Medical component scrubbing device with detachable cap

• US 9,352,140 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Kerr, Marshall, Hemink, David C., Jho, Jiaye Z., Vaillancourt, Michael J., Trebella, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): KARLS, SHAY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/949,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20160074648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/122 using cleaning tools, e.g. brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/235 cellular, porous or foamed
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/16 having provision for disinfection or sterilisation A61M39/143 takes precedence; methods or apparatus for disinfection or sterilisation A61L2/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/162 with antiseptic agent incorporated within the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/165 Shrouds or protectors for aseptically enclosing the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/20 Closure caps or plugs for connectors or open ends of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/14 Wipes; Absorbent members, e.g. swabs or sponges with integrated means for dispensing fluids B08B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/10 with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/021 Cleaning pipe ends or pipe fittings, e.g. before soldering grinding tube ends B24B9/007
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/48 Medical, disinfecting agents, disinfecting, antibacterial, germicidal or antimicrobial compositions

Abstract

The microbial scrub brush in one embodiment employs an insert that is impregnated with an anti-bacterial disinfectant and that is housed within a housing of alcohol-compatible material and sealed over by a removable lid. The insert is maintained in sterile condition until ready for use. After removal of the lid, the insert is moved over the end of a female luer or other portion of a medical device and rotated in order to clean the exterior surface as well as the interior luminal surface of the device. In one embodiment, the scrub brush integrally includes both a cleansing portion with a cleansing insert to cleanse a part of a medical device and a protection portion with a cover component to cover and protect the cleansed medical device part from subsequent contamination. The cleansing insert includes a plurality of compliant fingers to ensure adequate cleansing of the medical device part.

Claims

1. A scrubbing device for cleansing a luer connector, comprising:

a cleansing portion comprising a cleansing insert and a cleansing solution; and

a protection portion including a cap removably retained in a receptacle, the cap configured to cover at least a cleansed portion of the luer connector, the receptacle configured to release the cap following attachment of the cap to the luer connector.

2. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cap is retained in the receptacle by one of a protuberance, an adhesive, and a friction fit.

3. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes an annular protuberance adjacent an opening of the receptacle, the annular protuberance configured to deform to release the cap from the receptacle.

4. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cap includes a cavity designed to receive the cleansed portion of the luer connector, the cavity configured to threadably engage the luer connector.

5. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleansing portion and the protection portion are integrally formed with one another.

6. The scrubbing device according to claim 5, wherein the cleansing portion and the protection portion are disposed in an end-to-end arrangement with respect to one another.

7. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleansing portion and the protection portion are rotatable with respect to one another.

8. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleansing insert is disposed within a receptacle defined by the cleansing portion, the cleansing insert including a base and a plurality of slits defined in a pattern in the base.

9. The scrubbing device according to claim 8, wherein the pattern of the plurality of slits defines a plurality of fingers.

10. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleansing insert includes polypropylene foam.

11. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleansing solution includes at least one of chlorhexidine gluconate, chlorhexidine diacetate, and isopropyl alcohol.

12. The scrubbing device according to claim 11, wherein the cleansing solution is an aqueous solution including about two percent chlorhexidine acetate by volume.

13. The scrubbing device according to claim 12, wherein an amount of the cleansing solution is between about 0.20 cc to about 0.75 cc.

14. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleansing portion further comprises an indexing tab on an outer surface thereof configured to provide orientation information to a user.

15. The scrubbing device according to claim 1, further comprising a lid disposed over the cleansing portion.

16. A method for cleansing and protecting a luer connector, comprising:

cleansing the luer connector in a cleansing portion of a scrubbing device, the cleansing portion comprising a cleansing insert and a cleansing solution; and

attaching a cap to the luer connector following the cleansing, the cap configured to cover at least a cleansed portion of the luer connector, the cap removably retained in a protection portion of the scrubbing device.

17. The method for cleansing according to claim 16, wherein the cap is removably retained in a receptacle of the protection portion, the receptacle including an annular protuberance adjacent an opening of the receptacle, the method further comprising removing the cap attached to the connector from the receptacle by deforming the annular protuberance.

18. The method for cleansing according to claim 16, further comprising removing a lid positioned over the cleansing portion of the scrubbing device prior to the cleansing.

19. The method for cleansing according to claim 16, wherein each of the luer connector and the cap includes threads, wherein the attaching includes threadably engaging the luer connector with the cap.

20. The method for cleansing according to claim 16, wherein the cleansing portion of the scrubbing device and the protection portion of the scrubbing device are disposed in an end-to-end arrangement with respect to one another, wherein the attaching comprises rotating the scrubbing device following the cleansing to align the protection portion of the scrubbing device with the luer connector.