Disinfecting cap
A device for cleaning medical implements is disclosed, in particular a device for cleaning vascular or other fluid access sites. The device includes a cap having an opening to receive an access site. The cap may be used in the following manner: A healthcare worker may, with gloved hands, open the cap packaging and place the cap over the port of a medical implement to be cleaned. The healthcare worker may wipe the site by either applying a turning motion or by simply pushing the cap onto the port. A cap in place on a medical implement may be a positive indication that a desired site of the medical implement is clean. The cap may include a disinfecting substance. Embodiments of the cap may comprise a cap body and a skirt.
1 . A disinfecting cap for attachment to a port of a medical implement,
the cap comprising:
a cap body comprising:
a cavity portion comprising an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall extending between the open end and the closed end, the side wall at least partially enclosing an interior cavity,
a flange portion,
a first pillar extending between the cavity portion and the flange portion, and
a second pillar separate from the first pillar extending between the cavity portion and the flange portion;
a skirt comprising a skirt sidewall, a skirt end wall, an outer surface, a first aperture, and a second aperture;
wherein the skirt covers at least a portion of an exterior surface of the cap body cavity portion;
wherein the cap body flange portion covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the skirt; and
wherein the cap body first pillar extends through the skirt first aperture and the cap body second pillar extends through the skirt second aperture.
2 . The disinfecting cap of claim 1 , wherein the cap body first pillar is a solid pillar.
3 . The disinfecting cap of claim 1 , wherein the skirt sidewall surrounds at least a portion of the cap body cavity portion sidewall.
4 . The disinfecting cap of claim 1 , wherein the cap body flange portion comprises a flange portion end wall that covers at least a portion of the skirt end wall.
5 . A disinfecting cap for attachment to a port of a medical implement, the cap comprising:
a cap body comprising:
a cavity portion comprising an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall extending between the open end and the closed end, the side wall at least partially enclosing an interior cavity,
a flange portion connected with the cavity portion at the cavity portion closed end, the flange portion comprising a flange portion sidewall, and
a pillar extending between the cavity portion and the flange portion;
a skirt comprising:
a skirt open end,
a skirt end wall comprising an aperture, and
a skirt sidewall comprising a first section adjacent the skirt open end and a base section spaced apart from the skirt open end;
wherein the skirt covers at least a portion of an exterior surface of the cap body cavity portion; and
wherein the cap body flange portion sidewall surrounds an outer surface of the skirt sidewall base section.
6 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , wherein the cap body comprises a first material having a first durometer, and wherein the skirt comprises a second material having a second durometer different from the first durometer.
7 . The disinfecting cap of claim 6 , wherein the second durometer is greater than the first durometer.
8 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , wherein the skirt first aperture comprises a channel extending from a skirt end wall inside surface to a skirt end wall outer surface.
9 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , wherein the cap body cavity portion, the flange portion, and the pillar are integrally formed in a single piece of a single material.
10 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , the cap body cavity portion sidewall comprises a smooth, non-threaded interior surface.
11 . The disinfecting cap of claim 10 , wherein the cap body cavity portion sidewall interior surface engages a thread of a port of the medical implement when the port is inserted into the cap.
12 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , wherein an outside surface of the cap body cavity portion is adjacent to an inner diameter of the skirt sidewall.
13 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , wherein the skirt sidewall first section has a first outside diameter and the skirt sidewall base section has a second outside diameter different from the first outside diameter.
14 . The disinfecting cap of claim 13 , wherein the first outside diameter is greater than the second outside diameter.
15 . The disinfecting cap of claim 14 , wherein the skirt sidewall comprises a step between the skirt sidewall first section and the skirt sidewall base section.
16 . The disinfecting cap of claim of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the cap body flange portion is less a depth of the step such that an outside diameter of the cap body flange is less than the skirt sidewall first section first outside diameter.
17 . The disinfecting cap of claim 5 , wherein an inside surface of the skirt end wall comprises a convex shape.
18 . The disinfecting cap of claim 17 , wherein inside surface of the skirt end wall comprises a planar portion at a center of the inside surface.
19 . The disinfecting cap of claim 18 , wherein:
the skirt end wall aperture is a first aperture;
the skirt end wall comprises a second aperture;
the cap body pillar is a first pillar extending through the skirt end wall first aperture between the cavity portion and the flange portion;
the cap body further comprises a second pillar separate from the first pillar and extending through the skirt end wall second aperture between the cavity portion and the flange portion;
the first pillar is spaced apart from the skirt end wall inside surface planar portion; and
the second pillar is spaced apart from the skirt end wall inside surface planar portion and from the first pillar.