# US 2014/0191501 A1 · Methods, devices, and systems for coupling fluid lines

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- Number: US 2014/0191501 A1
- Document ID: US20140191501A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/123,008
- Filed: 2012-06-08
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-08
- Assignees: NxStage Medical, Inc.
- Inventors: James M. Brugger; Dennis M. Treu; David S. Utterberg
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191501A1

## CPC

- F16L 35/00: Special arrangements used in connection with end fittings of hoses, e.g. safety or protecting devices
- A61M 39/1011: {Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties (A61M39/16 takes precedence)}
- F16L 39/02: for hoses
- F16L 41/023: {Y- pieces (F16L41/025, F16L41/026, F16L41/028 take precedence)}
- A61M 39/105: {Multi-channel connectors or couplings, e.g. for connecting multi-lumen tubes (multi-channel connectors in general F16L37/56)}
- A61M 2039/1027: {Quick-acting type connectors}
- A61M 2039/1094: {at least partly incompatible with standard connectors, e.g. to prevent fatal mistakes in connection}
- F16L 2201/10: Indicators for correct coupling
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- 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

The disclosed subject matter includes embodiments of fluid couplings that prevent or discourage misconnection of fluid lines. A coupling device includes multiple male and female connectors that are joined to a common line. The coupling device is mated to a matching coupling device only when all the multiple male and female connectors are property joined. If any of the connectors is not property mated to a corresponding one, the coupling will leak. The coupling devices are made unique by providing an arrangement the connectors, number of connectors, shape of connectors or arrangement of interfering connector parts that ensure that any attempt to improperly couple two fluid lines will result in the incomplete mating of one or more of the connectors and thereby cause leakage of the fluid, failure of the coupling to engage, or otherwise cause the attempt to connect to fail.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for ensuring against improper interconnection of fluid lines, comprising:
a kit including devices with channels that convey fluid and coupling devices for interconnecting the channels;
each of the coupling devices being configured with at least one connector that must be oriented in predefined physical relationship in order to connect to the at least one connector of a paired one of the coupling devices;
at least some of the coupling devices having at least one interfering element arranged thereon that prevents said at least some from being connected to first others of the coupling devices but permit said at least some to be connected to second others of the coupling devices;
the at least some of the coupling devices being configured such that the orientation in the predefined way brings the at least one interfering element of each of the at least some into interfering engagement with the at least one interfering element of the first others.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one connector of each of at least some of the coupling devices is a non-round connector or a multiple of connectors each of which connects to a furcated channel that converges to a single channel in the each of the at least some.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling devices are configured such that orienting for coupling the at least one connectors of any two mating pairs positions interfering elements of each coupling device pair such that the members of the coupling device pair can be brought together or are prevented from coming together, when the multiple connectors of each coupling device pair are sealingly engaged and such that the coupling devices cannot be coupled with an identical coupling device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined physical relationship includes aligned axes of each member of a coupling device pair so that they are parallel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling devices having interfering elements of the coupling devices arranged such that orienting respective pairs of the coupling devices to sealingly engage their connectors results in mutual interference of the coupling devices, which prevents their interconnection.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined orientation positions interfering elements of certain coupling device pair such that they interfere when the multiple connectors of each coupling device pair are positioned with their respective axes aligned so as to be capable of sealingly engaging each other, thereby preventing interconnection of said certain coupling device pairs.

### Claim 7

A fluid channel coupling system, comprising:
coupling devices, each having connectors that sealingly engage corresponding connectors on the other of the coupling devices;
each of the coupling device connectors being in fluid communication with a common port such that when the connectors of two coupling devices are mutually engaged, the respective ports are in fluid communication with each other and such that when less than all of the connectors of the two coupling devices are mutually engaged, fluid is permitted to flow out from either of the respective ports thereby causing a leak.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein a first of the coupling devices has at least one interfering element that interferes with at least one interfering element of a second of the coupling devices such that both the first coupling device connectors cannot be sealingly engaged with both the second coupling device connectors.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein a first one or more of the coupling devices are attached to containers of fluid to form access ports for removing fluid from the containers and the contents of the containers of fluid are different.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising a fluid circuit having a coupling device that is compatible with the first one or more and incompatible with a second coupling device attached to a container of fluid.

### Claim 11

(canceled)

### Claim 12

A fluid coupling system, comprising:
a first coupling device with a first body and a second coupling device with a second body;
the first body having a single port with one opening at a first end, a double port with two openings at a second end, the single port and the double port being interconnected for fluid communication by a branching channel in said body;
the second body with a single port with one opening at a first end, a double port with two openings at a second end, the single port and the double port being interconnected for fluid communication by a branching channel in said body;
the first body double port being configured to connect to the second body double port to form a sealed channel connecting the first body single port to the second body single port.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second coupling devices are identical.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second coupling devices are configured to allow frictional engagement of the first body two openings with the second body two openings to form the sealed channel.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first body carries at least one first latch member and the second body carries at least one second latch member, the first latch member being configured to interferingly engage the second latch member to increase the resistance of the first and second coupling devices to disconnection.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the first latch member is movable relative to the major portion of the first body to permit release of an engagement of the first and second latch members.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first body double port has a male cylindrical fitting and a female cylindrical fitting, the first body two openings each being in a respective one of the two openings.

### Claim 18

A fluid line coupling device kit, comprising:
a first coupling device having at least two male and/or female connectors;
a second coupling device having at least two male and/or female connectors that are configured to sealingly engage with at least two male and/or female connectors of the first coupling device;
each of the first and second coupling devices being configured such that the every one of the at least two male and/or female connectors is fluidly coupled to a single respective port of said each of the first and second coupling devices;
each of the first and second coupling devices being configured further such that, when said second coupling device at least two male and/or female connectors are configured to sealingly engage with the at least two male and/or female connectors of the first coupling device, flow from the single respective port of the first coupling device flows through both of the at least two male and/or female connectors of each of the first and second coupling devices to the single respective port of the second coupling device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A kit as in claim 18, further comprising a latch component each of the first and second coupling devices that are configured mutually to engage when said second coupling device at least two male and/or female connectors are configured to sealingly engage.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18, 19)

A kit as in claim 18 or 19, further comprising a third and a fourth coupling device each having at least two male and/or female connectors that are configured to sealingly engage with at least two male and/or female connectors of the other of the third and fourth coupling devices and further configured such that at least both of the third and fourth coupling devices are incapable of sealingly engaging with the at least two male and/or female connectors of either of the first and second coupling devices.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A kit as in claim 20, wherein the third fourth coupling devices are configured with interference members that permit them to be interconnected with each other but which prevent them from being interconnected with either of the first and second coupling devices and further configured such that the at least two male and/or female connectors of at least one of the third and fourth coupling devices are, but for an engagement by the interference member, capable of sealingly engaging the at least two male and/or female connectors of at least one of the first and second coupling devices.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

A kit as in claim 19, wherein the first and second coupling devices are identically configured.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

A kit as in claim 22, wherein the first and second coupling devices are configured such that they can be molded with a two part mold.

### Claim at position 24

24-121. (canceled)