Tubing set with antimicrobial properties
AssigneeICU Medical, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Ziebol, Matthew David Beilke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure provides a method for preventing infection and microbial ingress in medical device connections between tubing sets and medical devices. The tubing set includes a male connector with a distal tip and a recess at the distal tip configured to trap bacterial, and deliver and confine antimicrobial into solution within a cavity formed by the recess. The surface of the recess includes an antimicrobial composition. In certain implementations a male luer comprises a tapered sealing member further comprising a recess containing chlorhexidine acetate.
Claims20
A method for delivering an antimicrobial composition from a medical tubing set to a medical device, the method comprising:
- inserting a male connector of a medical tubing set into a female connector of an infusion device;
- the male connector having a male tapered surface and the female connector having a female tapered surface, such that the male tapered surface engages the female tapered surface to form a substantially fluid-tight seal, the male connector having:
- i) a distal tip having a distal end face;
- ii) the distal tip having a recess surface proximal to the distal end face, wherein the recess surface is radially inward of a line of taper extending along, and distal of, the male tapered surface at a first taper angle relative to a central longitudinal axis of the male connector;
- and
- iii) a water-soluble antimicrobial composition positioned on the recess surface;
- wherein, upon insertion of the male connector into the female connector, the recess surface and the female tapered surface form a cavity and a fluid at least partially fills the cavity, and wherein at least a portion of the antimicrobial composition is dispersed within the fluid in the cavity.
A method for delivering an antimicrobial composition from a medical tubing set to a medical device, the method comprising:
- inserting a male connector of a medical tubing set having a male tapered surface into a female connector of an infusion device, the female connector having a female tapered surface, such that the male tapered surface engages the female tapered surface to form a fluid-tight seal, the male connector having:
- i) a conical taper defined in part by the male tapered surface;
- ii) a distal tip having a distal end face, and a recess surface proximal to the distal end face and inside the conical taper;
- iii) a tapered surface distal edge of the male tapered surface and proximal to the distal tip;
- iv) a fluid flow channel through the male connector;
- v) a water-soluble antimicrobial composition positioned on the recess surface;
- wherein, upon insertion of the male connector into the female connector, an annular cavity is formed between, and at least partly defined by, the recess surface and the female tapered surface of the female connector, the annular cavity having a proximal end coincident with the tapered surface distal edge and a distal end coincident with the distal tip end face, a volume between the proximal end and the distal end, a depth measured radially, and a length measured axially;
- wherein the distal end of the annular cavity is in fluid communication with a fluid lumen of the infusion device, and the length of the annular cavity is at least twice the depth of the annular cavity;
- and
- wherein a fluid at least partially fills the annular cavity, and at least a portion of the antimicrobial composition is dispersed within the fluid in the annular cavity.
A medical tubing set configured to deliver an antimicrobial composition to a medical device, the medical tubing set comprising:
- a medical tube;
- a male connector secured to the medical tube, the male connector having a male tapered surface, the male connector further including:
- i) a distal tip having a distal end face;
- ii) a radially-outward-facing recess surface proximal to the distal end face, wherein the recess surface is radially inward of a line of taper extending along, and distal of, the male tapered surface at a first taper angle relative to a central longitudinal axis of the male connector;
- and
- iii) a water-soluble antimicrobial composition positioned on the recess surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.