Air/water connector to prevent water leaking
Methods and systems for controlling leaks from a tubing set of an endoscope system during equipment changeouts. An illustrative connector arranged and configured to couple a tube set to an endoscope may comprise a housing comprising a first fluid inlet, a second fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet in selective fluid communication with the first fluid inlet, a second fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid inlet, and a flow control mechanism configured to selectively fluidly couple the first fluid outlet with the first fluid inlet.
1 . A connector arranged and configured to couple a tube set to an endoscope, the connector comprising:
a housing, the housing comprising:
a first fluid inlet configured to couple with the tube set;
a second fluid inlet;
a first fluid outlet configured to couple with the endoscope and in selective fluid communication with the first fluid inlet;
a second fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid inlet; and
a flow control mechanism configured to selectively fluidly couple the first fluid outlet with the first fluid inlet,
wherein in a first configuration the flow control mechanism prevents fluid flowing in the first fluid inlet from flowing out of the first fluid outlet and in a second configuration the flow control mechanism allows the fluid flowing in the first fluid inlet to flow out of the first fluid outlet.
2 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flow control mechanism comprises a septum.
3 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the septum comprises a though hole extending through a thickness thereof.
4 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flow control mechanism comprises a valve.
5 . The connector of claim 4 , wherein the valve is a duckbill valve.
6 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flow control mechanism is over molded with the housing.
7 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flow control mechanism is configured to open at a predetermined minimum pressure.
8 . The connector of claim 4 , wherein the valve comprises an iris valve.
9 . The connector of claim 8 , wherein the iris valve is configured to open when the connector is connected to an endoscope and close when the connector is disconnected from the endoscope.
10 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flow control mechanism comprises a spring-loaded cap.
11 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flow control mechanism comprises a slidable cam.
12 . The connector of claim 11 , wherein when the slidable cam is in a first configuration, the first fluid outlet is fluidly isolated from the first fluid inlet and when the slidable cam is in a second configuration, the first fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet.
13 . A connector arranged and configured to couple a tube set to an endoscope, the connector comprising:
a housing, the housing comprising:
a first fluid inlet;
a second fluid inlet;
a first fluid outlet in selective fluid communication with the first fluid inlet;
a second fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid inlet; and
a flow control mechanism configured to selectively fluidly couple the first fluid outlet with the first fluid inlet;
wherein in response to the first fluid outlets being coupled to an endoscope, the flow control mechanism opens to fluidly connect the first fluid outlet and the first fluid inlet, and in response to the first fluid outlet being uncoupled from the endoscope, the flow control mechanism closes to fluidly isolate the first fluid outlet from the first fluid inlet.
14 . The connector of claim 13 , wherein the flow control mechanism is configured to selectively open at a predetermined minimum pressure.
15 . The connector of claim 13 , wherein the flow control mechanism is configured to automatically fluidly isolate the first fluid outlet from the first fluid inlet when the first fluid outlet is uncoupled from the endoscope.