Apparatuses for cleaning catheter ports

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569075-B2
Application number	US-201515512399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for cleaning a central venous catheter port are disclosed. An apparatus includes a body, a coupling configured to connect the body to the hub, a cleaning cap coupled to the body, and an actuator disposed within the body for rotating and translating the cap relative to the hub. The cleaning cap includes a cap body defining a cavity and a cleaning member disposed within the cavity, the cleaning member having threads that engage with the threads on the hub.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a catheter hub having external threads; and
a cleaning cap arranged to clean the catheter hub, the cleaning cap having a cap body defining a cavity and a cleaning member disposed within the cavity, wherein the cleaning member includes helical cleaning threads that correspond to and engage with the external threads of the hub, the cleaning member adapted to flex radially away from the external threads so that the cleaning threads are at least one of slidable, snappable, or jumpable over the external threads of the hub.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member includes a foam material.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member includes a fabric material.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member includes at least one of a disinfecting substance and an antiseptic fluid.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap body includes one or more gaps disposed about a circumference of the cap body, the one or more gaps extending axially from a first end of the cap body, the one or more gaps configured to allow outward radial flexing of the cleaning member.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising actuation pins that extend from a bottom surface of the cap body, the actuation pins configured to engage with a cleaning apparatus.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises a cleaning pin configured for intra-valvular cleaning of a valve of a tip of the hub.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the cleaning pin has a cylindrical shape.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises at least one of a foam, a hydrogel and an alcogel.

10. The system of claim 9 , where the at least one of the foam, the hydrogel and the alcogel encapsulates at least one of an alcoholic solution, a radical generating solution, antimicrobial peptides, antimicrobial nanoparticles, and disinfectants.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the foam, the hydrogel and the alcogel encapsulates a self-cleaning solution, the self-cleaning solution having organic oils.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein after the hub is cleaned, the self-cleaning solution is arranged to coat the hub to render it superhydrophobic.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the threads of the cleaning member slide, snap, or jump over the external threads of the hub, the cap makes an audible or tactile alert, thereby allowing a provider to count a number of turns of the cleaning cap.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises an indicator to indicate at least one of a wetness or dryness of a cleaning solution in the cap prior to use.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the indicator is a color indicator arranged to display a color when the cleaning solution in the cap is dry.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the cleaning cap is rotated relative to the hub, the cleaning member is axially and laterally compressed to apply axial and lateral forces to the hub.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning threads include at least one of a curved, angled or beveled shape.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cloth disposed over the cleaning threads.

19. The system of claim 2 , wherein the foam contains at least one of a cleaning solution and a membrane capsule.

20. The system of claim 2 , wherein the foam is disposed along at least a portion of the cavity.

21. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a seal to cover the cavity.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the cap body includes at least one of a handle or holding feature for manual use.

23. The system of claim 1 , in combination with a cleaning device having a cap holder arranged to couple the cleaning cap to the cleaning device, wherein the cap body includes a hexagonal shape for engaging with a corresponding hexagonal-shaped cap holder.

24. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the disinfecting substance and the antiseptic fluid comprises at least one of aqueous solutions of ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide, antimicrobial peptides, hypotonic or hypertonic salt solutions, and nanoparticles.

25. The system of claim 1 , the cleaning cap containing a cleaning solution for disinfecting surfaces contaminated with biological material, the solution comprising a mixture of isopropyl alcohol, chlorhexidine gluconate and hydrogen peroxide.

26. The system of claim 25 , further comprising a foam material, the foam material containing the solution.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the cleaning cap includes a membrane capsule encapsulating at least a part of the solution.

28. The system of claim 1 , the cleaning cap containing at least one of a disinfecting substance and an antiseptic fluid.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the disinfecting substance and antiseptic fluid are comprised of an aqueous alcoholic solution, radical generating solutions, antimicrobial agents, and other disinfectants, and any combination thereof.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the alcoholic solution is between 50-70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the radical generating solutions are between 0-10% hydrogen peroxide or ammonium persulfate.

32. The system of claim 30 , wherein the antimicrobial agents include 0-10% chlorohexidine, antimicrobial peptides, and nanoparticles.

33. The system of claim 30 , comprising 70% IPA, 3% H2O2, and 5% chlorohexidine.

34. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the cleaning threads of the cleaning member at least one of slide, snap, and jump back over the external threads of the hub, the cleaning cap is moved back and forth in an axial motion.

35. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning threads are configured to flex radially away from the external threads so that the cleaning threads are at least one of slidable, snappable, and jumpable over the external threads of the hub.

36. The system of claim 1 , wherein the helical cleaning threads are arranged to threadably engage with the threads of the hub such that the cap screws onto the hub.

37. The system of claim 36 , wherein when the cap is screwed onto the hub, the cap is held on the hub.

38. A system comprising:
a catheter hub having external threads; and
a cleaning cap arranged to clean the catheter hub, the cleaning cap having a cap body defining a scrubbing chamber and first and second compliant members disposed within the scrubbing chamber, wherein each of the first and second complaint members includes helical cleaning threads that correspond to and engage with the external threads of the hub, the first and second compliant members adapted to flex radially away from the external threads so that the cleaning threads of the first and second compliant members at least one of snap, jump, and slide over the external threads of the hub.

39. The system of claim 38 , wherein the first and second compliant members include first and second cleaning members.

40. The system of claim 38 , further comprising a foam disposed in the scrubbing chamber, the foam including at least one of a disinfecting solution

Assignees

• Childrens Medical Center

Inventors

• Dupont Pierre
• Ataollahi Asghar
• Kheir John
• Goldberg Sarah Ward
• Polizzotti Brian D

Classifications

• A61M2205/584

  having a color code · CPC title

• A61M25/0097

  characterised by the hub (connectors A61M39/10) · CPC title

• A61M39/1011

  Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties (A61M39/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M2205/0205

  Materials having antiseptic or antimicrobial properties, e.g. silver compounds, rubber with sterilising agent · CPC title

• A61M2205/581

  by audible feedback · CPC title