Medical device improvements for enteral feeding

• US 5,057,093 A
• Filed: 09/07/1989
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
• Inventors: Osborne, Robert S., Clegg, Robert D., Coules, Ronald A., Iversen, Kent E., Schneider, Patricia A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/404,940
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 604/283, 604/284, 604/905, 604/256, 604/282, 604/326, 285/332, 285/177, 285/12, 285/320, 128/912
• US Class Current: 604/535
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/00 Feeding-tubes for therapeutic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0026 Parts, details or accessories for feeding-tubes external tubes from medical containers to a connector outside of the body A61M39/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1027 Quick-acting type connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1066 having protection means, e.g. sliding sleeve to protect connector itself, shrouds to protect a needle present in the connector, protective housing, isolating sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1077 Adapters, e.g. couplings adapting a connector to one or several other connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0482 Enteral feeding product
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/912 Connections and closures for tubes delivering fluids to or from the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

Improved medical devices for use between a feeding tube set and a catheter include a universal adaptor having a configuration permitting use of same with Y-connectors of various sizes, a Y-connector interlockable with the aforesaid adaptor, and an adaptor hood usable with the adaptor either as a protective shroud therefor or as a supplemental adaptor therewith.

Claims

1. For use in various combinations between a feeding tube set and a catheter;

an adaptor, a connector, and an adaptor hood;

said adaptor comprising a first generally tubular member having an upper end adapted to be mounted on the distal end of a feeding tube and a lower end adapted to be inserted into the upper end of either said connector or into said adaptor hood, the outer surface of said adaptor being characterized by a series of steps of progressively smaller diameters from the upper to the lower end thereof and including at least one inverted, slightly conical section, and a ring member projecting radially from said upper end of said first tubular member in a longitudinal plane and adapted to have a locking plug of said connector removably secured therein;

said connector comprising a second generally tubular member mounted on the proximal end of a catheter and having an open end with any one of a plurality of inner diameters and adapted to receive therein the stepped lower end of said adaptor, a locking plug projecting radially from the upper portion of said second tubular member on a flexible, resilient arm with said plug being adapted either for plugging said open upper end of said second tubular member when no adaptor is received therein or for being lockingly engaged in said adaptor ring member when said adaptor is received in said open upper end of said connector to prevent inadvertent separation of said adaptor and said connector; and

said adaptor hood comprising a third generally tubular member having an open upper end, an inner bore which tapers inwardly in a downward direction, and a tip at its lower end with the outer surface thereof being provided with a luer taper for interfitting engagement thereof in the open upper end of a connector having a bore with a luer taper, which connector is mounted on the proximal end of a catheter.

2. For use in combination between a feeding tube set and a catheter;

an adaptor and a connector;

said adaptor comprising a first generally tubular member having an upper end adapted to be mounted on the distal end of a feeding tube and a lower end adapted to be inserted into the upper end of said connector, the outer surface of said adaptor being characterized by a series of steps of progressively smaller diameters from the upper to the lower end thereof and including at least one inverted, slightly conical section, and a ring member projecting radially from said upper end of said first tubular member in a longitudinal plane and adapted to have a locking plug of said connector removable secured therein; and

said connector comprising a second generally tubular member mounted on the proximal end of a catheter and having an open end with any one of a plurality of inner diameters and adapted to receive therein the stepped lower end of said adaptor, a locking plug projecting radially from the upper portion of said tubular member of a flexible, resilient arm with second said plug being adapted either for plugging said open upper end of said second tubular member when no adaptor is received in said open upper end of said connector or to prevent inadvertent separation of said adaptor and said connector when said plug is secured within said ring member.

3. For use in combination between a feeding tube set and a catheter;

an adaptor and an adaptor hood;

said adaptor comprising a first generally tubular member having an upper end adapted to be mounted on the distal end of a feeding tube and a lower end adapted to be inserted into said adaptor hood, the outer surface of said adaptor being characterized by a series of steps of progressively smaller diameters from the upper to the lower end thereof and including at least one inverted, slightly conical section, and a ring member projecting radially from said upper end of said first tubular member in a longitudinal plane; and

said adaptor hood comprising a second generally tubular member having an open upper end, and inner bore which tapers inwardly in a downward direction, and a tip at its lower end with the outer surface thereof being provided with a luer taper, said second tubular member being adapted to be fitted over said first tubular member from the lower end thereof for either providing a protective cover for said adaptor during transport or storage thereof or for providing interfitting engagement thereof in the open upper end of a connector mounted on the proximal end of a catheter, which open upper end is characterized by a bore having a luer taper.

