Vented connector for medical fluid vessels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10668263-B2
Application number	US-201514844956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A connector for medical fluid vessels includes a fluid-seal fitting such as a male plug defining a lumen and mating with a cooperating connector, a mechanical fastener such as a screw thread for mating with the cooperating connector, and an outer housing positioned around the plug to form an annular space. Optionally, a cap can be provided with a fluid-seal fitting such as a male plug for mating with the lumen of the connector. The connector includes one or more vent openings for drainage and air-drying of any residual fluid in the annular space when capped, as well as for breaking a vacuum to prevent fluid backflow and thus ensure more accurate dosing. In some embodiments, the vent openings are provided in the outer housing. And in some embodiments, the vent openings are provided in the cap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A male connector for connection to a fluid vessel and a cooperating female connector, the cooperating female connector including a peripheral sidewall that defines a female receptacle and that includes a mechanical fastener, the male connector comprising:
a first end from which the vessel extends, a second end for engaging the cooperating female connector, and a lumen extending therethrough from the first end to the second end;
a fluid-seal male fitting that at least partially defines the lumen and sealingly mates with the cooperating female connector to provide conveyance of the fluid through the male connector lumen, between the cooperating female connector and the vessel, without any drainage or venting directly from the lumen, wherein the fluid-seal fitting is in the form of a male plug that is received by the cooperating female connector female receptacle, wherein the male plug comprises a fixed end proximal to the first end and a free end extending toward the second end; and
an outer housing positioned peripherally around the male plug to form an annular space therebetween with an access opening at the second end of the male connector, wherein the outer housing includes a peripheral sidewall and an endwall that cooperate with the male plug to define the annular space, the endwall is positioned opposite the access opening with the outer housing peripheral sidewall therebetween, the male connector annular space at least partially receives the cooperating female connector peripheral sidewall through the annular space access opening, and the outer housing peripheral sidewall includes a mechanical fastener that mechanically couples with the cooperating female connector mechanical fastener, wherein the annular space at the second end of the male connector is defined between the outer housing and the free end of the male plug for receiving the cooperating female connector therein,
wherein the outer housing includes at least one vent opening extending between the annular space and external to the annular space and formed in the endwall of the outer housing, wherein the at least one vent opening allows for drainage and air-drying, through the endwall, of any residual amount of the fluid in the annular space, but not in the lumen, when the male connector is disconnected from the cooperating female connector and the access opening of the annular space is capped,
further wherein the outer housing includes one or more connecting portions extending inward continuously from the outer housing peripheral sidewall to the fluid-seal male fitting and extending along the fluid-seal male fitting from the outer housing endwall toward the first end.

2. The male connector of claim 1 , further comprising at least one vent opening formed in the outer housing peripheral sidewall.

3. The male connector of claim 1 , wherein the one or more connecting portions define the at least one vent opening formed in the outer housing endwall.

4. The male connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vent opening formed in the outer housing endwall is in the form of a curved slot.

5. The male connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vent opening formed in the outer housing endwall, assists in breaking a vacuum created within the male connector lumen to prevent fluid backflow and thereby reduce dosing inaccuracies.

6. The male connector of claim 1 , wherein the cooperating female connector mechanical fastener includes a screw thread, and wherein the outer housing mechanical fastener includes a screw thread that mates therewith when the cooperating female connector peripheral sidewall is received in the male connector annular space between the outer housing peripheral sidewall and the fluid-seal fitting.

7. The male connector of claim 1 , wherein the male connector is adapted for use for enteral feeding.

8. A male connector for connection to a vessel for a medical fluid and to a cooperating female connector, the male connector comprising:
a first end from which the medical-fluid vessel extends, a second end, and a lumen extending therethrough from the first end to the second end;
a male plug that at least partially defines the lumen and sealingly mates with a female receptacle defined by a peripheral sidewall of the cooperating female connector to provide conveyance of the medical fluid through the lumen between the cooperating female connector and the vessel without any drainage or venting directly from the lumen, wherein the male plug comprises a fixed end proximal to the first end and a free end extending toward the second end;
an outer housing coaxially arranged around the male plug to form an annular space therebetween with an access opening at the second end of the male connector, the outer housing including a peripheral sidewall and an endwall that cooperate with the male plug to define the annular space, the annular space at least partially receiving the cooperating female connector sidewall when the male connector and cooperating female connector are coupled together, and the outer housing including one or more vent openings at the outer housing endwall and extending between the annular space and external to the annular space, wherein the annular space at the second end of the male connector is defined between the outer housing and the free end of the male plug for receiving the cooperating female connector therein;
wherein the one or more vent openings allow for drainage and air-drying, through the endwall, of any residual amount of the medical fluid in the annular space but not in the lumen, and wherein the one or more vent openings in combination with the annular space and the access opening form a continuous passageway allowing airflow to enter the annular space at one end through the annular space access opening and exit an opposite end through the one or more vent openings for enhanced drying; and
wherein the outer housing further comprises one or more connecting portions extending continuously radially between the outer housing peripheral sidewall and the male plug and extending along the male plug from the outer housing endwall toward the first end.

9. A connector-set including the male connector in combination with the cooperating female connector of claim 8 .

10. The male connector of claim 8 , further comprising a cap repositionable between a plugged position capping the male connector second end and an unplugged position not capping the male connector second end, the cap including an endwall and a fluid-seal fitting that sealingly mates with the lumen in the plugged position, and the cap including one or more vent openings extending between the annular space and external to the annular space when the cap is in the plugged position capping the access opening of the annular space.

11. The male connector of claim 10 , wherein the cap further includes a peripheral sidewall that extends from the endwall and engages the male connector in the plugged position, wherein the one or more cap vent openings include at least one cap vent opening formed in the cap sidewall, the cap sidewall is at least partially received in the male connector annular space when the cap is in the plugged position, and the male connector and the cap include respective mechanical stop surfaces that engage each other to limit travel of the cap sidewall relative to the outer housing and thereby define the plugged position with the at least one cap sidewall vent opening remaining at least partially exposed.

12. The male connector of claim 8 , wherein the cooperating female connector further includes a mechanical fastener, and wherein the male connector outer housing peripheral sidewall further includes a mecha

Assignees

• Neomed Inc

Inventors

• Ingram Aaron N
• Davis Benjamin Martin
• Costello Mark M
• Doherty Tony
• Burke John

Classifications

• A61M39/20 Primary

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

• A61M2039/205

  comprising air venting means · CPC title

• A61J1/1412

  Containers with closing means, e.g. caps · CPC title