# US 10,368,789 B2 · Medical port with constraining biasing element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,368,789 B2 - Document ID: US10368789B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/389,977 - Filed: 2016-12-23 - Published: 2018-06-28 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-23 - Assignees: NP Medical Inc. - Applicants: NP Medical Inc. - Inventors: Todd Chelak; Ian Kimball; Ray Adams; Jeffrey Ransden - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368789B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/150221: {Valves} - A61B 5/0215: by means inserted into the body - A61B 5/02152: {specially adapted for venous pressure} - A61B 5/15003: {for venous or arterial blood} - A61B 5/150328: {by aseptic fluid} - A61B 5/150992: {Blood sampling from a fluid line external to a patient, such as a catheter line, combined with an infusion line; Blood sampling from indwelling needle sets, e.g. sealable ports, luer couplings or valves} - A61M 39/04: having pierceable self-sealing members - A61M 39/045: {pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument} - A61M 39/223: {Multiway valves} - A61M 39/26: Valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof {(check valves A61M39/24)} - A61M 2039/0072: {Means for increasing tightness of the septum, e.g. compression rings, special materials, special constructions} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A medical port has a housing forming an interior with a fluid inlet and a fluid channel extending from the fluid inlet. The housing also has an exterior wall forming at least one radial opening to the interior. In addition to the housing, the medical port also has a resilient valve element within the housing interior configured to control fluid flow through the inlet, and a biasing element movably couplable with the housing. The resilient valve element has a proximate body portion proximate to the radial opening when in the closed mode. The biasing element also has a constraining portion configured to cooperate with the radial opening to contact at least the proximate body portion of the valve element when in the closed mode. The biasing element constraining portion preferably is configured to normally resist radial outward movement of the proximate body portion when in the closed mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical port for transferring fluid to/from a patient, the medical port having an open mode to permit fluid flow and a closed mode to prevent fluid flow, the medical port comprising: a housing forming an interior having a fluid inlet and a fluid channel extending from the fluid inlet, the housing also having an exterior wall forming at least one radial opening to the interior; a resilient valve element within the housing interior configured to control fluid flow through the inlet, the resilient valve element having a proximate body portion proximate to the at least one radial opening when in the closed mode; and a biasing element movably couplable with the housing, the biasing element having at least one constraining portion extending into and cooperating with the at least one radial opening to contact at least the proximate body portion when in the closed mode, the at least one constraining portion configured to normally resist radial outward movement of the proximate body portion when in the closed mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the biasing element comprises a closed top portion to substantially cover the fluid inlet when the at least one constraining portion contacts the proximate body portion, the biasing element forming a cap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the biasing element allows access to the fluid inlet of the housing when the at least one constraining portion contacts the proximate body portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the biasing element includes at least one stop surface configured to contact the housing exterior wall to limit the radial contraction of the biasing element when in the closed mode, the stop surface being movably adjustable and configured to vary the limit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the resilient valve element has a first portion that abuts the interior of the housing in the closed mode, the interior of the housing constraining radial and/or longitudinal movement of the first portion in the closed mode, the proximate body portion being unconstrained by the housing when in the closed mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the housing and the resilient valve element form a sample port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the biasing element is radially movably coupled with the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the biasing element is formed from a resilient material and includes at least one stop surface that contacts the housing exterior wall to limit the radial contraction of the biasing element when in the closed mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the biasing element includes a living hinge and a longest distance, the biasing element being configured to pivot at the living hinge in response to a radially inwardly directed force applied to the longest distance. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The medical port as defined by claim 1 wherein the resilient valve element forms a circumference, the biasing element further comprising a plurality of constraining portions forming between two and ten constraining surfaces, the constraining surfaces being spaced apart around the circumference. ### Claim 11 A medical port for transferring fluid to/from a patient, the medical port having an open mode to permit fluid flow and a closed mode to prevent fluid flow, the medical port comprising: a housing forming an interior having a fluid inlet and a fluid channel extending from the fluid inlet, the housing also having an exterior wall forming at least one radial opening to the interior; means for controlling fluid flow through the fluid inlet, the fluid controlling means having a proximate portion proximate to the at least one radial opening when in the closed mode; and means for biasing the proximate portion, the biasing means being radially movably couplable with the housing, the biasing means having at least one constraining portion extending into and cooperating with the at least one radial opening to contact at least the proximate portion of the fluid controlling means when in the closed mode, the at least one constraining portion configured to normally resist radial outward movement of the proximate portion of the fluid controlling means when in the closed mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The medical port as defined by claim 11 wherein the biasing means comprises a cap configured to cover the fluid inlet when in the closed mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The medical port as defined by claim 11 wherein the biasing means comprises a ring that allows access to the fluid inlet when in the closed mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The medical port as defined by claim 11 wherein the biasing means includes at least one stop surface configured to contact the housing exterior wall to limit the radial contraction of the biasing element when in the closed mode, the stop surface being movably adjustable and configured to vary the limit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The medical port as defined by claim 11 wherein the fluid controlling means has a first portion that abuts the interior of the housing in the closed mode, the interior of the housing constraining radial and/or longitudinal movement of the first portion in the closed mode, the proximate body portion being unconstrained by the housing when in the closed mode. ### Claim 16 A medical port for transferring fluid to/from a patient, the medical port having an open mode to permit fluid flow and a closed mode to prevent fluid flow, the medical port comprising: a housing forming an interior having a fluid inlet and a fluid channel extending from the fluid inlet, the housing also having an exterior; a resilient valve element within the housing interior configured to control fluid flow through the inlet, the resilient valve element having a radially unconstrained valve portion when in the closed mode; and a biasing element movably couplable with the housing exterior, the biasing element having at least one constraining portion configured to contact at least a given portion of the radially unconstrained valve portion when the biasing element is coupled with the housing exterior, the at least one constraining portion configured to normally resist radial outward movement of at least the given portion of the radially unconstrained valve portion when the biasing element is coupled with the housing exterior, the biasing element also configured to be decoupled with the housing exterior prior to the medical port being transitioned from the closed mode to the open mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The medical port as defined by claim 16 wherein the housing exterior forms at least one radial opening, the at least one constraining portion extending through the at least one radial opening to contact the radially unconstrained valve portion when the biasing element is coupled with the housing exterior. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The medical port as defined by claim 16 wherein the biasing element includes a closed top portion to form a cap covering the fluid inlet when the biasing element is coupled with the housing exterior. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The medical port as defined by claim 18 further comprising a disinfecting pad containing alcohol between the closed top of the biasing element and the fluid inlet when the biasing element is coupled with the housing exterior. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The medical port as defined by claim 16 wherein the biasing element forms an interference fit with the housing when coupled with the housing exterior.