Medical connector
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 rigid housing comprising:
an upstream end;
a downstream end;
a fluid pathway between the upstream end and the downstream end; and
protrusions on an outer surface of the housing that extend laterally;
a flexible member 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 housing further comprises additional protrusions that are covered by the flexible member, wherein the flexible member comprises flexible material disposed between the additional protrusions, and wherein the flexible material engages with the additional protrusions to facilitate retention of the flexible member on the housing.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material surrounds an entire circumference of the housing at the gripping portion.
7. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material is adjacent to the protrusions on a downstream side and on an upstream side of the protrusions.
8. 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.
9. The soft grip medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the upper larger-width region extends laterally outward further than the lower larger-diameter region.