Tamper-evident housing
Disclosed is a housing for a catheter, the housing comprising: a body; a cap assembly comprising a cap and a tamper-evidence ring, wherein the cap is attached to the body and the tamper-evidence ring in an unopened configuration and is configured to be irreversibly detached from the tamper-evidence ring when the cap is removed from the body, the housing further comprising at least one anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the tamper-evidence ring upon rotation of the cap, and at least one axial retention mechanism configured to axially retain the tamper-evidence ring when irreversibly detached from the cap.
1. A catheter assembly comprising a urinary catheter and a housing for the catheter, the housing comprising:
a body;
a cap assembly comprising a cap and a tamper-evidence ring,
wherein the cap is attached to the body and the tamper-evidence ring in an unopened configuration and is configured to be irreversibly detached from the tamper-evidence ring when the cap is removed from the body,
the housing further comprising at least one anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the tamper-evidence ring upon rotation of the cap, and at least one axial retention mechanism configured to axially retain the tamper-evidence ring when irreversibly detached from the cap;
wherein the anti-rotation mechanism is configured to allow the tamper-evidence ring to rotate in a first rotational direction and obstruct rotation in a second rotational direction;
wherein the anti-rotation mechanism further comprises a circumferentially facing ramp to allow rotation in the first direction.
2. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tamper-evidence ring is attached to the cap via a plurality of severable connectors which extend therebetween, wherein the severable connectors are configured to break upon rotation and/or axial separation of the cap from the body, wherein the tamper-evidence ring is separated from the cap via an annular gap which is bridged by the plurality of severable connectors.
3. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tamper-evidence ring forms a unitary body with the cap.
4. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the axial retention mechanism comprises at least one radial projection which extends from the body to engage with the tamper-evidence ring, wherein the at least one axial retention projection is positioned between the tamper-evidence ring and cap.
5. The catheter assembly of claim 4 , comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed axial retention projections.
6. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation mechanism comprises at least one radial projection which extends from the body and engages with the tamper-evidence ring.
7. The catheter assembly of claim 6 , wherein the anti-rotation mechanism and the axial retention mechanism are axially separated from one another.
8. A catheter assembly comprising a urinary catheter and a housing for the catheter, the housing comprising:
a body:
a cap assembly comprising a cap and a tamper-evidence ring,
wherein the cap is attached to the body and the tamper-evidence ring in an unopened configuration and is configured to be irreversibly detached from the tamper-evidence ring when the cap is removed from the body,
the housing further comprising at least one anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the tamper-evidence ring upon rotation of the cap, and at least one axial retention mechanism configured to axially retain the tamper-evidence ring when irreversibly detached from the cap;
wherein the anti-rotation mechanism is configured to allow the tamper-evidence ring to rotate in a first rotational direction and obstruct rotation in a second rotational direction;
wherein at least one radial projection comprises circumferentially facing ramps on a first surface.
9. The catheter assembly of claim 8 wherein the at least one radial projection comprises a second surface on a circumferentially opposing side of the at least one radial projection to the first surface, wherein the second surface is perpendicular to the second rotational direction.
10. The catheter assembly claim 1 , wherein either or both of the axial retention mechanism and the anti-rotational mechanism are viewable from the exterior of the housing when the cap is attached to the body.
11. A catheter assembly comprising a urinary catheter and a housing for the catheter, the housing comprising:
a body:
a cap assembly comprising a cap and a tamper-evidence ring,
wherein the cap is attached to the body and the tamper-evidence ring in an unopened configuration and is configured to be irreversibly detached from the tamper-evidence ring when the cap is removed from the body,
the housing further comprising at least one anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the tamper-evidence ring upon rotation of the cap, and at least one axial retention mechanism configured to axially retain the tamper-evidence ring when irreversibly detached from the cap;
wherein the body comprises at least one spacer radially inwards of the tamper-evidence ring, the spacer being configured to limit the radial deflection of the tamper-evidence ring.
12. The catheter assembly of claim 11 , wherein the spacer comprises an annular projection which extends radially from the body.
13. The catheter assembly of claim 12 , wherein the annular projection is a partial annulus having opposing ends, wherein the at least one radial anti-rotation projection is provided between the opposing terminal ends.
14. A catheter assembly comprising a urinary catheter and a housing for the catheter, the housing comprising:
a body:
a cap assembly comprising a cap and a tamper-evidence ring,
wherein the cap is attached to the body and the tamper-evidence ring in an unopened configuration and is configured to be irreversibly detached from the tamper-evidence ring when the cap is removed from the body,
the housing further comprising at least one anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the tamper-evidence ring upon rotation of the cap, and at least one axial retention mechanism configured to axially retain the tamper-evidence ring when irreversibly detached from the cap
wherein the body comprises an outermost external surface which is axially adjacent to the tamper-evidence ring and separated therefrom by an annular gap, wherein the outermost external surface of the body, the tamper-evidence ring and the cap are non-circular and have corresponding external surfaces.
15. The catheter assembly of claim 1 wherein the radial thickness of the tamper-evidence ring varies circumferentially.
16. A catheter assembly comprising a urinary catheter and a housing for the catheter, the housing comprising:
a body;
a cap assembly comprising a cap and a tamper-evidence ring,
wherein the cap is attached to the body and the tamper-evidence ring in an unopened configuration and is configured to be irreversibly detached from the tamper-evidence ring when the cap is removed from the body,
the housing further comprising at least one anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the tamper-evidence ring upon rotation of the cap, and at least one axial retention mechanism configured to axially retain the tamper-evidence ring when irreversibly detached from the cap
wherein the radial thickness of the tamper-evidence ring varies circumferentially;
wherein the tamper-evidence ring comprises at least one corner region and a plurality of severable connectors are provided at the corner region.
17. The catheter assembly of claim 16 wherein the least one corner region comprises a recess, wherein the recess is on an external surface of the tamper-evidence ring and extends circumferentially.
18. The catheter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the axial retention projection comprises a cap-facing surface which is axially sloped to as to provide a divergent surface for receiving the tamper-evidence ring during an assembly of the housing.