Source: http://patents.com/us-7118560.html
Timestamp: 2019-10-14 08:56:07
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US Patent # 7,118,560. Needleless Luer activated medical connector - Patents.com
United States Patent 7,118,560
Bonaldo October 10, 2006
Inventors: Bonaldo; Jean M. (Upland, CA)
Appl. No.: 10/376,886
Current U.S. Class: 604/537 ; 604/248
Current International Class: A61M 5/00 (20060101); A61M 25/16 (20060101); A61M 25/18 (20060101)
Field of Search: 604/181,167.04,167.05,532,539,248,905,523,30,32,533-537 251/149 128/912
WO 01/93936 Dec., 2001 WO
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Roth & Goldman, P.A.
1. A medical connector having a longitudinal axis and interconnected axially aligned relatively rotatable male and female Luer parts forming a housing whereby relative rotation of said parts opens and closes a fluid flow path through said connector, said parts being configured for connection to external male and female Luer flowlines; a flow conducting insert non-rotatably affixed in said female Luer part, said insert having an internal fluid passageway extending from a first axially aligned end to a second end, said second end being offset from said axis; a compressible seal in said male Luer part, said seal abutting said second end of said insert and having a flow passageway extending between a first axially offset end at said second end of said insert to an axially aligned second end, such that said ends of said flow passageways in abutting ends of said insert and seal may be aligned to open said flow path; and an elastomeric stopper on said insert, said stopper having a swabbable end providing a deformable normally closed opening which may be opened by pushing said swabbable end over said insert by an external male Luer received in said female Luer part, said stopper having an annular axially collapsible skirt engaged with said female Luer part and said insert.
18. A medical connector having a longitudinal axis and interconnected axially aligned relatively rotatable male and female Luer parts forming a housing whereby relative rotation of said parts opens and closes a fluid flow path through said connector, said parts being configured for connection to external male and female Luer flowlines; a flow conducting insert non-rotatably affixed in said female Luer part, said insert having an internal fluid passageway extending from a first axially aligned end to a second end, said second end being offset from said axis, said insert having an axially compressible section; a compressible seal in said male Luer part, said seal abutting said second end of said insert and having a flow passageway extending between a first axially offset end at said second end of said insert to an axially aligned second end, such that said ends of said flow passageways in abutting ends of said insert and seal may be aligned to open said flow path; and an elastomeric stopper on said insert, said stopper having a swabbable end providing a deformable normally closed opening which may be opened by pushing said swabbable end over said insert by an external male Luer received in said female Luer part.
The medical connector 10 in which the present invention is used comprises essentially a five part connector comprising a housing formed by a male Luer configured part 20 connected to a female Luer configured part 30 with a cylindrical resilient seal 40 the outer edges of which are compressed between a seat valve 22 formed at the end wall in the male Luer part 20 and an end wall 32 of the female Luer part 30. The male Luer part 20 and female Luer part 30 are aligned on a common longitudinal axis and are rotatable with respect to each other through an angle of preferably about 180.degree. around the longitudinal axis to activate and deactivate the connector by opening and closing flow passageway through the connector. The female Luer part 30 includes a collar 31 having a face which abuts an end face of the male Luer part 20, preferably along a transverse or radial plane. The collar 31 functions to block ingress of fluid which may be spilled during disconnection of an external male Luer 100 axially between the facing portions of the male and female Luer parts 20, 30 since any spilled fluid ordinarily contacts the left end or side (as viewed in the drawings) of the female Luer 30. The Exteriorly exposed surfaces adjacent the abutting faces are provided with visible or tactile indicia such as arrows 33, 43 which may be aligned by relative rotation of the female and male Luer parts 20, 30 to indicate the activated and deactivated, i.e., the full open and closed positions of the connector.
