Needleless access port valves

• US 7,591,449 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B Braun Medical Incorporated (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: B Braun Medical Incorporated (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Janders, Michael J., Pascal, Benjamin J., Raines, Kenneth C., Peppel, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivell; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baskin; Jeremy S
• Application Number:
  US11/354,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 604/34, 604/167.04, 251/149.1, 251/149.6
• US Class Current: 251/149.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/0036 characterised by a septum having particular features, e.g. having venting channels or being made from antimicrobial or self-lubricating elastomer
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/0054 Multiple layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/266 where the valve comprises venting channels, e.g. to insure better connection, to help decreasing the fluid space upon disconnection, or to help the fluid space to remain the same during disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0222 Materials for reducing friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/26 Valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof check valves A61M39/24
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0491 Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/60 Assembling or disassembling flexible tube or sleeve type valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49417 including molding or casting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling

Abstract

Needleless access port valves are generally discussed herein with particular discussions extended to needleless access port valves incorporating a piston comprising slit along an upper piston section for accommodating fluid flow. The slit is closed by the relative geometry of the piston and the valve housing, which acts to terminate fluid flow from between the inlet and outlet of the valve assembly.

Claims

1. A valve assembly comprising:

a piston positioned inside a valve housing;

the valve housing having an interior cavity, a bottom opening, and an inlet nozzle having an inlet opening and an interior wall surface;

the piston comprising a flange, a neck section, a body section, and a base;

the piston further comprising;

a slit comprising an upper slit section, a first lower slit section and a second lower slit section, wherein the upper slit section divides the neck section into a first piston neck section and a second piston neck section and wherein the first and second lower slit sections are formed at an angle to a longitudinal axis and divide a lower part of the neck section into an actuator, the actuator configured to push against the two lower slit sections to cause the upper slit section to open, said slit extends through at least part of the neck section below the flange so that a fluid flow path is formed between the slit and the interior wall surface of the valve housing; and

wherein the flange is in contact with the interior wall surface of the inlet nozzle to force at least a portion of the first piston neck section and the second piston neck section into contact with one another.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the slit comprises a Y-shape configuration.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the slit is formed by a cutting process.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a luer nut attached to the bottom opening of the valve housing.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the body section comprises an upper solid section and a lower section defining an interior cavity.

6. The valve assembly of claim 5, wherein the lower section buckles when the piston moves form a first position to a second position.

7. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the piston and the valve housing both comprise an antimicrobial composition.

8. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of threads disposed at the inlet nozzle of the valve housing.

9. A valve assembly comprising a piston positioned inside a valve housing, the valve housing having an interior cavity, a bottom opening, and an inlet nozzle having an inlet opening and an interior wall surface;

the piston comprising a flange, a neck section located below the flange, a body section, an exterior wall surface, and a base;

the piston further comprising a slit comprising an upper slit section, a first lower slit section and a second lower slit section, said upper slit section having a first slit surface and a second slit surface extending in a direction of the inlet opening towards the bottom opening with each slit surface comprising an end distal of the flange that forms continuously with an end of the other slit surface;

wherein the slit is provided at the exterior surface of the neck section; and

wherein an actuator formed below the upper slit section is configured to cause the first and second lower slit sections to diverge and cause the first slit surface and the second slit surface to separate.

10. The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the two ends of the slit that form continuously are formed below the flange.

11. The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the first lower slit section and the second lower slit section extend from the upper slit section at an angle to form a Y-shape slit configuration.

12. The valve assembly of claim 9, further comprising a fining attached to the valve housing.

13. The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the slit is formed by a cutting process using an ultrasonic generator.

14. The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the piston is made from a self-lube silicone material that exudes liquid silicone to the exterior wall surface of the piston.

15. The valve assembly of claim 14, wherein the piston is impregnated with an antimicrobial composition.

16. A valve assembly comprising a piston positioned inside a valve housing, the piston comprising a flange, a neck section, a body section comprising an upper section and a lower section defining an interior cavity, an exterior wall surface, and a base;

the valve housing comprising an inlet nozzle having an inlet opening, a body section defining an interior cavity having an interior wall surface, and a bottom opening;

a fluid space defined by a space between the exterior wall surface of the piston and the interior wall surface of the valve housing for fluid flow through the inlet nozzle and out the bottom opening;

wherein the neck section of the piston comprises a width and a slit formed through part of the width to the exterior wall surface of the piston for fluid flow, wherein the slit is only openable for fluid flow when wedged open by an actuator located below the slit.

17. The valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the slit comprises a Y-shape configuration.

18. The valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the slit is formed through the entire width from the flange through part of the neck section below the flange.

19. The valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the piston is made from a self-lube silicone.

20. A valve assembly comprising a valve housing, a piston positioned inside the valve housing, and a fitting secured to the valve housing;

a fluid flow space defined by an exterior surface of the piston and an interior surface of the valve housing when the piston moves from a first position to an axially compressed second position, a slit comprising an upper slit section, a first lower slit section and a second lower slit section, the first and second lower slit sections formed through part of a neck section of the piston, and configured to diverge under axial compression of the piston to create a gap in fluid communication with the fluid flow space; and

wherein an antimicrobial composition is incorporated with at least one of the valve housing, the piston, and the fitting.

21. The valve assembly of claim 20, wherein the slit comprises a Y-shape configuration.

22. The valve assembly of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial composition is impregnated in the at least one of the valve housing, the piston, and the fitting.

23. The valve assembly of claim 22, wherein the antimicrobial composition is impregnated in the valve housing, the piston, and the fitting.

24. The valve assembly of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial composition is comprises at least one of silver and a compound of silver.

25. The valve assembly of claim 24, wherein the compound of silver comprises silver zirconium phosphate.