Fluid connector and method for making sealed fluid connections

A connector adapted to form a fluid tight connection conditions, the connector comprising:

• first and second housing sections defining a fluid path;
• a locking collar coupled to said first and second housing sections in a sliding manner, and slidably movable between an unlocked position in which said first and second housing sections are separable, and a locked position in which said first and second housing sections are locked together in engagement with said locking collar;
• and
• a slide seal positioned between said first and second housing sections and movable between a first, blocking position in which said slide seal blocks and seals the fluid path and a second, unblocking position in which the fluid path is unblocked.

A method of making a fluid connection between first and second tubular fluid connector elements, comprising:

• blocking a fluid path at a location between first and second housing sections by moving a first slide seal section to a blocking position in the first housing section and moving a second slide seal section to a blocking position in the second housing section;
• locking the first and second housing sections and the first and second slide seal sections together while the first and second slide seal sections are in their blocking positions to seal the fluid path;
• moving the first and second slide seal sections to an unblocking position;
• and
• coupling the first and second tubular fluid connector elements together for fluid communication along the fluid path by moving at least one of the first or second tubular fluid connector elements with respect to the other along the fluid path.