Granted Patent B2

US 12,673,005 · App. 18/066,670 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Inventor: Thomas F. Fangrow (San Clemente, CA)

Assignee: ICU Medical, Inc.

A61J1/2065A61J1/2089A61J1/2096A61M5/1409A61M5/32A61M39/10A61M39/26A61M5/3294

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A method of enabling a user to attach a medical connector having an emitter of one or more therapeutic agents to both a syringe and a resealable female luer connector on a fluid line at the same time, the method comprising:

providing a medical connector with a housing and an internal fluid pathway, the housing comprising:

a proximal region with a proximal screw thread surrounding an open female end of the housing, the proximal screw thread comprising at least one disconnection-resistant structure comprising: (a) a protrusion between respective thread turns, the protrusion extending radially outwardly farther than an inner surface between the respective thread turns, or (b) a radially outwardly flared thread portion in a threaded region that has a larger outermost diameter than another thread portion;

an intermediate region configured to retain an emitter of one or more therapeutic agents; and

a distal region without any threads, the distal region comprising a male protrusion, the male protrusion having a diameter on a distal end that is wider and a length that is shorter than a standard luer, but the male protrusion still being configured to fit tightly within a luer opening of the resealable female luer connector;

wherein the internal fluid pathway is open from the proximal region to the distal region without a dynamic seal;

instructing a user to attach the medical connector to the syringe; and

instructing the user to attach the medical connector to the resealable female luer connector;

whereby the attachment between the syringe and the medical connector is secure and resistant to disconnection, whereas the attachment between the medical connector and the resealable female luer connector is temporary and non-secured.

2 . A medical fluid connector configured to receive an emitter of therapeutic agents to be emitted into a fluid pathway within the medical fluid connector, the medical fluid connector comprising:

a proximal end configured to be coupled to a syringe, the proximal end comprising threading and one or more disconnection-resisting structures disposed along a portion of the threading, the threading configured to facilitate coupling the proximal end to the syringe, and the one or more disconnection-resisting structures configured to contact threading of the syringe to increase friction between the threading of the proximal end and the threading of the syringe to resist decoupling of the proximal end and the syringe;

a threadless distal end configured to be coupled with a female connector, the threadless distal end being oversized compared to a distal end of a standard luer connector such that the threadless distal end penetrates to a lesser depth within an opening of the female connector compared to the distal end of the standard luer connector, wherein a fluid pathway from the proximal end to the threadless distal end is configured to direct fluid from the syringe to the female connector; and

one or more grasping portions disposed between the proximal end and the threadless distal end, the one or more grasping portions configured to facilitate a user threading the proximal end and the syringe together such that the one or more disconnection-resisting structures of the proximal end contact the threading of the syringe thereby increasing the friction between the threading of the proximal end and the threading of the syringe to resist decoupling of the proximal end and the syringe.

3 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures comprise one or more protrusions.

4 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures comprise an enlarged thread portion.

5 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures are disposed between thread turns of the threading of the proximal end.

6 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures extend radially outward from an inner surface of the threading of the proximal end to a position that is radially inward of a radially outermost surface of the threading of the proximal end.

7 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the threading of the proximal end comprises an outermost diameter that increases in size in a proximal to distal direction to help resist decoupling of the syringe and the proximal end.

8 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the threadless distal end is configured to help facilitate a non-secured, temporary attachment to the female connector.

9 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein the one or more grasping portions comprise one or more tabs.

10 . The medical fluid connector of claim 2 , wherein lengths of the one or more grasping portions in a proximal-distal direction are more than half of an overall length of the medical fluid connector in the proximal-distal direction.

11 . A medical fluid connector configured to receive an emitter of therapeutic agents to be emitted into a fluid pathway within the medical fluid connector, the medical fluid connector comprising:

a proximal end configured to be coupled to a syringe, the proximal end comprising threading and one or more disconnection-resisting structures disposed along a portion of the threading, the threading configured to facilitate coupling the proximal end to the syringe, and the one or more disconnection-resisting structures configured to contact threading of the syringe to increase friction between the threading of the proximal end and the threading of the syringe to resist decoupling of the proximal end and the syringe; and

one or more grasping portions, the one or more grasping portions configured to facilitate a user threading the proximal end and syringe together such that the one or more disconnection-resisting structures of the proximal end contact the threading of the syringe thereby increasing the friction between the threading of the proximal end and the threading of the syringe to resist decoupling of the proximal end and the syringe;

an oversized distal end compared to a distal end of a standard luer connector such that the oversized distal end penetrates to a lesser depth within an opening of a female connector compared to the distal end of the standard luer connector.

12 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein a fluid pathway from the proximal end to the distal end is configured to direct fluid from the syringe to the female connector.

13 . The medical fluid connector of claim 12 , wherein the distal end is configured to help facilitate a non-secured, temporary attachment to the female connector.

14 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures comprise one or more protrusions.

15 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures comprise an enlarged thread portion.

16 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures are disposed between thread turns of the threading of the proximal end.

17 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein the one or more disconnection-resisting structures extend radially outward from an inner surface of the threading of the proximal end to a position that is radially inward of a radially outermost surface of the threading of the proximal end.

18 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein the threading of the proximal end comprises an outermost diameter that increases in size in a proximal to distal direction to help resist decoupling of the syringe and the proximal end.

19 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein the one or more grasping portions comprise one or more tabs.

20 . The medical fluid connector of claim 11 , wherein lengths of the one or more grasping portions in a proximal to distal direction are more than half of an overall length of the medical fluid connector in the proximal to distal direction.

21 . A method of disposing a medical fluid connector configured to receive an emitter of therapeutic agents in a fluid infusion line, the method comprising:

connecting a proximal end of the medical fluid connector to a syringe by way of a threaded connection, wherein the medical fluid connector comprises one or more grasping portions extending radially outward to facilitate a user's threading of the proximal end and syringe together such that one or more disconnection-resisting structures of the proximal end contact threading of the syringe, thereby increasing friction between threading of the proximal end and threading of the syringe to resist disconnection of the proximal end and the syringe; and

coupling a threadless distal end of the medical fluid connector with a female connector by way of inserting the threadless distal end of the medical fluid connector into an opening of the female connector such that a fluid pathway extends from the syringe through the medical fluid connector and to the female connector, the threadless distal end being oversized as compared to a distal end of a standard luer connector such that the threadless distal end penetrates to a lesser depth within an opening of the female connector compared to the distal end of the standard luer connector.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (400)