Disinfecting caps for medical male luer connectors
AssigneesCatheter Connections, Inc., University of Utah Research Foundation
InventorsDonald D. Solomon, F. Mark Ferguson, Robert Hitchcock, Steven Bandis, James Mercer, Michael Howlett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Caps can be used to cover and disinfect a male protrusion portion of a medical connector. Some caps can create a seal with the male protrusion to prevent antiseptic from entering a lumen the protrusion. A biasing element can aid in creating or maintaining the seal.
Claims11
A male-disinfecting cap for applying an antiseptic agent to a medical male luer-lock connector, of the type including a post having a lumen through which fluid flows and an internally helically threaded skirt surrounding the post, the cap comprising:
- a. a receiving portion defining a chamber into which the post of the male luer-lock connector can be received, the chamber having only a single opening, the receiving portion defining an external surface having means for engaging helical threads of the internally threaded skirt
- wherein the receiving portion is configured to fit within the skirt of the male luer-lock connector when the post is received into the receiving portion;
- b. a compressible absorbent pad containing the antiseptic agent disposed in the chamber;
- c. a sealing member movably disposed within the chamber and configured to sealingly engage with the lumen when the post is received into the receiving portion to prevent flow of the antiseptic agent into the lumen while permitting the flow of the antiseptic agent past the sealing member to the post of the male luer-lock connector, wherein a portion of the sealing member proximal to the opening of the chamber defines a dome or cone, and the sealing member is located between the pad and the lumen when the post is received into the receiving portion;
- and
- d. a gripping portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.