Granted Patent B2

US 10,071,234 · App. 14/553,337 · Granted Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A Y-connector apparatus for use in connection with an enteral feeding system, the Y-connector apparatus comprising:

a tubing segment;

a Y-connector comprising an inner core made of a first material and an over-layer made of a second material, wherein the over-layer at least partially encloses the inner core;

wherein the Y-connector comprises a primary arm, a secondary arm and a convergence arm all in fluid communication with one another;

wherein the primary arm comprises a primary arm stem having a primary arm small-bore connector at an outer end of the primary arm stem, wherein the primary arm stem and primary arm small-bore connector are made of the first material;

wherein the secondary arm comprises a secondary arm stem having a secondary arm small-bore connector at an outer end of the secondary arm stem, wherein the secondary arm stem and secondary arm small-bore connector are made of the first material;

wherein the second material encloses at least a portion of the primary arm stem and at least a portion of the secondary arm stem;

wherein the convergence arm comprises a convergence arm stem having an outer end and an interior channel, wherein the convergence arm stem is made of the first material;

wherein the convergence arm stem is adapted to receive the tubing segment within the interior channel of the convergence arm stem;

wherein the second material encloses the entire convergence arm stem; and

wherein the over-layer is configured such that at least a portion of the tubing segment extends beyond the convergence arm and is not enclosed by the over-layer.

2. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubing segment is bonded within the interior channel of the convergence arm stem using one of the following: adhesive, solvent bonding, radio-frequency (RF) welding.

3. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first material is a rigid plastic material.

4. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 3 wherein the second material is a pliable material.

5. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first material is a transparent copolyester and further wherein the second material is a translucent thermoplastic elastomer.

6. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first cap configured to seal the primary arm and a second cap configured to seal the second arm.

7. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 6 wherein each cap comprises a top and a plurality of indentations in the top of the cap.

8. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 6 wherein each cap comprises gripping means.

9. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first cap is coupled to the primary arm with a first tether configured to circumferentially rotate the first cap about the primary arm;

further wherein the second cap is coupled to the secondary arm with a second tether configured to circumferentially rotate the second cap about the secondary arm.

10. The Y-connector apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first tether is coupled to the primary arm using a first circumferential gap between the inner core and the over-layer;

further wherein the second tether is coupled to the secondary arm using a second circumferential gap between the inner core and the over-layer.

11. A Y-connector assembly comprising:

a tubing segment;

a hard plastic inner core comprising:

a convergence arm comprising a convergence arm stem having an interior channel, wherein the convergence arm stem is adapted to receive the tubing segment within the interior channel of the convergence arm stem;

a primary arm comprising a primary arm stem in fluid communication with the convergence arm stem; and

a secondary arm comprising a secondary arm stem in fluid communication with the convergence arm stem and with the primary arm stem; and

a pliable material over-layer enclosing at least a portion of the primary arm stem, enclosing at least a portion of the secondary arm stem, and enclosing at least a portion of the convergence arm stem, wherein the over-layer is configured such that at least a portion of the tubing segment extends beyond the convergence arm and is not enclosed by the over-layer;

wherein the primary arm further comprises a primary arm small-bore connector at an outer end of the primary arm stem; and

further wherein the secondary arm further comprises a secondary arm small-bore connector at an outer end of the secondary arm stem.

12. The Y-connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the hard plastic inner core is made of a transparent plastic material.

13. The Y-connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the pliable material over-layer encloses the entire convergence arm stem.

14. The Y-connector assembly of claim 13 further comprising an over-layer stress relief extension that extends beyond an outer end of the convergence arm stem.

15. The Y-connector assembly of claim 11 further comprising:

a primary arm cap tethered to the primary arm and configured to seal the primary arm small-bore connector; and

a secondary arm cap tethered to the secondary arm and configured to seal the secondary arm small-bore connector.

16. The Y-connector assembly of claim 15 wherein the primary arm cap is configured to engage threading in the primary arm stem small-bore connector; and further wherein the secondary arm cap is configured to engage threading in the secondary arm stem small-bore connector.

17. A Y-connector assembly comprising:

a tubing segment;

an inner core comprising a hard material and further comprising:

a primary arm stem having a primary arm small-bore connector at one end of the primary arm stem;

a secondary arm stem having a secondary arm small-bore connector at one end of the secondary arm stem; and

a convergence arm stem having an interior channel;

wherein the convergence arm stem is adapted to receive the tubing segment within the interior channel of the convergence arm stem;

wherein the primary arm stem, secondary arm stem and convergence arm stem are all in fluid communication with one another; and

an over-layer enclosing at least a portion of the primary arm stem, at least a portion of the secondary arm stem, and at least a portion of the convergence arm stem, wherein the over-layer is comprised of a pliable material, and wherein the over-layer is configured such that at least a portion of the tubing segment extends beyond the convergence arm stem and is not enclosed by the over-layer.

18. The Y-connector assembly of claim 17 wherein the over-layer encloses the entire convergence arm stem and comprises a stress relief extension that extends beyond the convergence arm stem.

19. The Y-connector assembly of claim 17 wherein the primary arm further comprises a primary arm cap tethered to the primary arm and configured to seal the primary arm stem; and

further wherein the secondary arm further comprises a secondary arm cap tethered to the secondary arm and configured to seal the secondary arm stem.

Assignments (8)