Connector for transferring fluid and method of use

An intravenous (IV) set, comprising:

• a connector comprising:
• a housing having a first port, a second port configured to accept an actuator, a third port, and an internal chamber fluidly coupled to the first, second, and third ports;
• and
• a first valve element having a first position and a second position within the internal chamber, the first valve element comprising a head portion and a body portion having a cavity with a perimeter, the head portion configured to seal the second port when the first valve element is in the first position, the body portion configured to seal the perimeter of the cavity to separate the internal chamber into (i) an air chamber, which is in fluid communication with an outside of the housing via a passage of the housing, and (ii) a liquid chamber that is continuously coupled to the first and third ports regardless of the position of the first valve element;
• a first tube coupled to the first port;
• and
• a second tube coupled to the third port.

A method of introducing a second medical fluid into a flow of a first medical fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

• coupling a first source containing the first medical fluid to a first port of a connector further comprising a second port configured to accept an actuator, a third port, an internal chamber fluidically coupled to the first, second, and third ports, a first valve element having a first position and a second position within the internal chamber, the first valve element comprising a head portion and a body portion having a cavity with a perimeter, the head portion configured to seal the second port when the first valve element is in the first position, the body portion configured to seal the perimeter of the cavity to separate the internal chamber into an air chamber and a liquid chamber, the air chamber having a first air volume when the first valve element is in the first position and a second air volume when the first valve element is in the second position, the second air volume being less than the first air volume, wherein the housing further comprises a passage from the air chamber to an outside of the housing, and wherein the liquid chamber is continuously coupled to the first and third ports regardless of the position of the first valve element;
• coupling the third port to a recipient, such that the first medical fluid flows from the first source to the recipient;
• introducing an actuator having a lumen that is fluidically coupled to a second source containing the second medical fluid into the second port, thereby displacing the first valve element to the second position and opening a fluid path from the source of the second fluid to the liquid chamber;
• and
• causing the second medical fluid to flow from the second source through the lumen into the liquid chamber.