Swabable fluid connectors and fluid connector pairs

• US 20060157971A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BAXA Corporation (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Randall Wallace, Baldwin, Brian Eugene, Baldwin, Gregory John
• Granted Patent: US 7,396,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 285/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/267 having a sealing sleeve around a tubular or solid stem portion of the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/26 Valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof check valves A61M39/24
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2201/44 sterile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

A first fluid connector is provided for selective interconnection to and fluid transfer with a second fluid connector. The first connector comprises a fluid passageway, an internal member and an outer collar supportably disposed about the internal member for selective advancement and retraction relative thereto. At least a portion of the fluid passageway may extend through the internal member. The outer collar may be selectively retracted to facilitate cleaning of the internal member. In some embodiments, the outer collar and internal member may be disposed so that a distal portion of the internal member is substantially flush with or a distal portion of internal member projects beyond a distal end of the outer collar when the outer collar is in a retracted position relative thereto. To facilitate cleaning, a distal end or distal portion of the internal member may be substantially closed when the first and second connectors are disconnected. The second connector may be adapted to facilitate fluid interconnection with the first connector, and may also present a cleanable distal end when disconnected.

Claims

1. A fluid connector for selective interconnection to and fluid transfer with another fluid connector, comprising:

an internal member;

an outer collar supportably disposed about said internal member for selective advancement and retraction relative thereto; and

,

a fluid passageway extending through at least a portion of said fluid connector.

2. A fluid connector as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer collar includes:

an interconnection surface for selective interconnection of the fluid connector to another connector.

3. A fluid connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said interconnection surface is internally disposed on said outer collar.

4. A fluid connector as recited in claim 3, wherein a distal end of said interconnection surface of said outer collar is offset from a distal end of said outer collar.

5. A fluid connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said interconnection surface is externally disposed on said outer collar.

6. A fluid connector as recited in claim 5, wherein a distal end of said interconnection surface of said outer collar is offset from a distal end of said outer collar.

7. A fluid connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said outer collar is rotatable relative to said internal member, and wherein said interconnection surface of said outer collar comprises a threaded surface.

8. A fluid connector as recited in claim 1, wherein a distal end of said internal member is at least substantially flush with a distal end of said outer collar when said collar is in a retracted position relative thereto.

9. A fluid connector as recited in claim 8, wherein a distal portion of said internal member projects beyond the distal end of said outer collar when said outer collar is in a retracted position relative thereto.

10. A fluid connector as recited in claim 1, wherein a distal end of said internal member is one of substantially closed and closeable when said fluid connector is disconnected from another fluid connector.

11. A fluid connector as recited in claim 10, wherein said distal end of said internal member includes a substantially continuous surface that extends across the entirety of the distal end when said fluid connector is disconnected from a another fluid connector.

12. A fluid connector as recited in claim 10, wherein said fluid passageway is at least partially defined by a first passageway extending through at least a portion of said internal member.

13. A fluid connector as recited in claim 12, wherein a distal end of said first passageway is one of open and openable when said fluid connector in interconnected with another fluid connector, and wherein said distal end of said first passageway one of is closed or closeable when said fluid connector is disconnected from another fluid connector.

14. A fluid connector as recited in claim 13, wherein said internal member includes:

a first member having at least a portion of the first passageway extending therethrough; and

,

a second member disposed about at least a distal end of the first member.

15. A fluid connector as recited in claim 14, wherein said second member comprises a resilient material and substantially defines the distal end of the internal member when said fluid connector is disconnected from another fluid connector, and wherein the first member is one of forcibly penetrated and forcibly penetratable through the second member upon interconnection of the fluid connector with another fluid connector.

16. A fluid connector as recited in claim 15, wherein said outer collar is rotatable relative to said internal member, and wherein said outer collar includes:

a threaded surface for rotatably engaging a complimentary threaded surface of another fluid connector, wherein said first member is forcibly penetratable through said second member of said internal member upon rotational, threaded advancement of said outer collar relative to said another fluid connector.

17. A fluid connector as recited in claim 14, wherein said first and second members are disposed for relative, movement therebetween, wherein a closed, distal end of the first member is provided to substantially fill an opening at a distal end of the second member in a first relative position, and wherein the first and second members are selectively positionable to provide an access to the first passageway through the first member in a second relative position.

