Disinfecting cap for medical connectors
View Patent ↗A disinfecting cap accepts a needleless injection site to apply an antiseptic agent. The cap includes a breakable seal located in a chamber between the proximal and distal portions so as to be spaced away from the opening. The cap body may include a compliant wall that deforms when a needleless injection site is inserted into the opening to removably hold the cap on the needleless injection site. In lieu of a compliant wall, a flexible skirt may extend from the cap body into the proximal portion, so that when a needleless injection site is inserted into the opening, the flexible skirt engages the outer diameter of the needleless injection site to removably hold the cap on the needleless injection site. A carrier strip may be used, wherein each of the plurality of disinfecting caps is removably attached at its proximal end to the carrier strip.
1. A disinfecting cap for accepting a needleless injection site and applying an antiseptic agent to the needleless injection site, the cap comprising:
a cap body defining a chamber having an opening at a proximal end for accepting the needleless injection site, the chamber having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
an antiseptic agent disposed in the distal portion of the chamber; and
a breakable seal located in the chamber between the proximal and distal portions so as to be spaced away from the opening, the breakable seal preventing evaporation of the antiseptic agent until the needleless injection site is accepted into the cap,
wherein the cap body includes a compliant wall about the proximal portion,
wherein the compliant wall deforms when the needleless injection site is inserted into the opening so that the compliant wall engages threading elements on the outer diameter of the needleless injection site to removably hold the cap on the needleless infection site.
2. The disinfecting cap of claim 1 , wherein the breakable seal is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cap.
3. The disinfecting cap of claim 1 , further including an absorbent material for holding the antiseptic agent, the absorbent material being disposed in the distal portion of the chamber.
4. The disinfecting cap of 1 , wherein the compliant wall is made of a thermoplastic elastomer.
5. The disinfecting cap of 1 , wherein the compliant wall is made of silicone.
6. A disinfecting cap for accepting a needleless injection site and applying an antiseptic agent to the needleless injection site, the cap comprising:
a cap body defining a chamber having an opening at a proximal end for accepting the needleless injection site, the chamber having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
an antiseptic agent disposed in the distal portion of the chamber; and
a seal preventing evaporation of the antiseptic agent until the needleless injection site is accepted into the cap,
wherein the cap body includes a compliant wall about the proximal portion, wherein the compliant wall deforms when the needleless injection site is inserted into the opening so that the compliant wall engages threading elements on the outer diameter of the needleless injection site to removably hold the cap on the needleless injection site.
7. The disinfecting cap of claim 6 , further including an absorbent material for holding the antiseptic agent, the absorbent material being disposed in the distal portion of the chamber.
8. A system for disinfecting needleless injection sites, the system comprising:
a plurality of caps for accepting a needleless injection site and applying an antiseptic agent to the needleless injection site, each cap including:
a cap body defining a chamber having an opening at a proximal end for accepting the needleless injection site, the chamber having a proximal portion and a distal portion,
an antiseptic agent disposed in the distal portion of the chamber, and
a breakable seal located in the cavity between the proximal and distal portions so as to be spaced away from the opening, the breakable seal preventing evaporation of the antiseptic agent until the needleless injection site is accepted into the cap; and
a carrier strip, wherein each of the plurality of caps is removably attached at its proximal end to the carrier strip, so that the opening in each of the caps is covered by the carrier strip,
wherein the carrier strip includes projections, each projection shaped to engage the opening of the chamber so that the cap is removably attached to the projection.