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US 7,815,614 B2Granted
Medical connector with closeable male luer
AssigneeICU Medical, Inc.
InventorThomas F. Fangrow, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A luer connector including a housing with first end including a male luer tip and a second end. The connector further includes a rigid valve member having a first opened end and a second closed end and a retaining member configured to couple the valve member and the housing. The housing further includes a rigid conduit positioned within the housing and in fluid communication with the second end of the housing, the rigid conduit adapted to engage the first opened end of the valve member. The housing including a first internal volume when the valve member is in a first position and a second, smaller volume when the valve member is in a second position.
Claims44
A medical connector comprising:
- a housing with a central axis and a hollow bore having a male end with a male luer tip and a female end;
- a rigid valve member configured to at least partially extend into an interior space of the male luer tip, the valve member comprising a first opened end, a second closed end, an internal passageway extending along the axis of the valve member, at least one opening near the closed end of the valve member extending through the valve member and into the passageway;
- a rigid conduit having a first opening in fluid communication with the female end and a second opening in fluid communication with the first opened end of the valve member;
- wherein:
- the rigid conduit and the first opened end of the valve member are moveable relative to each other along the central axis such that at least a portion of the valve member and the rigid conduit overlap, thereby producing a change in volume in an interior region of the housing between an end of the valve member and the female end as the valve member moves from a first position to a second position;
- the volume of the interior region is larger in the first position than in the second position;
- and
- a cross-sectional area of the second opening is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the internal passageway of the valve member;
- a resilient member configured to couple the valve member and the housing;
- and
- a sealing element disposed within the housing and configured to inhibit fluid communication through the hollow bore of the housing between the interior of the male luer tip of the housing and the exterior of the valve member.
8 more elements
A medical connector comprising:
- a housing with a central axis and a hollow bore having a male end with a male luer tip and a female end;
- a rigid valve member configured to at least partially extend into an interior space of the male luer tip, the valve member comprising a first opened end, a second closed end, an internal passageway, at least one opening near the closed end of the valve member extending through the valve member and into the passageway;
- a rigid conduit in fluid communication with the female end and the first opened end of the valve member, the rigid conduit and the first opened end of the valve member being moveable relative to each other along the central axis such that at least a portion of the valve member and the rigid conduit overlap, thereby producing a substantial change in volume in an interior region of the housing between an end of the valve member and the female end as the valve member moves from a first position in which fluid flow through the male luer tip is obstructed to a second position in which fluid flow through the male luer tip is permitted, the volume of the interior region being larger in the first position than in the second position;
- a resilient member configured to couple the valve member and the housing, at least a portion of the resilient member being secured to an outside surface of the housing;
- and
- a sealing element disposed within the housing and configured to inhibit fluid communication through the hollow bore of the housing between the interior of the male luer tip of the housing and the exterior of the valve member;
- wherein a seal is supported in a channel formed in the rigid conduit, the seal being configured to inhibit fluid communication between the first opened end of the valve member and the rigid conduit in the portion of the overlap between the valve member and the rigid conduit.
4 more elements
A medical connector comprising:
- a housing with a central axis and a hollow bore, the housing having a male end with a male luer tip and a female end;
- a rigid valve member configured to at least partially extend into an interior space of the male luer tip, the valve member comprising a first end, a second end, an internal passageway;
- a rigid conduit in fluid communication with the female end and the first opened end of the valve member, the rigid conduit and the first opened end of the valve member being moveable relative to each other along the central axis such that at least a portion of the valve member and the rigid conduit overlap, thereby producing a substantial change in volume in an interior region of the housing between an end of the valve member and the female end as the valve member moves from a first position in which fluid flow through the male luer tip is obstructed to a second position in which fluid flow through the male luer tip is permitted, the volume of the interior region being larger in the first position than in the second position;
- and
- a resilient member configured to bias the valve member towards the male end of the housing while permitting the valve member to displace towards the female end of the housing when a force is applied to the valve member, wherein a first end of the resilient member is positioned on the inside of the housing and a second end of the resilient member is positioned on the outside of the housing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.