Medical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322274-B2
Application number	US-201715467899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A medical connector includes a cap having a male connector connecting part; a holder having a medical instrument connecting part; and a valve body configured to block the male connector connecting part and configured to be pushed in by a male connector such that a liquid flow channel in the male connector communicates with a liquid flow channel in the medical instrument connecting part when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part. The cap and the holder are linked to each other so as to be rotatable about an axis of the male connector connecting part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medical connector comprising:
a cap comprising:
a male connector connecting part, and
a cylindrical outer peripheral wall part;

a holder comprising:
a medical instrument connecting part, and
an inner peripheral wall part disposed inside the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap;

a valve body configured to block the male connector connecting part and configured to be pushed in by a male connector such that a liquid flow channel in the male connector communicates with a liquid flow channel in the medical instrument connecting part when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part; and
a sealing member that is located between (i) a first portion of an outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part and (ii) the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap, and that extends from a top of the inner peripheral wall part to a bottom of the inner peripheral wall part, such that the sealing member prevents a liquid from flowing between (i) the first portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part and (ii) the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap,
wherein a liquid communication channel is formed between (i) a second portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part and (ii) the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap, the liquid communication channel being configured to allow the liquid flow channel in the male connector to communicate with the liquid flow channel in the medical instrument connecting part when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part,
wherein the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap is linked to the holder so as to be rotatable about an axis of the male connector connecting part,
wherein the sealing member is an elastic wall that is adhered to an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap.

2. The medical connector according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve body has a hollow section,
the holder comprises a ventilation channel for discharging air from the hollow section when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part and for introducing air into the hollow section when the male connector is disconnected from the male connector connecting part,
wherein a first end of the ventilation channel opens at the first portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part,
wherein the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap has an opening section that allows the elastic wall to expand outward in response to air being discharged from the hollow section via the ventilation channel when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part.

3. The medical connector according to claim 2 , wherein:
the opening section includes a plurality of openings disposed at intervals along an entire periphery of the opening section about the axis of the male connector connecting part, and
the first end of the ventilation channel has a peripheral-direction width that is larger than the interval between the plurality of openings.

4. The medical connector according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve body has a hollow section,
the holder comprises a ventilation channel for discharging air from the hollow section when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part and for introducing air into the hollow section when the male connector is disconnected from the male connector connecting part.

5. A medical connector comprising:
a cap comprising:
a male connector connecting part, and
a cylindrical outer peripheral wall part;

a holder comprising:
a medical instrument connecting part, and
an inner peripheral wall part disposed inside the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap;

a valve body configured to block the male connector connecting part and configured to be pushed in by a male connector such that a liquid flow channel in the male connector communicates with a liquid flow channel in the medical instrument connecting part when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part; and
a sealing member that is located between (i) a first portion of an outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part and (ii) the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap, and that extends from a top of the inner peripheral wall part to a bottom of the inner peripheral wall part, such that the sealing member prevents a liquid from flowing between (i) the first portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part and (ii) the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap,
wherein a liquid communication channel is formed between (i) a second portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part and (ii) the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap, the liquid communication channel being configured to allow the liquid flow channel in the male connector to communicate with the liquid flow channel in the medical instrument connecting part when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part,
wherein the cylindrical outer peripheral wall part of the cap is linked to the holder so as to be rotatable about an axis of the male connector connecting part,
wherein the sealing member comprises a belt-like elastic body that has an annular shape and that is adhered to the first portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall part.

6. The medical connector according to claim 4 , wherein:
the valve body has a hollow section,
the holder comprises a ventilation channel for discharging air from the hollow section when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part and for introducing air into the hollow section when the male connector is disconnected from the male connector connecting part,
a first end of the ventilation channel communicates with an outside of the medical connector.

7. The medical connector according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve body has a hollow section,
the holder comprises a ventilation channel for discharging air from the hollow section when the male connector is connected to the male connector connecting part and for introducing air into the hollow section when the male connector is disconnected from the male connector connecting part.

Assignees

• Terumo Corp

Inventors

• Ueda Yasuhiro

Classifications

• A61M39/24

  Check- or non-return valves · CPC title

• F16L37/40

  with a lift valve being opened automatically when the coupling is applied · CPC title

• A61M39/10 Primary

  Tube connectors; Tube couplings {(A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014)} · CPC title

• A61M39/20

  Closure caps or plugs for connectors or open ends of tubes · CPC title

• A61M2039/1072

  with a septum present in the connector · CPC title