Auto-stop vent plug

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016279347-A1
Application number	US-201615078563-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An intravenous delivery system may have a liquid source containing a liquid, tubing, and a vent cap. The tubing may be connected to the liquid source and the vent cap to convey liquid from the liquid source to the vent cap. The vent cap may have a vent that is substantially impermeable to the liquid and permeable to air, and therefore releases air from the liquid from the vent cap. The vent cap may also have a chamber in communication with the vent. The chamber may have a volume selected to enable the chamber to receive a quantity of liquid from the tubing in which the air, if entrained in the liquid, is likely to reside after the tubing has been primed with the liquid.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An intravenous delivery system comprising:
a liquid source containing a liquid; tubing comprising:
a first end connectable to the liquid source to receive the liquid from the liquid source; and
a second end; and
a vent cap comprising:
a proximal end connectable to the second end of the tubing to receive the liquid from the tubing;
a distal end comprising a vent that is substantially impermeable to the liquid and substantially permeable to air; and
a chamber wall that defines a chamber that receives the liquid from the proximal end, wherein the chamber is in communication with the vent to facilitate passage of air from the liquid out of the vent cap through the vent, wherein the chamber comprises a volume selected to enable the chamber to receive a quantity of the liquid from the tubing in which the air, if entrained in the liquid, is likely to reside after the tubing has been primed sufficiently to advance the liquid through the second end of the tubing.

2 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , wherein volume is determined by the equation
V=πr 2 l,

where V is the volume, r is a radius of an interior of the tubing, and l is a length of tubing within which the air, if present in the liquid, is likely to reside after the tubing has been primed.

3 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the length of tubing is within a range of 2 inches to 15 inches.

4 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the volume is within a range of 0.3 milliliters to 2.7 milliliters.

5 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the vent cap chamber wall has a generally tubular shape comprising an interior diameter within a range of 7 millimeters to 15 millimeters.

6 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the vent cap chamber wall has a generally tubular shape comprising a length within a range of 5 millimeters to 15 millimeters.

7 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the vent cap comprises a vent cap luer lock, wherein the tubing comprises a tubing luer lock that mates with the vent cap luer lock.

8 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 7 , wherein the chamber wall has a cross-sectional area larger than a largest cross-sectional area of the vent cap luer lock.

9 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the vent cap is detachably connectable to the tubing, wherein the vent cap is configured to retain substantially all of the quantity of the liquid after detachment of the vent cap from the tubing without requiring presence of a valve within the vent cap.

10 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the chamber wall is shaped to define an orifice adjacent to the chamber, wherein the orifice is sized such that, after detachment of the vent cap from the tubing, the orifice substantially prevents flow of liquid out of the cap through the orifice.

11 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the chamber wall is shaped to define an orifice adjacent to the chamber, the vent cap further comprising a hydrophilic membrane positioned proximate the orifice such that, after detachment of the vent cap from the tubing, the hydrophilic membrane substantially prevents flow of liquid out of the cap through the orifice.

12 . The intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the vent comprises a hydrophobic membrane positioned adjacent to the chamber.

13 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising a drip unit comprising a drip chamber, wherein the drip unit is connectable to the liquid source to receive drops of the liquid from the liquid source within the drip chamber, wherein the drip unit is connectable to the tubing to supply the liquid to the tubing via gravity feed.

14 . The Intravenous delivery system of claim 13 , further comprising an intravenous access unit connectable to the second end of the tubing to deliver the liquid intravenously to a patient.

15 . A method for preparing an intravenous delivery system for use, the intravenous delivery system comprising a liquid source, a vent cap, and tubing comprising a first end connected to the liquid source and a second end connected to the vent cap, the method comprising:
priming the intravenous delivery system by gravity feeding liquid from the liquid source to the vent cap through the tubing; in response to priming the intravenous delivery system, receiving, within the vent cap, a quantity of the liquid from the tubing in which air, if entrained in the liquid, is likely to reside after the tubing has been primed sufficiently to advance the liquid through the second end of the tubing; and in response to receipt of the quantity of the liquid within the vent cap, venting the air out of the vent cap through a vent of the vent cap.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving, within the vent cap, the quantity of the liquid comprises receiving the quantity of the liquid within a chamber of the vent cap, the chamber having a volume within a range of 0.3 milliliters to 0.2.7 milliliters.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the vent cap comprises a vent cap luer lock and the tubing comprises a tubing luer lock, the method further comprising, prior to priming the intravenous delivery system, mating the tubing luer lock with the vent cap luer lock.

18 . The method housing of claim 17 , further comprising:
after venting the air out of the vent cap, detaching the vent cap from the second end of the tubing; and in response to detachment of the vent cap from the second end of the tubing, retaining substantially all of the quantity of the liquid without requiring presence of a valve within the vent cap.

19 . The method housing of claim 18 , further comprising connecting an intravenous access unit to the second end of the tubing, wherein the intravenous access unit is configured to convey the liquid intravenously to a patient.

20 . An intravenous delivery system comprising:
a liquid source containing a liquid; a drip unit comprising a drip chamber, wherein the drip unit is connectable to the liquid source to receive drops of the liquid from the liquid source within the drip chamber; tubing comprising:
a first end connectable to the drip unit to receive the liquid from the drip unit via gravity feed; and
a second end comprising a tubing luer lock;
a vent cap comprising:
a proximal end comprising a vent cap luer lock connectable to the tubing luer lock such that the vent cap receives the liquid from the tubing;
a distal end comprising a vent that is substantially impermeable to the liquid and substantially permeable to air; and
a chamber wall that defines a chamber that receives the liquid from the proximal end, wherein the chamber is in communication with the vent to facilitate passage of air from the liquid out of the vent cap through the vent, wherein the chamber comprises a volume within a range of 0.3 milliliters to 2 7 milliliters;
wherein the chamber wall is shaped to define an orifice adjacent to the chamber, wherein the orifice is sized such that, after detachment of the vent cap luer lock from the tubing luer lock, the orifice substantially prevents flow of liquid out of the cap through the orifice; and
an intravenous access unit connectable to the tubing luer lock after detachment of the vent cap luer lock from the tubing luer lock, wherein the intravenous access unit is configured to deliver the liquid intravenously to a patient.

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Staley Shaun

Classifications

• A61M39/20 Primary

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

• A61M2205/7527

  liquophilic, hydrophilic · CPC title

• A61M2205/7536

  allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes · CPC title

• A61M2039/205

  comprising air venting means · CPC title

• A61M5/38

  using hydrophilic or hydrophobic filters · CPC title