18. A fluid connector pair adapted for selective interconnection and fluid transfer therebetween, comprising:

a first connector having an interconnection surface and a fluid passageway; and

,

a second connector having an interconnection surface adapted for mechanical interconnection with said interconnection surface of the first connector, a fluid passageway, an internal member, and an outer collar supportably disposed about the internal member for selective advancement and retraction relative thereto.

19. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 18, wherein a distal end of said internal member is at least substantially flush with a distal end of said outer collar when said collar is in a retracted position relative thereto.

20. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 19, wherein a distal portion of said internal member projects beyond said distal end of said outer collar when said outer collar is in a retracted position relative thereto.

21. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 18, wherein upon mechanical interconnection of said first connector and said second connector said fluid passageway of said first connector and said fluid passageway of said second connector are fluidly interconnected.

22. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 18, wherein upon mechanical interconnection of said first connector and said second connector said fluid passageway of said first connector and said fluid passageway of said second connector are selectively, fluidly interconnectable by manipulation of one of said first connector and second connector.

23. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 18, wherein said first connector further includes:

a resilient member disposed at an opening at a distal end of said first connector, wherein upon mechanical interconnection between said first connector and said second connector a distal end of said resilient member is one of, penetrated and deflected by one of said first connector and said second connector.

24. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 23, wherein a distal end of said opening of said first connector is substantially closed by said resilient member when said first member is disconnected from said second connector.

25. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 24, wherein said first connector further includes:

a tubular member having at least a portion of said fluid passageway of said first connector defined therethrough and disposed for forcible penetration through said resilient member upon mechanical interconnection between said first connector and said second connector.

26. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 24, wherein said first connector further includes:

a tubular member within which said resilient member is positioned, wherein at least a portion of said fluid passageway of said first connector is defined between said resilient member and said tubular member upon interconnection between first connector and second connector.

27. A fluid connector pair as recited in claim 24, wherein at least a portion of said fluid passageway of said first connector extends through said resilient member.

28. A method for handling a first fluid connector, comprising:

retracting an outer collar relative to an internal member of a first fluid connector, and,

cleaning an outer surface of a distal end of said internal member with said outer collar in a retracted position relative to said internal member.

29. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 28, wherein a distal end of said internal member is at least substantially flush with a distal end of said outer collar when said collar is in said retracted position relative thereto.

30. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 29, wherein a distal portion of said internal member projects beyond the distal end of said outer collar when said outer collar is in said retracted position relative thereto.

31. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 28, wherein said retracting step is completed by a first hand of a user, and wherein said contacting step is completed by a second hand of said user.

32. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

advancing said outer collar of said first fluid connector relative to said internal member thereof to an advanced position; and

,

interconnecting said outer collar of said first fluid connector to a second fluid connector with said outer collar in said advanced position.

33. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 32, wherein said interconnecting step includes:

rotating said outer collar of said first fluid connector relative to said second fluid connector.

34. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 33, wherein said rotating step includes:

engaging an internally threaded surface of said outer collar of said first fluid connector with an externally threaded surface of the second fluid connector.

35. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 33, wherein said rotating step includes:

engaging an externally threaded surface of said outer collar of said first fluid connector with an internally threaded surface of the second fluid connector.

36. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

establishing a fluid interconnection between said first fluid connector and said second fluid connector.

37. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 36, wherein said establishing step includes:

opening a distal end of a fluid passageway extending through at least a portion of said internal member of said first fluid connector.

38. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 37, wherein said internal member includes a first member having at least a portion of said fluid passageway extending therethrough, and a resilient second member disposed about a distal end of the first member, and wherein said opening step includes:

forcibly penetrating a distal end of the first member through the second member.

39. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 37, wherein said second fluid connector includes a tubular member, and wherein said opening step includes:

forcibly penetrating a distal end of said tubular member through the second member of said first fluid connector.

40. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 37, wherein said internal member includes a first member with a closed, distal end moveably disposed within a tubular second member, and wherein said opening step includes:

moving said first member relative to said second member.

41. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 32, wherein said cleaning step further includes:

cleaning a distal end of said second fluid connector pair to said interconnecting step.

42. A method for handling a first fluid connector as recited in claim 41, wherein the distal end of said internal member and the distal end of said second fluid connector are each substantially closed during said cleaning step.