Coupling for medical cannulae

• US 6,508,807 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph L. Peters
• Original Assignee: Joseph L. Peters
• Inventors: Peters, Joseph L
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez, Manuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAN, MARK K
• Application Number:
  US09/600,568
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 604/523, 604/905, 604/533, 604/534, 604/535, 604/537, 604/538, 604/247, 604/248, 604/249
• US Class Current: 604/533
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1033 Swivel nut connectors, e.g. threaded connectors, bayonet-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 2039/1094 at least partly incompatible with standard connectors, e.g. to prevent fatal mistakes in connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6045 having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/1011 Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties A61M39/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

A medical coupling for a cannulae includes a female member (1) with a body providing a hub (4) defining a socket (11), a valve section (5) with a valve actuator (15) slidable on the body, an internally splined sleeve (44) movable with the valve actuator, and a finger gripping section (5), and a male member (2) including a spiget (20) for engagement in the socket (11), a cap (21) with a screw thread for engagement with a thread (10) on the hub (4), and external splines (45) on the cap. When the spigot is inserted into the socket (11), the cap (21) is rotated onto the screw thread (10to hold them against being pulled apart, and the valve actuator is displaced to open the valve and to bring the splined sleeve (44) into locking engagement with the cap (31). A separate casing (30) is provided to form a sealed housing around the coupled parts, in a group of such couplings intended for use with different kinds of catheter, the spline arrangement on the cap (31) and in the sleeve (44) are different for each coupling to prevent the male member of one coupling being operatively connected to the female member of another coupling.

Claims

1. A coupling for a medical cannula comprising a female member (1) having a socket (11), a male member (2) having a spigot (20) engageable with a push fit into the socket (11), a cap (21) attached to one member and rotationally engageable with the other member to secure the spigot against disengagement from the socket, and a locking arrangement to lock the cap (21) against rotation in the direction of disengagement from said other member, characterised in that the locking arrangement comprises an external keying configuration (45) on the male member (2) and a slide (15) having a complementary keying configuration on an inner surface thereof, the slide being movable on the female member to bring the keying configurations into engagement and thereby lock the cap (21) against rotation in the disengagement direction.

2. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the external keying configuration (45) is carried by the cap (21).

3. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the slide (15) includes a sleeve (44) with the inner keying configuration provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof.

4. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the external keying configuration and/or the inner keying configuration comprises a series of uniformly spaced splines.

5. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the cap (21) is fixedly mounted on the male member (2) and is externally splined, and the slide (15) comprises an internally splined sleeve (44) for engagement with the splined cap.

6. A coupling according to claim 5, wherein the slide (15) is capable of rotation through a limited angle substantially less than a full revolution for bringing the splines into alignment during engagement of the slide (15) with the cap (21).

7. A coupling according to claim 6, wherein the ends of the splines are shaped to bring about automatically any rotation of the slide (15) necessary to allow locking engagement of the slide (15) with the cap (21).

8. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the female member includes a valve having a valve actuator, the slide being movable with the valve actuator.

9. A coupling according to claim 8, wherein axial movement of the valve actuator to open the valve engages the locking arrangement.

18. A group or range of couplings according to claim 14, wherein each coupling is defined in claim 1.

10. A male coupling member for a medical cannula coupling, comprising a spigot (20) for push fit engagement in a socket of a female coupling member, an internally screw-threaded cap (21) attached to the spigot for threaded engagement with the female member to secure the spigot (20) against disengagement from the socket, characterised in that an external keying means (45) is provided on the cap for engagement by locking part of the female member to lock the cap against rotation in the disengagement direction.

11. A male coupling member according to claim 10, wherein the external keying means comprises a series of splines (45) uniformly distributed around an outer peripheral surface of the cap.

12. A female coupling member for a medical cannula coupling, comprising a hub (4) a socket (11) for receiving a spigot of a male member engageable therein with a push fit, and means (10) on the hub (4) engageable by an internally screw-threaded cap of the male member for securing the spigot against disengagement from the socket (11), characterised in that a locking part (15) slidable relative to the hub includes a sleeve (44) provided with internal keying means for engagement with complementary keying means (45) provided on the exterior of the cap of the male member for locking the cap against rotation in the disengagement direction.

13. A female coupling according to claim 12, wherein the internal keying means comprises a series of splines uniformly spaced around the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve (44).

14. A group or range of medical couplings for use with catheters adapted for different application to a patient, each coupling of the group or range including a female member (1) having a socket (11), a male member (2) having a spigot (20) for push fit engagement in the socket (11), a cap (21) provided on one member and rotationally engageable with the other member to secure the spigot against disengagement from the socket, and a locking arrangement to lock the cap (21) against rotation in the disengagement direction, characterised in that each coupling in the range or group has complementary engaging means (44,45) on the male and female members adapted to prevent the male or female member being operatively connected to a female or male member, respectively, of any other coupling in the group or range of couplings.

15. A group or range of couplings according to claim 14, wherein the locking arrangements of the couplings differ from each other to prevent male and female members of respective couplings being operatively connected to one another.

16. A group or range of couplings according to claim 15, wherein the locking arrangement of each coupling includes a slide (15) with keying means (44) movable into and out of engagement with complementary keying means (45) carried by the cap (21), the keying means being arranged to prevent the keying means (44) on the slide being moved into operative engagement with the keying means (45) carried by the cap (21) of another coupling in the group or range of couplings.

17. A group or range of couplings according to claim 14, wherein the male spigot and female socket of each of the couplings are of different size and/or shape to those of the other couplings.