4. For use in combination between a feeding tube set and a catheter;

and adaptor, an adaptor hood, and a connector;

said adaptor comprising a first generally tubular member having an upper end adapted to be mounted on the distal end of a feeding tube and a lower end adapted to be inserted into said adaptor hood, the outer surface of said adaptor being characterized by a series of steps of progressively smaller diameters from the upper to the lower end thereof and including at least one inverted, slightly conical section;

said adaptor hood comprising a second generally tubular member having an open upper end, an inner bore which tapers inwardly in a downward direction, and a tip at its lower end with the outer surface thereof being provided with a luer taper for providing interfitting engagement thereof in the open upper end of a connector mounted on the proximal end of a catheter, which open upper end is characterized by a bore having a luer taper;

said second tubular member being adapted to be removably fitted over said first tubular member, and releasable positive interlocking means are provided between said adaptor and said connector.

5. For use between a feeding tube set and a catheter connector;

an adaptor comprising a generally tubular member having an upper end adapted to be mounted on the distal end of a feeding tube and a lower end adapted to be inserted into the upper end of said catheter connector, an outer surface of said adaptor being characterized by a series of steps of progressively smaller diameters from the upper to the lower end thereof, and a locking ring member projecting radially from said upper end of said tubular member for interlocking engagement by a locking plug on said catheter connector, said locking ring member being integral with said tubular member and oriented such that the axis of said ring member is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tubular member.

6. For use with an adaptor of a feeding tube set;

an adaptor hood comprising a generally tubular member having a open upper end, a through bore which tapers inwardly in a downward direction from said upper end, said upper end being provided with several longitudinally extending internal ribs which aid the adaptor hood in gripping an outer surface of said adaptor, and said adaptor hood having a tip at its lower end with the outer surface thereof being provided with a luer taper, said tubular member being adapted to fit over a tubular adaptor of a feeding tube set from the lower end thereof for either providing a protective cover for said adaptor during transport or storage of the feeding tube set or for interfitting engagement thereof in the open upper end of a catheter connector having a bore with a luer taper.

7. For use between a feeding tube and a catheter, a positive interlock comprising a generally tubular connector mounted at the proximal end of a catheter and having an adaptor-receiving entrance port provided at its other end;

a generally tubular adaptor having one end mounted on the distal end of a feeding tube and its other end insertable into said adaptor-receiving entrance port of said connector;

a ring formation on said adaptor; and

a plug member secured to said connector by a flexible arm and releasably engageable through said adaptor ring formation.

8. The interlock of claim 7 wherein said plug member is provided with a compressible annular ring for locking engagement with said adaptor ring formation.

9. The interlock of claim 7 wherein the outer surface of said adaptor is provided with a series of stepped surfaces of progressively smaller diameters from said one end thereof to said other end thereof, said outer surface configuration enabling insertion of said other end of said adaptor into adaptor-receiving ports of various sizes whereby said adaptor may be universally used with catheter connectors of many different sizes.

10. The interlock of claim 9 wherein said outer surface configuration of said adaptor has one or more inverted conical sections dispersed between adjacent stepped surfaces.

11. For use between a feeding tube and a catheter, improved medical devices comprising

a tubular adaptor mountable on the distal end of a feeding tube and having progressively smaller diameter stepped surfaces on the outer surface thereof from the feeding tube end thereof to the opposite end thereof

a tubular connector mountable on the proximal end of a catheter and having at the opposite end thereof an adaptor-receiving port of any one of several diameters, any one of which ports will insertably receive said adaptor,

releasable positive interlock means engageable between said adaptor and said connector when same are assembled together,

and a tubular hood having a tip with a luer taper and fittable over said adaptor to serve either as a protective shroud or as a supplemental adaptor for use with connectors wherein said adaptor-receiving port thereof is provided with an internal luer taper.

12. The improved medical devices of claim 11 wherein said interlock means comprises a ring formation provided on said adaptor and a plug formation secured to said connector by a flexible arm, said plug formation being releasably engageable in said adaptor ring formation.

13. The improved medical devices of claim 12 wherein the outer surface configuration of said tubular adaptor includes an inverted conical section.

14. The improved medical devices of claim 11 wherein the outer surface configuration of said tubular adaptor includes an inverted conical section.