Self-cleaning needleless connector
AssigneeGrove Group, LLC
InventorsNathan Gish, Ross Hudson, Josh Luttrell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-cleaning needleless connector may include a connector body defining a fluid passageway including an inlet and an outlet, a cover disposed over at least the inlet of the connector body, an access point disposed at an inlet end of the cover, where in a first position the inlet is within the cover and in an second position the inlet is extended beyond the cover and configured to receive a male luer, a reservoir containing a cleaning agent, and an abrasive surface located in the cover that is in fluid communication with the cleaning agent, where the abrasive surface and the cleaning agent are configured to contact an exterior surface of the inlet to create friction.
Claims20
A self-cleaning needleless connector, comprising:
- a connector body defining a fluid passageway including an inlet and an outlet;
- a cover disposed over at least the inlet of the connector body;
- an access point disposed at an inlet end of the cover and is movable between a first position and a second position and
- wherein in the first position the inlet is within the cover, and
- wherein in the second position the inlet is extended beyond the cover and configured to receive a male luer;
- a reservoir containing a cleaning agent;
- wherein the reservoir includes an internal stop configured to prevent the cover from extending beyond the internal stop, the internal stop including one or more openings configured to allow fluid to flow through the internal stop;
- an internal seal configured to abut proximate to the internal stop and the one or more openings when the access point is in the second position;
- and
- an abrasive surface enclosed within an area generated by the cover and the access point and in fluid communication with the cleaning agent, wherein the abrasive surface and the cleaning agent are configured to contact an exterior surface of the inlet.
A self-cleaning needleless connector, comprising:
- a connector body defining a fluid passageway including an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet includes a plurality of threads and is configured to receive a male luer;
- a cover disposed over at least the inlet of the connector body, wherein the cover is movable between an extended position and a retracted position,
- wherein in the extended position the inlet is within the cover, and
- wherein in the retracted position the inlet is extended beyond the cover;
- a septum disposed proximate an inlet end of the cover;
- a reservoir containing a cleaning agent, wherein the reservoir fluidly connects the connector body and the cover;
- wherein the reservoir includes an internal stop configured to prevent the cover from extending beyond the internal stop, the internal stop including one or more openings configured to allow fluid to flow through the internal stop;
- an internal seal configured to abut proximate to the internal stop and the one or more openings when the cover is in the retracted position;
- and
- an abrasive surface enclosed within an area generated by the cover and an access point and in fluid communication with the cleaning agent, wherein the abrasive surface and the cleaning agent are configured to contact the threads as the access point moves from a closed position to an open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.