QUICK-RELEASE HUBS FOR MEDICAL DEVICES

• US 20160331929A1
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Lampropoulos, Justin, Stevens, Brian, Jenkins, Richard, McArthur, Gregory R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,792,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0681 Systems with catheter and outer tubing, e.g. sheath, sleeve or guide tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1027 Quick-acting type connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0097 characterised by the hub connectors A61M39/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/00 Dilators with or without means for introducing media, e.g. remedies instruments for performing visual medical inspections of cavities or tubes of the body A61B1/00
• 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

Hub assemblies that include a first hub and a second hub can be used to selectively couple and uncouple medical device components to and from each other without rotating the first hub relative to the second hub. Some hub assemblies can include a dilator that includes a dilator hub and an introducer sheath that includes an introducer sheath hub.

Claims

1. An introducer sheath assembly comprising:

an introducer sheath comprising;

a first tubular member configured to be at least partially inserted into a patient, the first tubular member at least partially defining a lumen that extends therethrough; and

an introducer sheath hub coupled to the first tubular member and disposed adjacent a proximal end of the first tubular member; and

a dilator comprising;

an elongate shaft that is configured to be at least partially disposed within the lumen that extends through the first tubular member; and

a dilator hub coupled to the elongate shaft and disposed adjacent a proximal end of the elongate shaft, wherein the dilator hub is configured to selectively couple to the introducer sheath hub without rotating the dilator hub relative to the introducer sheath hub.

2. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the dilator hub is configured to couple to the introducer sheath hub via a snap-fit connection.

3. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the dilator hub is configured to facilitate single-handed uncoupling of the dilator hub from the introducer sheath hub.

4. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the dilator hub is configured to couple and uncouple from the introducer sheath hub via a mechanism that does not involve an interaction between threads on the dilator hub and threads on the introducer sheath hub.

5. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the introducer sheath assembly provides audible feedback when the introducer sheath assembly transitions from a configuration in which the dilator hub is uncoupled from the introducer sheath hub to a configuration in which the dilator hub is coupled to the introducer sheath hub.

6. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the introducer sheath assembly comprises a positive stop that is visually observable when the dilator hub is coupled to the introducer sheath hub.

7. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the introducer sheath hub comprises a female luer lock fitting.

8. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the dilator hub comprises two finger input portions that are on opposite sides of the dilator hub, wherein the finger input portions are configured to facilitate uncoupling of the dilator hub from the introducer sheath hub when pressed toward one another.

9. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the dilator is configured to be inserted into the introducer sheath such that the dilator hub couples to the introducer sheath hub without applying an external force directly to the two finger input portions.

10. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the introducer sheath hub comprises two or more semi-annular ridges;

the dilator hub comprises a plurality of catches that extend distally from a proximal portion of the dilator hub; and

each catch of the plurality of catches is configured to at least partially pass through an opening between the two or more semi-annular ridges and engage with at least one of the two or more semi-annular ridges to couple the dilator hub to the introducer sheath hub.

11. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 1, wherein the dilator hub comprises a cylindrical member that is configured to transition between unconstrained and constrained configurations to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the dilator hub to the introducer sheath hub.

12. The introducer sheath assembly of claim 11, wherein the cylindrical member, when unconstrained, is shaped such that a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member intersects the cylindrical member to form an oblong shape.

13. A hub assembly for selectively coupling components of a medical device, the hub assembly comprising:

a first medical device component comprising a first hub, wherein the first hub comprises two finger input portions that are disposed on opposite sides of the first hub; and

a second medical device component comprising a second hub that is configured to selectively couple to the first hub;

wherein the first hub is configured to selectively couple to the second hub without rotating the first hub relative to the second hub; and

wherein the two finger input portions are configured to be pressed toward one another to uncouple the first hub from the second hub.

14. A method of accessing body fluid via an introducer sheath, the method comprising:

percutaneously inserting at least a portion of a tubular member of an introducer sheath into a patient; and

uncoupling a hub of a dilator from a hub of the introducer sheath while the dilator is disposed within the introducer sheath without rotating the dilator hub relative to the introducer sheath hub.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein uncoupling the hub of the dilator from the hub of the introducer sheath comprises squeezing finger input portions of the dilator hub.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein uncoupling the hub of the dilator from the hub of the introducer sheath comprises narrowing a width of a distal portion of a slit, wherein the slit extends along a portion of the dilator hub.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein uncoupling the hub of the dilator from the hub of the introducer sheath comprises deflecting a catch away from a semi-annular ridge.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein uncoupling the hub of the dilator from the hub of the introducer sheath comprises displacing a coupling region toward a longitudinal axis of the dilator.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein uncoupling the hub of the dilator from the hub of the introducer sheath comprises transitioning a cylindrical member of the dilator from an unconstrained configuration to a constrained configuration.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a cross-section of the dilator hub is more oblong when the cylindrical member is in an unconstrained configuration than when the cylindrical member is in a constrained configuration.