Sealing Cap for a Connector With an Electrical Connection
AssigneeRoche Diagnostic Operations, Inc.
InventorsMarc Arnold, Klaus Thome
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical device kit includes a medical instrument with a first connector. The first connector includes at least one first electrical connection. The first connector further includes a sealing cavity at least partially surrounding the at least one first electrical connection. The sealing cavity includes a sealing surface and a wedging surface. The kit includes a sealing cap having a sealing tube with an inner cavity and a flexible tip region. The wedging surface is operable for forcing the flexible tip against the sealing surface to form a flexible tip seal that seals the at least one first electrical connection within the sealing tube.
Claims15
A medical device kit comprising:
- a medical instrument with a first connector, wherein the first connector comprises at least one first electrical connection, wherein the first connector further comprises a sealing cavity at least partially surrounding the at least one first electrical connection, wherein the sealing cavity comprises a sealing surface and a wedging surface;
- and
- a sealing cap, wherein the sealing cap comprises a sealing tube with an inner cavity, wherein the sealing tube has a flexible tip region, wherein the wedging surface is operable for forcing the flexible tip region against the sealing surface to form a flexible tip seal that seals the at least one first electrical connection within the sealing tube.
A method for cleaning a first connector of a medical instrument using a sealing cap, wherein the first connector comprises at least one first electrical connection, wherein the first connector further comprises a sealing cavity at least partially surrounding the at least one first electrical connection, wherein the sealing cavity comprises a sealing surface and a wedging surface, wherein the sealing cap comprises a sealing tube with an inner cavity, wherein the sealing tube has a flexible tip region, wherein the wedging surface is operable for forcing the flexible tip against the sealing surface to form a flexible tip seal that seals the at least one first electrical connection within the sealing tube, wherein the method comprises:
- receiving the first connector assembled to a second connector, wherein the second connector comprises a second electrical connection for each first electrical connection, wherein the second electrical connection is operable for forming an electrical connection with its first electrical connection, wherein the second connector is operable for connecting to the first connector, wherein the second connector comprises a sealing element for forming an O-ring seal on the sealing surface, wherein the sealing cavity further comprises an opening of the sealing cavity, wherein the opening is operable for receiving the sealing tube, wherein the sealing element is operable for forming the O-ring seal at a first distance from the opening when the second connector and the first connector are assembled, wherein the flexible tip is operable for forming the flexible tip seal at a second distance from the opening, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance;
- removing the second connector from the first connector;
- installing the sealing cap into the first connector;
- cleaning the second connector with a cleaning fluid;
- and
- removing the sealing cap from the first connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.