Catheter connector system

• US 7,377,915 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Kelly, Hinckley, Scott D., Teng, Abraham C., Pierce, David W., Peterson, Jack R., Barron, William R., Breiter, Catherine C., Anderson, Jeffrey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHARSKI, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US11/096,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 604/43, 604/535, 604/284, 604/534, 604/533, 604/27, 604/29, 604/264, 604/256, 604/167.01, 604/164.04, 604/523, 604/536, 604/538, 604/539, 604/175
• US Class Current: 604/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1083 having a plurality of female connectors, e.g. Luer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0097 characterised by the hub connectors A61M39/10
• 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: A61M 39/1011 Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties A61M39/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/105 Multi-channel connectors or couplings, e.g. for connecting multi-lumen tubes multi-channel connectors in general F16L37/56

Abstract

A catheter connector system that allows trimming of the proximal end of a catheter (single or multiple lumen) prior to the placement of a connector hub. In one variation, the catheter connector system comprises a catheter, a connector sheath including a soft collet, and a connector hub including a cannula for engaging the catheter and a connector hub interface for receiving the connector sheath.

Claims

1. A catheter connector system, comprising:

a catheter;

a connector sheath comprising a soft collet and a hard collet sheath, wherein the soft collet extends both proximally and distally beyond the hard collet sheath, and wherein the soft collet includes a lumen sized for slidable positioning over at least a proximal end of the catheter; and

a connector hub comprising a cannula sized for insertion into a lumen of the catheter and a distal interface with a cavity for receiving at least a portion of the soft collet, a proximal portion of the cavity configured to directly contact the soft collet and compress the soft collet against the proximal end of the catheter;

wherein one of the connector hub or the hard collet comprises at least one distally extending lock arm and the other comprises at least one external lock slot, wherein the at least one distally extending lock arm and the at least one external lock slot are configured to engage each other,

wherein the connector hub is secured to the connector sheath by aligning the at least one distally extending lock arm and the at least one external lock slot and moving the connector sheath and the connector hub together in a straight motion with respect to the axis of the catheter until the at least one distally extending lock arm and the at least one external lock slot are locked together.

2. The catheter connector system according to claim 1, wherein the connector sheath is a unitary connector sheath with the hard collet sheath and the soft collet fixedly attached together.

3. The catheter connector system according to claim 1, wherein a wall forming the cavity is tapered such that the cross-section of the cavity is larger at a distal end than at a proximal end thereof.

4. The catheter connector system according to claim 1, wherein the catheter comprises a D-shaped lumen and the cannula includes a non-circular cross-section configured for engaging a wall of the D-shaped lumen.

5. The catheter connector system according to claim 1, wherein the cannula comprises a metallic material.

6. The catheter connector system according to claim 1, wherein the catheter comprises a dual lumen catheter and the connector hub comprises a bifurcation including two cannulas.

7. The catheter connector system according to claim 6, wherein a proximal portion of the cannulas are angled away from each other.

8. The catheter connector system according to claim 7, further comprising two extension legs connected to a proximal end of the cannulas.

9. The catheter connector system according to claim 6, wherein the bifurcation comprises a hard core molded over the two cannulas, and a soft overmold positioned over the hard core.

10. The catheter connector system according to claim 9, wherein the cannulas comprise a metallic material.

11. The catheter connector system according to claim 10 wherein the catheter comprises two D-shaped lumens, each of the cannulas including a non-circular cross-section configured for establishing a seal with the D-shaped lumens.

12. The catheter connector system according to claim 11, wherein the cannulas comprise a metallic material.

13. The catheter connector system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for generating an audible notification to an user when the at least one distally extending lock arm or the at least one lock slot of the hard collet engages with the at least one distally extending lock arm or the at least one lock slot of the connector hub.

14. A multi-lumen catheter connector, comprising:

a multi-lumen catheter;

a unitary connector sheath comprising a soft collet and a hard collet sheath, wherein the hard collet sheath is fixedly retained to the soft collet, and wherein the proximal end and the distal end of the soft collet extend beyond the hard collet sheath; and

a connector hub comprising a plurality of cannulas corresponding to the number of lumens in the multi-lumen catheter, wherein the plurality of cannulas are configured for insertion into a proximal end of the multi-lumen catheter, and wherein the connector hub comprises a cavity for receiving the soft collet, the cavity being configured to compress the proximal end of the soft collet against the proximal end of the multi-lumen catheter, the proximal end of the soft collet that extends beyond the proximal end of the collet sheath being configured to directly contact the connector hub;

wherein one of the connector hub or the hard collet comprises at least one distally extending lock arm and the other comprises at least one external lock slot, wherein the at least one distally extending lock arm and the at least one external lock slot are configured to engage each other,

wherein the connector hub is secured to the connector sheath by aligning the at least one distally extending lock arm and the at least one external lock slot and moving the connector sheath and the connector hub together in a straight motion with respect to the axis of the catheter until the at least one distally extending lock arm and the at least one external lock slot are locked together.

15. The catheter connector according to claim 14, wherein a distal portion of the connector hub further comprises a cut-out portion, permitting visual observation of the cannula during insertion into the catheter.

16. The catheter connector according to claim 14, wherein each of the cannulas comprises a distal end, a mid-section, a proximal portion, and a proximal end, wherein the proximal portions of the cannulas are angled away from each other.

17. The catheter connector according to claim 16, wherein each of the cannulas includes a lumen with an expanding proximal portion that provides a smooth transition between a plurality of extension legs connected to the proximal ends of the cannulas and the lumens within the catheter.

18. The catheter connector according to claim 16, wherein the connector hub further comprises an overmold positioned over at least the mid-sections of the cannulas, a plurality of extension legs connected to the proximal ends of the cannulas, and a plurality of luer connectors attached to the extension legs.

19. The catheter connector according to claim 14, wherein each cannula includes a metal tubing.