Coupling device and medical line set including same

• US 20040067161A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Axelsson, Mikael
• Granted Patent: US 7,452,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/288 Priming priming in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3643
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1061 Break-apart tubing connectors or couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 Packaging for specific medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014

Abstract

The present invention refers to a medical line set (10) having a breakable coupling device (90), and to such a coupling device (90). More particularly the present invention refers to an medical dialysis line set (10), such as a peritoneal dialysis (PD) line set, including a liquid introducing portion (20), a liquid distribution portion or PD portion (40) and a drain portion (80), for introducing and extracting dialysis liquid from a patient, the line set particularly including said coupling device (90) for connecting and disconnecting the liquid introducing portion (20) in order to introduce and extract spent medical solution.

Claims

1. A medical line set (10) having a liquid introducing portion (20) with at least one first connector (24), a liquid distribution portion (40) with a second connector (66) and a drain portion (80) with a third connector (86), the line set (10) further comprising a coupling device (90) for connecting the liquid introducing portion (20) to the liquid distribution portion (40), said coupling device (90) having

a first connecting part (92) connectable with the liquid distribution portion (40);

a central part (96);

a second connecting part (94) connectable with the liquid introducing portion (20), the central part (96) and the second connecting part (94) being integrally formed with the first connecting part (92); and

a predetermined breaking section (100) between the central part (96) and the first connecting part (92).

2. The medical line set according to claim 1, wherein the central part (96) is adapted to be connectable with the third connector (86).

3. The medical line set according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined breaking section (100) is defined by a groove in the junction between the central part (96) and the first connecting part (92) and is breakable at finger pressure.

4. The medical line set according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the line set is a peritoneal dialysis line set.

5. The medical line set according to claim 4, wherein the line set is an automated peritoneal dialysis line set.

6. The medical line set according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the central part (96) of the coupling device (90) has the shape of a luer lock connector.

7. Coupling device (90) particularly useful in a medical line set having a liquid introducing portion (20) with at least one first connector (24), a liquid distribution portion (40) with a second connector (66) and a drain portion (80) with a third connector (86), for connecting the liquid introducing portion (20) to the liquid distribution portion (40), the coupling device (90) comprising

a first connecting part (92) connectable with the liquid distribution portion (40);

a central part (96);

a second connecting part (94) connectable with the liquid introducing portion (20), the central part (96) and the second connecting part (94) being integrally formed with the first connecting part (92); and

a predetermined breaking section (100) between the central part (96) and the first connecting part (92).

8. The coupling device according to claim 7, wherein the central part (96) is adapted to be connectable with the third connector (86).

9. The coupling device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the predetermined breaking section (100) is defined by a groove in the junction between the central part (96) and the first connecting part (92) and is breakable at finger pressure.

10. The coupling device according to any of claims 7-9, wherein the central part (96) of the coupling device (90) has the shape of a luer lock connector.

11. A method for performing peritoneal dialysis with a medical line set having a liquid introducing portion (20) with at least one first connector (24), a liquid distribution portion or PD portion (40) with a second connector (66), and a drain portion (80) with a third connector (86), the line set (10) further comprising a coupling device (90) for connecting the liquid introducing portion (20) to the liquid distribution portion (40), said coupling device (90) having

a first connecting part (92) connectable with the liquid distribution portion (40);

a central part (96);

a second connecting part (94) connectable with the liquid introducing portion (20), the central part (96) and the second connecting part (94) being integrally formed with the first connecting part (92); and

a predetermined breaking section (100) between the central part (96) and the first connecting part (92), the method comprising the steps of introducing a medical solution via the liquid introducing portion into a heater bag (54) to prepare a predetermined dose of a peritoneal dialysis (PD) solution;

introducing said predetermined dose of PD solution into the peritoneal cavity of a patient;

allowing the predetermined dose of PD solution to reside in the peritoneal cavity of the patient for a predetermined dwell period;

extracting the used PD solution from peritoneal cavity of the patient and allowing said used solution to enter the drain bag (56);

separating the liquid introducing portion (20) from the liquid distribution portion (40) through breaking the predetermined breaking section (100), thus separating the central part (96) and the second connecting part (94) of the coupling device from the first connecting part (92); and

connecting the central part (96) and the second connecting part (94) to the third connector (86) of the drain portion (80) for draining the used PD solution via the drain portion (80).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the line set is a peritoneal dialysis line set.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the line set is an automated peritoneal dialysis line set.

14. The method according any of claims 11-13, wherein the central part (96) of the coupling device (90) has the shape of a luer lock connector.