Medical connector
AssigneeICU Medical, Inc.
InventorsGeorge A. Lopez, Virgil R. Laul
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a connector for introducing medication into a patient in a safe, convenient way. It comprises a pair of plastic tubular members adapted to be manually pushed together to engage in a male-female relationship, and a locking mechanism that detachably secures the members together. The male member has a sealed entry port at its end, and the female member safely houses within it a needle which centrally pierces the seal of the port upon engagement of the members. Preferably, the locking mechanism provides a "click" sound when it locks the members together.
Claims10
A safety connector system which permits the repeated connection and disconnection of an end of a first conduit to an end of a second conduit for permitting the flow of fluid between said first and second conduits in a medical environment, said end of said first conduit being sealed by a nonremovable septum, comprising:
- a hollow tube connected to said end of said second conduit, said tube having a diameter which is small enough in comparison with the diameter of said septum that said septum is capable of repeatedly resealing said end of said first conduit through resilient closure after said tube has penetrated said septum and been removed therefrom, said tube having sufficient rigidity to penetrate said septum when said end of said first conduit is advanced toward said end of said second conduit;
- a first latching member on said end of said first conduit;
- and
- a second latching member on said end of said second conduit, said first and second latching members cooperating to hold said tube in a position penetrating said septum, thereby preventing unintentional disconnection of said ends of said first and second conduits and preventing the disruption of fluid traveling between said first and second conduits when said first conduit is engaged with said second conduit.
A safety connector system for transferring medication from a first conduit to a second conduit in a medical environment comprising:
- a resealable, resilient septum located at an end of said first conduit, said end of said first conduit having a first locking mechanism thereon;
- a piercing element at an end of said second conduit, said second conduit having a second locking mechanism thereon for detachably engaging with said first locking element, wherein said piercing element penetrates said septum when said first and second locking mechanisms are engaged and further, wherein said seal reseals when said first and second locking mechanisms are disengaged and said piercing element is withdrawn from said septum, said seal being capable of repeatedly accepting said piercing element and resealing after withdrawal of said piercing element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.