Medical connector
View Patent ↗A soft grip medical connector comprises a housing with an upstream end, a downstream end and a lumen extending through a central portion thereof. A flexible member comprises a valve portion integrally formed with a sleeve portion. The valve portion is positioned within a section of the housing and is configured to control a flow of fluid through the housing lumen. The sleeve is inverted to envelope at least a portion of the outer surface of the housing. In some embodiments the gripping portion is integrally formed with the valve portion. In some embodiments, the connector is also generally configured to create a positive pressure in a catheter lumen upon removal of a syringe or other medical device from the upstream end of the connector. Methods of making a medical fluid connector generally comprise forming a valve member with a sleeve extending there from, and assembling the valve, sleeve and housing.
1. A soft grip medical connector comprising:
a housing made of a rigid material, the housing comprising:
an upstream end configured to receive a Luer connector of a medical device to provide fluid communication between the medical device and the medical connector;
a downstream end;
a fluid pathway between the upstream end and the downstream end; and
a longitudinal axis extending between the upstream end and the downstream end; and
protrusions on an outer surface of the housing, wherein the protrusions extend laterally away from the longitudinal axis; and
a flexible member made of a flexible material disposed over the outer surface of the housing, the flexible member comprising:
a gripping portion comprising:
a smaller-width region configured to be grasped between a thumb and finger, the connector having a first lateral width at the smaller-width region;
an upper larger-width region between the upstream end and the smaller-width region, the connector having a second lateral width at the upper larger-width region that is larger than the first lateral width; and
a lower larger-width region between the downstream end and the smaller-width region, the connector having a third lateral width at the lower larger-width region that is larger than the first lateral width, wherein the upper and lower larger-width regions are configured to impede the thumb and finger from sliding along the connector; and
openings in the flexible material, wherein the protrusions of the housing extend through the respective openings in the flexible material such that the protrusions of the housing extend beyond an outer surface of the flexible member adjacent the openings.
2. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the upper larger-width region extends laterally outward further than the lower larger-diameter region.
3. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the upper larger-width region of the gripping portion extends laterally outward further than any other part of the connector.
4. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured to provide a high fluid flow rate through the connector.
5. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured to provide a fluid flow rate of at least 600 cubic centimeters per minute through the connector.
6. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a valve member, the valve member having a closed state configured to impede flow of fluid through the connector, and the valve member having an open state configured to permit fluid flow through the connector.
7. The soft grip medical connector of claim 6 , wherein the flexible member comprises the valve member integrally formed with the gripping portion.
8. The soft grip medical connector of claim 6 , wherein the valve member and gripping portions are separately formed components.
9. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the downstream end is connected to a catheter.
10. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the gripping portion has one or more of bumps, ridges, indentations, and protrusions.
11. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material comprises one or more of silicone rubber, synthetic polyisoprene, and urethane formulations.
12. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material surrounds an entire circumference of the housing at the gripping portion.
13. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions have rounded or beveled edges.
14. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions include a first protrusion positioned on a first side of the connector and a second protrusion positioned on a second side of the connector, the second side opposite the first side.
15. A soft grip medical connector comprising:
a housing made of a rigid material, the housing comprising:
an upstream end configured to receive a Luer connector of a medical device to provide fluid communication between the medical device and the medical connector, the upstream end comprising a cylindrical wall having an outer diameter;
a downstream end; and
a fluid pathway between the upstream end and the downstream end; and
a gripping portion between the upstream end and the downstream end, the gripping portion comprising:
a shoulder adjacent the cylindrical wall of the upstream end, wherein the shoulder extends laterally outward to have a lateral width that is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall of the upstream end;
a tapered portion that is inwardly tapered from the shoulder towards the downstream end such that the shoulder is configured to prevent a finger and thumb from slipping when gripping the gripping portion;
a flexible material disposed over an outer surface of the housing such that the shoulder and the tapered portion include the flexible material; and
at least one of bumps, ridges, indentations, and protrusions on the outer surface of the gripping portion.
16. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the shoulder of the gripping portion is a widest part of the connector.
17. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the tapered portion is inwardly tapered to a smaller-width region, and wherein the tapered portion is outwardly tapered from the smaller-width region toward the downstream end to a larger-width region.
18. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of bumps, ridges, indentations, and protrusions include the flexible material.
19. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the upstream end comprises lugs for receiving threads the Luer connector of the medical device.
20. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the connector is configured to provide a high fluid flow rate through the connector.
21. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the connector is configured to provide a fluid flow rate of at least 600 cubic centimeters per minute through the connector.
22. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , further comprising a valve member, the valve member having a closed state configured to impede flow of fluid through the connector, and the valve member having an open state configured to permit fluid flow through the connector.
23. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the downstream end is connected to a catheter.
24. The soft grip medical connector of claim 15 , wherein the flexible material surrounds an entire circumference of the housing at the gripping portion.