Patent ID: 7938454

Claim:
A connector comprising: a tubular body having a proximal end terminating at a proximal end face and an opposing distal end terminating at a distal end face, the tubular body having an interior surface bounding a linear passage extending therethrough between the proximal end face and the opposing distal end face, the passage having a central longitudinal axis extending along the length thereof, the linear passage having a cross sectional area normal to the central longitudinal axis that is substantially constant along the length of the linear passage, an annular barb encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the proximal end of the tubular body; and a membrane secured to the distal end face of the tubular body so as to seal the passage closed thereat without encircling the tubular body, the membrane being disposed in a plane that orthogonally intersects with the central longitudinal axis of the tubular body, the membrane and the body being configured so that when a radiant energy is applied to the membrane and the body, at least a portion of the membrane exposed to the radiant energy melts to form an opening therein and at least a portion of the body exposed to the radiant energy does not melt.