As seen in FIGS. 1 3 and 7 9, the male Luer part 20 includes an internal flow passageway 24 in a frusto-conical Luer tapered male extension 26 and an internally threaded skirt 28 for connection to an external female slip or lock Luer in a flowline. The female Luer part 30 has an internal frusto-conical Luer taper at its left end as seen in the drawings and is also configured as a lock Luer externally threaded at 34; however, either or both of the Luer parts 20, 30 can be configured instead as a slip or as a threaded lock Luer part. As shown, it will be apparent that the female Luer 30 is configured so that it may receive either an external male lock Luer or an external male slip Luer to make the fluid connection. Similarly, internal threads 29 are provided inside the skirt 28 of the male Luer part 20 so that it can be readily connected to either an external female lock Luer or an external female slip Luer.
The fluid flow passageway 24 in the male Luer part 20 extends longitudinally from the male extension part 26 to the seat 22. The female Luer part 30 shown in FIGS. 1 3 and 4 6, has an axially extending internal cavity 36 which may have an end portion 38 of non-circular configuration, for a purpose to be described.
The seal 40 (see FIGS. 16 18) has a generally cylindrical shape with a fluid flow passageway 44 extending from an axially aligned end 46 in fluid communication with passage 24 to an off-center positioned end 48. The seal 40 is made of a firm but compressible elastomer, preferably silicone, the peripheral edge of which is preferably partially compressed between the seat 22 and the end wall 32 of the female Luer housing during assembly of the seal. The seal 40 has at least one and preferably three axially extending grooves 43 on its annular surface which mate with axially extending ribs 23 (FIG. 8) in the male Luer part 20 to non-rotatably position the seal 40 in the male Luer part 20. A longitudinally extending locating groove 45 is also provided on the annular surface of the seal 40 so that the seal 40 may be inserted into the male Luer part 20 along the finger 37.
As seen in FIGS. 10 12, a swabbable elastomeric stopper 60 having a normally closed end 62 and a depending corrugated skirt 64 is slidably mounted in the female Luer part 30 to normally close the open end thereof. A transversely extending slit 66 is provided through the normally closed end 62 of the elastomeric stopper 60 so that the slit can be opened when a male Luer end 102 of an external lock Luer 100 (FIG. 3A) engages the end 62 to push it over the end of a flow conducting insert 90 (to be described) when a flowline connection is made to the connector. It will be understood that the slit 66 may be a single transversely extending slit or two or more slits in form of a cross or any other functionally equivalent configuration such that the normally closed end 62 of the stopper 60 may be displaced as desired by the male Luer end 102 when a flowline connection is made. The stopper 60 also has an annular collar 68 which slidably engages the interior annular wall of the cavity 36 in the female Luer part 30 and a cylindrical end 69 which engages and seals off between the inside of the female Luer and the exterior of the insert 90 which also functions as a stopper guide.
FIGS. 13 15 show the fluidic channel insert or fluid conducting insert 90, which may be made of polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene or the like. The insert 90 may be integrally formed as shown or of multi-piece construction with a rigid or axially collapsible lumen having a central flow passageway 92. Axial collapsibility of the insert 90 is preferably provided by making the insert 90 of polypropylene or polyethylene with flexible corrugations 98 near the heel 96 of the insert 90. The corrugations 98 are not considered essential but, if provided, permit slight axial collapsibility of the insert 90 if contacted during activation by the end of an external male Luer 100. This avoids force transmission by the insert 90 and undesired deformation of the seal 40. Preferably the insert 90 is rounded at its left end as seen in the drawings for opening the slit 66 without damage. The flow passageway 92 axially extends from the left end of the insert 90 to an offset opening 94 in an end which provides a seat for the swabbable stopper 60, the seat being hereinafter referred to as a heel 96 due to its non-circular configuration shown in the drawings, at the other end of insert 90. The heel 96 is non-rotatably positioned in non-circular end portion 38 of the internal cavity 36 in the female Luer part 30 and is preferably restrained from axial sliding relative to the female Luer part 30 by an interference or press fit. Other complementary non-circular configurations of the heel 96 and end portion 38 can of course be chosen instead of the heel configuration depicted and those skilled in the art will appreciate that non-circular configurations, while preferred, are not essential.
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