Perforating connector for medical fluid containers

A perforating connector comprising:

• a perforator including a spiked end and a lever, the lever including a tab;
• a shell extending around the perforator, the shell including a pre-activation opening and a post-activation opening;
• a spring held compressed during pre-activation by the tab of the lever of the perforator being located within the pre-activation opening of the shell;
• and
• an actuator slidingly engaged to the shell, the actuator including a projection, the actuator configured to be translated by a user so that the projection becomes aligned with the tab located within the pre-activation opening, wherein the user is then able to push the projection into the pre-activation opening to disengage the tab from the pre-activation opening, and wherein the spring is then able to decompress and translate the perforator so that a medical fluid container is pierced open by the spiked end and the tab becomes located within the post-activation opening.

A method for accessing a medical fluid, the method comprising:

• providing a perforator including a spiked end and a lever, the lever including an outwardly extending tab;
• providing a shell extending around the perforator, the shell including an opening holding the tab of the lever prior to accessing the medical fluid;
• providing a spring that is compressed by the perforator and the shell prior to accessing the medical fluid;
• and
• providing an actuator that enables a user to translate the actuator relative to the shell so that an inwardly extending projection of the actuator comes into registry with the tab of the lever held in the opening of the shell, wherein the user is able to push the actuator so that the projection removes the tab from the opening, allowing the spring to decompress and translate the perforator so that a medical fluid container is pierced open by the perforator.