Patent ID: 7563243

Claim:
A manifold hub for use in a fluid administration system comprising: A. an integrated housing providing a plurality of mutually distinct flow channels through the housing and being composed of at least three components; i. a first component comprised of an elongated first member having a plurality of longitudinally spaced first openings each associated with a distinct flow channel and a plurality of longitudinally spaced upward, tubular first projections surrounding and aligned with said first openings and open at their upper and lower extremities each associated with a distinct flow channel, said first projections formed as one part of a two-part connector; ii. a second component comprised of an elongated second member having a plurality of longitudinally spaced second openings each associated with a distinct flow channel and defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced separate outlets each associated with a distinct flow channel; iii. an intermediate component comprised of an elongated third member being resilient and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced third openings each associated with a distinct flow channel and a plurality of longitudinally spaced upward annular second projections each associated with a distinct flow channel, each second projection surrounding a respective third opening, said projections having closures at their upper extremities with normally closed slits defined in said closures and being open at their lower extremities; B. said first, second and third components being stacked together with the intermediate component between the first and second components and integrated together to form said housing (a) with said second projections received in the first projections with the closures at the upper extremities of the second projections exposed at the upper extremities of the first projections, (b) the second openings and the third openings being in fluid communication, (c) the integrated components establishing the plurality of mutually distinct flow channels through the housing, and (d) the intermediate component serving to seal the mutually distinct flow channels one from the other; D. whereby each said first projection can be connected to a fluid administration set via a terminal complementary part to said one part of the two-part connector such that when the connector is complete, the resilient second projection received in said first projection is depressed downwardly forcing the normally closed slit defined in the closure at the upper extremity thereof to open; and E. whereby the separate outlets of the second component can be connected to separate lumens each terminated with its own element for infusing fluid into a patient.