Patent ID: 8607432

Claim:
A method of making a sterile connection comprising: mating a first fitting having an aperture and a second fitting having an aperture, including positioning an end surface of a first socket opposite an end surface of a second socket, positioning an end surface of a first hollow resilient sealing member surrounded by the first socket opposite an end surface of a second hollow resilient sealing member surrounded by the second socket, and positioning first and second strip out layers between the end surfaces of the first and second sockets and the end surfaces of the first and second resilient sealing members, wherein mating the first and second fittings includes mechanically interlocking the proximal ends of the fittings with the first strip out layer and the first socket sealingly containing the first resilient sealing member of the first fitting and the second strip out layer and the second socket sealingly containing the second resilient sealing member of the second fitting; removing the first and second strip out layers from between the end surfaces of the sealed first and second resilient sealing members, wherein removing the first and second strip out layers includes moving each strip out layer from a first position, in which the strip out layer is bonded directly to the socket and the bonded portion extends beyond the periphery of the resilient sealing member and the entire resilient sealing member is sealed from the ambient environment by the socket and the strip out layer bonded to the socket, to a second position, in which the strip out layer is displaced from the end surfaces of the socket and the resilient sealing member; and contacting the end surface of the first resilient sealing member and the end surface of the second resilient sealing member to provide fluid communication between the aperture of the first fitting and the aperture of the second fitting.