Disinfection cap for IV needleless connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12318570-B2
Application number	US-202418428682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2024
Priority date	Jan 18, 2016
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

Disinfection cap includes housing comprising closed top, essentially cylindrical sidewall, and open bottom formed by the sidewall with opening to inner cavity within the housing for receiving tip including mating feature of needleless connector. Disinfection sponge can be configured within inner cavity, removable cover sealing opening to inner cavity to seal sponge within inner cavity prior to cap use. Inner cavity includes at least one thread on inner surface of its sidewall that does not correspond to the mating feature of needleless connector, but is sufficient to interlock with mating feature of needleless connector. Plurality of disinfection caps are disposed on strip of IV pole hanging device such that each cap can be peeled off the strip unsealed for immediate use, or separated from the strip sealed for later use.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of disinfecting a needleless connector, the method comprising:
removing a cover sealing an opening to an inner cavity of a disinfection cap, said disinfection cap comprising:
a housing comprising a closed top, an essentially cylindrical sidewall, and an open bottom formed by said sidewall with an opening to said inner cavity within said housing for receiving a tip including a mating feature of a needleless connector;
a disinfection sponge configured within said inner cavity sealed by said cover prior to use of said cap,
wherein said inner cavity comprises at least one cap thread on an inner sidewall surface of said sidewall, said cap thread has a first major profile, a first minor profile, and a first pitch,
said mating feature has a second major profile with a uniform outer diameter, a second minor profile, and a second pitch substantially equivalent to said first pitch,

interlocking said cap thread of said cap with said mating feature of said needleless connector, and
when said cap thread interlocks with said mating feature of said needleless connector, forming at least one venting path between a surface of said cap thread and a surface of said mating feature of said needleless connector from said inner cavity to outside of said housing by a space enclosed by said cap thread and at least one of said second major profile and said second minor profile of the said mating feature of said needleless connector.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a major diameter, a minor diameter, a pitch, a thread section profile, and a number of threads of said cap thread does not correspond to at least one of a major diameter, a minor diameter, a pitch, a thread section profile, and a number of threads of said mating feature of said needleless connector, respectively.

3. The method cap of claim 1 , wherein a portion of said side wall forming said open bottom comprises an inner sidewall surface forming said opening to said inner cavity such that said open bottom does not form an airtight seal with an outer surface of said needleless connector when said needleless connector is securely engaged with said housing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said open bottom formed by said sidewall of said housing is not flat such that an exit space exists between a flat surface and said bottom of said housing,
the method comprising venting of said disinfection sponge through said opening to said inner cavity, essentially around an outside of said mating feature of said needleless connector and via said exit space to an outside of said cap housing.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said open bottom formed by said sidewall of said housing includes an irregular bottom inner sidewall surface with one or more divots configured such that said opening to said inner cavity does not form an airtight seal with an outer surface of said needleless connector,
the method comprising venting of said disinfection sponge through said opening to said inner cavity, essentially around an outside of said mating feature of said needleless connector and via at least one of said divots to an outside of said cap housing.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said housing comprises a flared lower portion formed at said open bottom comprising said one or more divots regularly or randomly spaced along bottom inner sidewall surface defining said opening to said inner cavity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cap thread comprises an extended portion extending below said open bottom formed by said sidewall such that an escape space exists between a surface of top portion of said needleless connector and said open bottom when said cap thread interlocks with said needleless connector such that said extended portion contacts top portion of said needleless connector,
the method comprising venting of said disinfection sponge through said opening to said inner cavity, essentially around an outside of said mating feature of said needleless connector and via said escape space to an outside of said cap housing.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a portion of said side wall forming said open bottom comprises a flared bottom portion having an inner sidewall surface forming said opening to said inner cavity such that said open bottom does not form an airtight seal with an outer surface of said needleless connector when said needleless connector is securely engaged with said housing,
the method comprising venting of said disinfection sponge through said opening to said inner cavity, essentially around an outside of said mating feature of said needleless connector, and between said inner wall surface of said flared bottom portion and said outer surface of said needleless connector to an outside of said cap housing.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said sidewall comprises an inner sidewall surface including a plurality of sections between said cap thread, each of said sections having a slope with respect to the longitudinal axis of said housing of said cap, and at least one of said sections forming said open bottom, said at least one of said sections expanding away from said longitudinal axis to form said flared bottom portion.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
said inner cavity comprises an upper region terminating in said closed top, and a lower region terminating in said opening to said inner cavity, and
said inner sidewall surface comprises a transition section having a linear or curved surface where said inner sidewall surface transitions from said lower region to said upper region such that cross sectional area at bottom of said transition section in said lower region is greater than cross sectional area at top of said transition section in said upper region.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said sponge is secured from being displaced into said upper region when said cap thread interlocks with said mating feature of said needleless connector, such that said sponge maintains contact with said needleless connector and remains away from an inner surface of said closed top.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said sidewall comprises an inner sidewall surface in said lower region including a plurality of sections between said cap thread, each of said sections having essentially the same slope with respect to the longitudinal axis of said housing of said cap, and at least one of said sections forming said open bottom, said at least one of said sections expanding away from said longitudinal axis to form said flared bottom portion.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said open bottom formed by said sidewall of said housing is essentially flat.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said open bottom formed by said sidewall of said housing is not flat such that an exit space exists between a flat surface and said bottom of said housing.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said inner cavity comprises an upper region terminating in said closed top, and a lower region terminating in said opening to said inner cavity,
said lower region comprises said cap thread, and
said upper region comprises protrusions into said inner cavity configured to contact said sponge.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said opening to said inner cavity formed by said inner sidewall surface of said bottom portion is essentially circular and comprises an opening diameter, and
said opening diameter is larger than a flange diameter of said needleless connector, such that said opening diameter causes a venting gap between said inner sidewall surface of said housing and said needleless connector,
whereby said opening to said inner cavity compri

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Ryan Kevin
• Charles Nichola

Classifications

• A61M2039/1038

  Union screw connectors, e.g. hollow screw or sleeve having external threads · CPC title

• A61M39/162

  with antiseptic agent incorporated within the connector · CPC title

• A61M2039/1033

  Swivel nut connectors, e.g. threaded connectors, bayonet-connectors · CPC title

• A61M2039/0285

  with sterilisation means, e.g. antibacterial coatings, disinfecting pads, UV radiation LEDs or heating means in the port · CPC title

• A61M2039/0288

  protectors, caps or covers therefor · CPC title