Valved PRN adapter for medical access devices

A valved adapter for connecting a fluid handling device to a medical device comprising:

• a body with a longitudinal axis having a proximal end comprising a female luer fitting having a proximal surface with an opening for receiving a male luer fitting on a fluid handling device, a distal end and a passageway therethrough, said passageway having a chamber intermediate said proximal end and said distal end;
• a valve contained within said chamber for selectively obstructing and allowing fluid flow through said passageway, said valve comprising a relatively elongate resilient member having an axis substantially coaxial to said longitudinal axis of said body, said resilient member being in an axial compression in said chamber thereby biasing said valve to a normally closed position and obstructing fluid flow;
• said valve further comprising a pusher disposed on said elongate resilient member for contacting the male luer fitting of the fluid handing device when the male luer fitting is being mounted on and dismounted from said female luer fitting and for axially displacing and further axially compressing said resilient member thereby allowing fluid flow through said passageway, said pusher having a telescopic portion with an extended position and a collapsed position and being biased to said extended position where said pusher substantially occludes said passageway at said opening in said proximal end;
• wherein when the male luer fitting is being mounted on said female luer fitting the male luer fitting contacts said pusher and displaces said telescopic portion to said collapsed position, further compresses said resilient member, and thereby allows fluid flow when the male luer fitting is fully mounted on said female luer fitting;
• and
• wherein when the male luer fitting is being dismounted from said female luer fitting the male luer fitting contacts said pusher so that said telescopic portion remains in said collapsed position and thereby allows said valve to return to said normally closed position before the male luer fitting is fully dismounted from the female luer fitting substantially preventing a fluid discharge from said adapter as the valve closes, said telescopic portion returning to said extended position when said male luer fitting is fully dismounted from said female luer fitting, and wherein a force for overcoming said bias of said telescopic portion is less than a force for overcoming said valve bias.

A valved adapter for connecting a fluid handling device to a medical device comprising:

• a body with a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end comprising a female luer fitting, a distal end and a passageway therethrough, said passageway having a chamber intermediate said distal end and said proximal end;
• a valve contained within said chamber in a normally closed position but being operative to an open position, said valve comprising a relatively elongate resilient member having a proximal end, an axis substantially coaxial to said longitudinal axis, said elongate resilient member having an axial cavity open at said proximal end and an inside surface having a depression therein extending distally spirally from said proximal end, said depression defining a region of collapse of said elongate resilient member when said member is further axially compressed:
• and
• said valve further comprising a pusher disposed at said proximal end of said elongate resilient member, said pusher having a telescopic portion having an extended position and a collapsed position, said telescopic portion being biased to said extended position.