Patent ID: 7628774

Claim:
A needleless medical connector having a downstream end for receiving a first medical device and an upstream end for receiving a second medical device having a standard medical Luer tip, the medical connector comprising: a housing having an interface configured to receive a connector portion of the first medical device, the housing comprising an upstream end, a downstream end, a cavity extending from the upstream end of the housing to a lower inner surface of the housing, and a lead cannula extending from the lower inner surface toward the upstream end of the housing, the lead cannula having a substantially cylindrical outer surface and an inner diameter of the lead cannula being similar in size to an inner diameter of an end of the second medical device; and a seal element having a downstream end in fluid communication with the interface, an upstream end suitable for receiving the second medical device, and a normally substantially closed passage in fluid communication with the downstream end and the upstream end of the seal element such that a substantial portion of the end of the second medical device is permitted to enter the passage when the second medical device is inserted into the medical connector, wherein the downstream end of the seal element is permitted to slide along the outer surface of the lead cannula and to move toward the lower inner surface of the housing when the second medical device is inserted into the medical connector; wherein the medical connector is configured so that upon full insertion of the second medical device into an upstream end of the passage, a distance between a lead surface of the Luer tip of the second medical device and an upstream end of the lead cannula is approximately the same size as an inner diameter of the lead cannula; and wherein the upstream end and the downstream end of the medical connector are disposed on substantially the same axis to assist in providing a substantially straight fluid- flow path.