Universal single-use cap for male and female connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12329924-B2
Application number	US-201917045840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	Apr 10, 2018
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A device for connection to a medical connector, the device includes a cap having an annular wall having an exterior wall surface and an interior wall surface including a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions sized and shaped to frictionally engage a male luer, and a peelable seal. The cap configured to define a chamber to contain an absorbent material and disinfectant or antimicrobial agent. The cap includes one or more threads adapted to engage with a female luer connector. The cap is adapted to engage a male luer connector in a press-fit connection. The peelable seal prevents the disinfectant or the antimicrobial agent from exiting the chamber. Also described are methods of disinfecting a medical connector, and apparatuses comprising a device for disinfecting a medical connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for connection to a medical connector, the device comprising:
a cap comprising an integral body, a closed end, an annular wall having a length extending from the closed end to an open end and defining a chamber containing an absorbent material and either disinfectant or antimicrobial agent, the open end defining an end face, and defining an engagement surface;
the annular wall having an exterior wall surface and an interior wall surface;
a plurality of inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions adjacent to the open end and at least partially extending longitudinally along a length of the interior wall surface to frictionally engage a male luer connector in a press-fit connection, a portion of each of the inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions respectively having: a major axis that is axially aligned with a centerline of the chamber of the cap, a minor axis that is perpendicular to the major axis, and a convex-curved, cross-sectional profile along the minor axis whose apex is aligned with the major axis, the major axes of each of the inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions symmetrically spaced about a circumference of the annular wall, so that a central axis of the male luer connector inserted within the chamber aligns with the centerline of the chamber, deforming the convex-curved cross-sectional profile of each of the inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions;
the interior wall surface comprising internal threads adjacent the closed end and extending from the closed end partially along a length of the interior wall surface towards the plurality of inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions, the internal threads adapted and sized to engage corresponding threads of a female luer connector; and
a peelable seal on the end face to prevent the disinfectant or the antimicrobial agent from exiting the chamber.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions are sized to define an opening having a diameter that is deformable from an initial diameter of from about 7-9 mm to a second diameter of about 9-12 mm to frictionally engage a collar of a male connector in a press-fit connection.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the male luer connector frictionally engages the plurality of inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions via a press-fit connection upon insertion into the chamber.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises a polypropylene or polyethylene material.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a first portion adjacent the closed end having a first portion diameter D 1 and a second portion adjacent the open end having a second portion diameter D 2 , the first portion and second portion in fluid communication with each other and the first portion diameter being less than the second portion diameter.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the annular wall of the cap is frusto-conically shaped.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material is a foam.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the foam is a polyurethane foam.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material compresses toward the closed end of the chamber upon connection to the female luer connector or the male luer connector.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein compression of the absorbent material disinfects the female luer connector or the male luer connector.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material is under radial compression by the internal threads to retain the absorbent material in the chamber.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant or antimicrobial agent is selected from a group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, 2-propanol, butanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, propyl gallate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene, t-butyl-hydroquinone, chloroxylenol, chlorohexidine, chlorhexidine diacetate, chlorohexidine gluconate, povidone iodine, alcohol, dichlorobenzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, hexetidine, triclosan, hydrogen peroxide, colloidal silver, benzethonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, octenidine, antibiotic, and mixtures thereof.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the disinfectant or antimicrobial agent comprises at least one of chlorhexidine gluconate and chlorhexidine diacetate.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the peelable seal comprises an aluminum or multi-layer polymer film peel back top.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the peelable seal is heat-sealed or induction sealed to the engagement surface.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises a peripheral ledge extending radially inward from the annular wall, wherein the male luer connector rests on the peripheral ledge upon being fully inserted into the chamber.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions are deformable.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inwardly extending, discrete elongated protrusions extend along an entire length of the interior wall surface of the cap.

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Jiang Chang
• Charles Nichola

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• A61M2205/02

  characterised by a particular materials · CPC title

• A61M39/20

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

• A61M2039/229

  Stopcocks · CPC title

• A61L2/16

  using chemical substances · CPC title