Catheter attachment system
AssigneePharmacia Deltec, Inc.
InventorGary R. Whipple
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This connection system has particular application to releasably securing a flexible elastic catheter to a rigid portal outlet stem received in the catheter lumen. The system includes a radial enlargement on the outlet stem and a retainer sleeve that slidably encircles the stem. The sleeve is slidable along the stem between a clamping position where it tightly engages around the stem enlargement and the segment of catheter encircling same at a circular contact surface and a release position wherein it is spaced from the catheter segment. The system assures a secure, fluid-tight connection of the catheter to the stem and provides strain relief for the catheter.
Claims20
Connection apparatus comprising
- A. a relatively rigid elongated stem, said stem having a free end, an opposite end and means defining an enlargement on the exterior surface of the stem at a selected location between said ends;
- B. a flexible elastic tube having a lumen for elastically receiving a lengthwise segment of said stem including said enlargement thereof, said enlargement having a maximum diameter appreciably larger than that of the lumen so that when said stem segment is received in the lumen, said tube is stretched conformingly around said stem enlargement;
- and
- C. tubular retainer means slidably received on said stem between said tube opposite end and said enlargement, said retainer means including radially extending rigid flange means at or near a distal end of said retainer means that faces said enlargement, said flange means having a fixed diameter so that when said stem segment is received in the tube lumen and said retainer means are slid toward the free end of said stem, said flange means compressively engage the elastically stretched wall of said tube at a contact surface that encircles a segment of said enlargement.
Apparatus for connecting a relatively rigid elongated stem having a free end to a flexible tube having a lumen for elastically receiving a lengthwise segment of the stem, said apparatus comprising
- A. a radial enlargement at a selected location along the stem;
- B. a generally cylindrical sleeve slidably received on the stem for releasably clamping around a flexible tube segment encircling said enlargement, said sleeve having a radial rigid rib or flange at its distal end facing said enlargement and whose diameter is fixed, wherein said flange compressively engages the tube wall;
- and
- C. coacting means on the stem and sleeve for preventing the sleeve from sliding beyond the free end of the stem.
Apparatus for connecting a relatively rigid elongated stem having a free end to a flexible tube having a lumen for elastically receiving a lengthwise segment of the stem, said apparatus comprising
- A. a radial enlargement at a selected location along the stem;
- B. a generally cylindrical sleeve slidably received on the stem for releasably clamping around a flexible tube segment encircling said enlargement, said sleeve having a radial rigid rib or flange at its distal end facing said enlargement and whose diameter is fixed;
- and
- C. coacting means on the stem and sleeve for preventing the sleeve from sliding beyond the free end of the stem, wherein the diameter of said sleeve rib or flange is less than the diameter of said stem segment plus twice the thickness of the lumen wall elastically stretched around the stem segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.