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US 2011/0213341 A1Published application
Disinfecting caps having sealing features and related systems and methods
AssigneesCatheter Connections, Inc., University of Utah Research Foundation
InventorsDonald D. Solomon, Steven Bandis, James Mercer, Michael Howlett, Robert Hitchcock, James Kennedy, Richard Lasher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Caps can be used to cover and disinfect medical connectors. Some caps can create a seal with the medical connectors to prevent antiseptic from entering a fluid paths defined by a connector. Support members can aid in creating or maintaining the seal.
Claims34
A cap configured to disinfect a medical connector, the cap comprising:
- a housing that defines a connection interface that is configured to couple the cap with a medical connector, the housing further defining a chamber;
- an antiseptic within the chamber;
- a sealing member within the chamber that is moveable relative to at least a portion of the housing, wherein the sealing member is configured to contact a portion of a medical connector so as to seal a fluid path defined by the medical connector when the cap is coupled to the medical connector to thereby prevent antiseptic from entering the fluid path;
- and
- a support member coupled with the sealing member, wherein the support member is configured to transition from an initial orientation relative to the connection interface to a retracted orientation relative to the connection interface, and wherein the support member is configured to provide a sufficient amount of resistive force to the sealing member so as to permit the sealing member to seal the fluid path of a medical connector prior to a complete transition of the support member into the retracted orientation.
2 more elements
An assembly configured to disinfect one or more medical connectors, the assembly comprising:
- a first cap that comprises a housing that defines a first connection interface;
- and
- a second cap that comprises:
- a housing that defines a first connection interface;
- a sealing member within the chamber that is moveable relative to the housing, wherein the sealing member is configured to contact a portion of a medical connector so as to seal a fluid path defined by the medical connector when the second cap is coupled to the medical connector to thereby prevent antiseptic from entering the fluid path;
- and
- a support member coupled with the sealing member, wherein the support member is configured to transition from an initial orientation relative to the first connection interface of the second cap to a retracted orientation relative to the first connection interface, and wherein the support member is configured to provide a sufficient amount of resistive force to the sealing member so as to permit the sealing member to seal the fluid path of a medical connector prior to a complete transition of the support member into the retracted orientation,
- wherein, when the assembly is in a pre-use configuration, the first and second caps are coupled with the assembly via their respective first connection interfaces.
5 more elements
33-45. (canceled)
A cap configured to disinfect a medical connector, the cap comprising:
- a housing that defines a connection interface that is configured to couple the cap with a medical connector, the housing further defining a chamber;
- an antiseptic retained within the chamber;
- means for sealing a fluid path of a medical connector, wherein the means for sealing is configured to contact a portion of a medical connector so as to seal a fluid path defined by the medical connector when the cap is coupled to the medical connector to thereby prevent antiseptic from entering the fluid path;
- and
- means for supporting the means for sealing, wherein the means for supporting is configured to permit the means for sealing to create a seal with a medical connector before the antiseptic is moved into contact with the medical connector such that seal can prevent the antiseptic from entering the fluid path of the medical connector.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.