Medical connector
AssigneeICU Medical, Inc.
InventorsDavid Nelson, Thomas F. Fangrow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical connector for use in a fluid pathway. A valve member with sealing rings helps preclude undesired accumulation of fluid within the connector. A branched connector includes a fluid diverter extending away from a port of the branched connector. The fluid diverter is configured to divert fluid flowing through the branched connector and into a medical connector attached thereto, flushing a distal portion of the medical connector.
Claims14
A three-way stopcock adapted for flushing a needleless connector on one port of the stopcock, the three-way stopcock comprising:
- a stopcock body comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, and a connecting region connecting the first port, the second port, and the third port, wherein the third port is positioned between the first and second ports;
- a fluid director positioned at least partially within the connecting region, the fluid director configured to selectively place one or more of the first port, the second port, and the third port in fluid communication with another of the first port, the second port, and the third port;
- a fluid diverter extending away from the connecting region at the third port and having a proximal end and a distal end positioned further from the third port than the proximal end;
- and
- a needleless connector attached to the third port and at least partially surrounding the fluid diverter, the needleless connector comprising:
- a connector housing;
- a compressible seal positioned at least partially within the connector housing and having an interior cavity and a slit on a top of the seal that extends through the top and into the interior cavity;
- an internal projection member positioned at least partially within the compressible seal, the internal projection member having walls that define an internal cavity that encompasses the fluid diverter, an opening at a proximal end of the internal projection member, an interior height from the opening to a most distal surface of the walls that define the internal cavity, and at least one distal opening at a distal end of the internal projection member, the at least one distal opening having a proximal surface and a distal surface;
- wherein the fluid diverter is adjacent the walls of the internal cavity of the internal projection member to substantially bifurcate the internal cavity of the internal projection member at the proximal end of the internal projection member.
A method of withdrawing a blood sample from a fluid line delivering fluid from a fluid source to a patient, the method comprising:
- blocking a flow of fluid between a fluid source and a stopcock positioned in the fluid line between a patient and the fluid source, the stopcock comprising a first port connected to the patient, a second port connected to the fluid source, and a third port that comprises a needleless connector encompassing a fluid diverter that substantially bifurcates at least about half of the needleless connector, wherein the stopcock is in a first position in which the first, second, and third ports are in fluid communication with each other;
- priming the stopcock with blood;
- moving the stopcock to a second position wherein the second port is fluidly block from the first and third ports;
- withdrawing blood through the needleless connector;
- moving the stopcock to the first position;
- and
- opening the flow of fluid between the fluid source and the stopcock, wherein opening the flow of fluid flushes the blood in the stopcock with fluid from the fluid source.
A multi-port branched medical connector adapted for flushing a needleless connector on one port of the branched connector, the branched connector comprising:
- a body comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, wherein the third port is positioned between the first and second ports;
- a fluid diverter extending into the third port;
- and
- a needleless connector attached to the third port and at least partially surrounding the fluid diverter, the needleless connector comprising:
- a connector housing having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- a resilient member positioned at least partially within the connector housing and configured to impede flow through the distal end when in a first position;
- wherein the fluid diverter extends into the resilient member a substantial distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.