US 6,908,459 B2Granted

Needleless luer access connector

AssigneeBecton, Dickinson and Company

InventorsWeston F. Harding, Carolyn E. Brown, Kelly D. Christensen, Tom M. Miner, Ralph L. Sonderegger

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A needleless luer access connector is disclosed having a septum disposed in a housing. The septum has a proximal portion with a cross section, a medial portion with a cross section smaller than the cross section of the proximal portion, and a distal portion. A longitudinal slit extends through the septum from the proximal portion to the distal portion. The septum and housing are designed so that septum will not be rotated or removed from the housing when the connector is accessed by a male luer taper. In addition, the septum and housing are designed to bias the slit at the distal portion closed and so a male luer connector does not have to extend completely through the distal portion to open the slit at the distal portion. Finally, the septum and housing are designed to minimize the amount of dead space in the connector when accessed with a male luer taper.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A needleless luer access connector, comprising:

a housing having a top portion defining an inlet opening, a channel defined by at least one sidewall extending from the inlet opening and having a cross section, and a bottom portion defining an outlet opening extending from the channel;
a barb formed along the sidewall of the channel and extending into the channel;
a septum disposed in the housing, the septum having a proximal portion, a medial portion having an external surface and a cross section less than a cross section of the top portion and less than the cross section of the channel and a distal portion;
a longitudinal slit extending through the septum from the proximal portion through the medial portion and into the distal portion;
and
at least one rib formed on the external surface of the medial portion such that the rib is displaced from the barb until a male luer taper is inserted into the slit, at which point the rib engages the barb.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/017,024Filed 7 Dec 2001
Published: US 2003/0109853 A112 Jun 2003
Granted: 21 Jun 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

A61M 39/26
Valves or arrangement of valves: valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof
A61M 39/045
Having pierceable self-sealing members: pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument
A61M 2039/0036
Tubes, tube connectors, tube couplings, valves, access sites or the like, specially adapted for medical use: characterised by a septum having…
A61M 2039/0063
Characterised by a septum having particular features, e.g. having venting channels or being made from antimicrobial or self-lubricating elastomer:…