that has a non-continuous inner diameter, which may be in contact with the flanged  12  segments in the intervening areas when the conical segment  14  and the flanged segment  12  are coupled to each other. For example, the conical segment  14  may be overmolded onto the flanged segment  12 . 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the second portion  60  may have an increasing inner diameter, with the inner diameter expanding from a first inner diameter ID 9  at the first end  56  of the conical segment  20  toward a second inner diameter ID 10  at the second end  20  of the conical segment  14 . The first inner diameter ID 9  may be the same or substantially the same as the outer diameter OD 4  of the intervening portions  54  of the intervening portions  42  of the flanged segment  12 . Further, the inner diameter of the second portion  60  may increase from the first inner diameter ID 9  to the second inner diameter ID 10  at an angle α of 4° or greater from the horizontal (that is, an imaginary line  66  that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis  22  from the first inner diameter ID 9 , as shown in  FIG. 5 ). As the outer diameter OD 2  of the conical segment  14  may be continuous or substantially continuous, the decreasing inner diameter may produce a corresponding increasing wall thickness in the conical segment  14 , with the wall  64  increasing from the second end  20  to the first end  56 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the adapter device is shown in use with an incompatible medical scavenging system. However, this system shown in these figures is merely illustrative, as the adapter may be used in any of a variety of systems, as discussed above. The medical scavenging system shown in  FIG. 6  may include a wall connector  70  and a male connector  72  with one or more barbs  74 . However, each country or geographic area may use a scavenging system  76  with a different wall connector  70  and/or male connector  72 , making it impossible to use a hose  78  from a single cryotreatment system  80  with all scavenging system  76  configurations. In the non-limiting example shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a standard North American scavenging hose  78  may be used to connect the cryotreatment system  80  to the scavenging system  76  of the medical facility  82 . For example, the scavenging system  76  may be located in Asia and, therefore, the wall connector  70  may have a configuration that is standard in that geographic location. The male connector  72  may be compatible with the Asian-configuration wall connection  70 , but may be incompatible with the North American-configuration scavenging hose  78  and hose connector  84 . 
         [0027]    Typically, this combination of incompatible components would mean that the scavenging hose  78  of the cryotreatment system  80  would be unusable with the scavenging system  76  of the medical facility  82 . Alternatively, the cryotreatment system  80  would have to be adapted for use in each incompatible geographic location, which would incur great expense and tedious product development, manufacturing, and alteration. However, the adapter device  10  shown and described herein may make it possible to use a standard cryotreatment system  80  (that is, a cryotreatment system that has not been specifically adapted for use) with a scavenging system  76  of any geographic location. 
         [0028]    As shown in the inset of  FIG. 7 , the male connector  72  of the scavenging system  76  may be matably connected with the conical segment  14  of the adapter device  10 . Similarly, the hose connector  84  may be matably connected with the flanged segment  12  of the adapter device  10 . The conical segment  14  of the adapter device  10  may be composed of a soft, flexible material, such as silicone, that may stretch and bend to accommodate any of a variety of differently sized and/or configured male connectors  72  and barbs  74 . Further, the conical inner surface of the conical segment  14  may have a decreasing inner diameter that may securely engage the male connector  72  without slippage or leakage. Optionally, a compression element  88 , such as a clamp, tie, elastic band, wrap, clasp, or the like, may be used on the outside of the conical segment  14  to help secure the device  10  to the male connector  72 . The compression element  88  may compress or deform the flexible material of the conical segment  14  so that the inner surface of the conical segment  14  is securely in contact with the male connector  72 . The hose connector  84  may be secured to the adapter device  10  using the threaded portion of the inner surface of the flanged segment  12 . That is, the hose connector  84 , which may in turn be connected to the scavenging hose  78  of the cryotreatment system  80 , may be screwed into the flanged segment  12 . In this way, for example, a North American cryotreatment system  80  and scavenging hose  78  may be securely connected to the scavenging system  76  of any geographic area, regardless of the configuration and/or size of the wall connector  70  and male connector  72 . 
         [0029]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.