Granted Patent B2

US 8,377,039 · App. 10/423,484 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A medical device having an interior for containment of fluids; an opening into the interior; an elastomeric wall comprising a fixedly placed, flexible barrier across said opening and having at least one closed perforation centrally positioned; and a retention wall positioned adjacent to a peripheral portion of said elastomeric wall, said retention wall defining a central opening, said retention wall having a retention zone surrounding said central opening, to engage and retain a connector tube having a length and having a leading end which is advanced into said central opening to press against and partially displace said elastomeric wall, and to open said centrally positioned perforation through said elastomeric wall, for direct flow through said perforation into said connector tube, said retention zone being made of a material of sufficient hardness that material of a minor portion of the length of an engaged and retained connector tube is deformed by engagement with the retention zone, to increase strength of retention between the retention wall and the connector tube, said retention zone being sized to engage and hold said connector tube before said leading end fully penetrates said elastomeric wall.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said retention zone comprises a ring-shaped seal.

3. The device of claim 2 in which a plurality of spaces divide said retention zone into separate sections.

4. The device of claim 2 in which said retention zone has an axial depth of no more than about 4 mm.

5. The device of claim 4 in which said retention zone has an axial depth of no more than 0.6 mm.

6. The device of claim 1 in which said retention wall comprises a tapered-bore tube extending outwardly from said elastomeric wall, said retention zone comprising a minimum diameter portion of the tapered bore of said tube.

7. The device of claim 6 in which said connector tube is engaged and retained by said retention zone, said retention wall comprising a tapered bore sleeve, said connector tube having an outward taper in the same direction as, but of a lesser angle than, said tapered-bore sleeve retention wall.

8. The device of claim 1 in which the material of the retention zone has a hardness of at least about Shore A 80.

9. The device of claim 1 in which said connector tube is engaged and retained by the retention zone in a position to engage and deflect said elastomeric wall to open a slit in said elastomeric wall without said connector tube extending through said slit.

10. The device of claim 9 in which said connector tube has a blunt tip.

11. The device of claim 1 in which said connector tube is engaged and retained by the retention zone in a position to engage and deflect said elastomeric wall, to open a slit in said elastomeric wall without said connector tube extending through said slit, said connector tube having a blunt tip, and in which said retention zone is ring-shaped and projecting inwardly from an extending sleeve.

12. The device of claim 11 in which said retention zone has an axial depth of no more than about 1 mm.

13. The device of claim 12 in which said retention wall comprises a tapered-bore tube extending outwardly from said elastomeric wall, said retention zone comprising a minimum diameter portion of the tapered bore of said tube.

14. The device of claim 13 in which said tapered-bore tube comprises at least one side opening.

15. The device of claim 12 in which said retention wall comprises a plate portion extending transversely of the axis of said retained connector tube, said plate portion defining said central opening.

16. The device of claim 12 in which the material of said retention zone has a hardness greater than the hardness of said connector tube.

17. The device of claim 1 which is connected with an ISO standard male luer connector tube.

18. A medical device having an interior for containment of fluids and an opening into the interior; an elastomeric wall having at least one closed and centrally positioned perforation and comprising a fixedly placed, flexible barrier across said opening; and a retention wall positioned adjacent to a peripheral portion of said elastomeric wall, said retention wall defining a central opening, said retention wall having a retention zone surrounding said central opening, to engage and retain a connector tube having a length and a leading end, which is advanced into said central opening to partially displace said elastomeric wall and to open said perforation through said elastomeric wall, for direct flow through said perforation into said connector tube, said retention zone having an axial depth of no more than about 4 mm, and sized to engage and hold a minor portion of the length of said connector tube before said leading end fully penetrates said elastomeric wall.

19. The device of claim 18 in which said retention zone is ring-shaped and extending inwardly from a sleeve.

20. The device of claim 19 in which said retention zone participates in a ring-shaped seal with said connector tube.

21. The device of claim 18 in which said retention zone has an axial depth of no more than about 0.6 mm.

22. The device of claim 18 in which said retention wall comprises a tapered-bore tube extending outwardly from said elastomeric wall, said retention zone comprising a minimum diameter portion of the tapered bore of said tube.

23. The device of claim 22 in which said tapered-bore tube comprises at least one side opening.

24. The device of claim 18 in which said retention wall comprises a plate portion extending transversely of the axis of said retained connector tube, said plate portion defining said central opening.

25. The device of claim 18 in which the material of the retention zone has a hardness that is greater than the hardness of said connector tube.

26. The device of claim 18 which is connected with an ISO standard male luer connector tube.

27. The device of claim 26 in which said connector tube comprises an ISO standard male luer of a luer lock connector.

28. The device of claim 25 in which said axial depth is no more than about 1 mm.

29. The device of claim 18 in which said connector tube engages said elastomeric wall to form a first annular seal between the connector tube end and the elastomeric wall, and a second annular seal between the side of the connector tube and the elastomeric wall.

30. The device of claim 1 in which the increase of said strength of retention between the retention wall and the connector tube comprises at least 100 grams.

31. The device of claim 1 in which said connector tube engages said elastomeric wall to form a first annular seal between the connector tube end and the elastomeric wall, and a second annular seal between the side of the connector tube and the elastomeric wall.

32. The device of claim 1 in which said retention zone is spaced from the elastomeric wall.

33. The device of claim 1 in which the closed perforation does not extend completely through said elastomeric wall.

34. The device of claim 33 in which said perforation has an end that is adjacent to a rupturable plastic coating skin layer on said elastomeric wall.

35. A tubular connector system, which comprises:

a connector tube having a conically tapered outer wall having an angle, and a socket tube having a tubular, frustoconical bore portion for receiving the connector tube and retaining said connector tube by engagement with said bore portion, the frustoconical bore portion having a first bore portion with a first wall angle that is less than the conical taper angle of said connector tube, and a second bore portion of said frustoconical bore portion having a second wall angle that is greater than the conical taper angle of said connector tube, said engagement between said connector tube and said bore portion extending along only a small portion of said connector tube and bore portion.

36. The connector system of claim 35 in which the conical taper angle of the connector tube and the wall angle of the first bore portion of the frustoconical bore portion together define a difference in said angles of about 1.2°.

37. The connector system of claim 35 in which the second bore portion of said frustoconical bore portion having the wall angle greater than the conical taper angle of the connector tube is an outer portion of said frustoconical bore portion.

38. The connector system of claim 18 in which said elastomeric wall is free of added lubricant.

39. The connector system of claim 1 in which said elastomeric wall is free of added lubricant.

40. The device of claim 1 wherein the open perforation defines an opening, the connector tube defines a tube internal bore for fluid flow through the connector tube and through the open slit, and the perforation opening is sized in accordance with the connector tube internal bore.

41. The device of claim 40 wherein the elastomeric wall surrounding the open perforation provides a smooth transition to the interior opening.

42. The device of claim 40 wherein the perforation opening and connector tube internal bore are sized to minimize turbulence and pressure loss thereacross.

43. The device of claim 40 wherein the retention wall and elastomeric wall permit insertion of the connector tube to a depth to deform the elastomeric wall and open the perforation such that turbulence and pressure loss through flow path therealong is minimized.

44. The device of claim 40 wherein flow of fluid through the connector tube and the open perforation is generally laminar.

Assignments (14)