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Disposable electro-fluidic connector with data storage

  • US 5,197,895 A
  • Filed: 05/10/1991
  • Issued: 03/30/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A multiple electrical and fluidic connector for medical apparatus for rapidly connecting and disconnecting with a single male and female connector a plurality of electrical lines and fluid lines while maintaining consistent, bubble-tight fluid interconnection thereof, said connector having a modular design so that the number of fluidic and electrical connections may be varied depending upon the particular application, said connector comprising:

  • a common upper cover shell and a common lower cover shell each being substantially identical regardless of the number of electrical and fluid connections;

    a core member retained between and within said upper and lower cover shells, said core having a male configuration comprising;

    male tubular hollow fluidic pins, corresponding to the number of fluid connections, extending from the end of said core; and

    male electrical pins, corresponding to the number of electrical connections, extending from the end of said core, the external wall of said fluidic pins having a tapered angle throughout most of their length and merging into a cylindrical portion;

    said core having a female configuration comprising;

    a female fluidic receptacle having female fluidic socket openings corresponding to said male fluidic pins and female electrical socket openings corresponding to said male electrical pins, said female fluidic socket openings each having a larger circumferential opening than the cylindrical portion of said male fluidic pins, said openings tapering to a narrower internal cylindrical portion having an internal diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion of the male fluidic pin so that an interference fluid-tight fit is created when said male fluidic tubular pins are inserted into said female receptacle fluidic sockets, without any requirement that the end of the male pin abut a seat at the bottom of a female receptacle socket,said connector compensating for inaccuracies inherent in the mass production of said cores and cover shells by;

    i) retention of said male core member so as to permit some slight movement of the male core within said upper and lower cover shells so as to tolerate misalignment with respect to the mating female core member;

    ii) constructing said male fluidic pins so as to allow some bending thereof along their longitudinal axis so that the male pins will bend slightly to compensate for misalignment between said fluidic male pins on said male core and fluidic receptacle socket openings in said female core, andmeans for preventing mismating of the male and female core members by forming mating key portions in said male and female connectors to prevent an improper reverse insertion therebetween.

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