Screw connector for medical hose systems and a medical hose system having a screw connector

• US 10,369,347 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Lauer, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Klein, Benjamin J
• Application Number:
  US15/108,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20160325086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3622 with a cassette forming partially or totally the blood circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3661 for haemodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1033 Swivel nut connectors, e.g. threaded connectors, bayonet-connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1044 Verifying the connection, e.g. audible feedback, tactile feedback, visual feedback, using external light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/1011 Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties A61M39/16 takes precedence
• 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: F16B 39/30 Locking exclusively by special shape of the screw-thread

Abstract

A screw connector includes a first connector with a first lumen and an outside thread, and a second connector with an elastically deformable nut and an inside thread. The outside thread has a first formation and the nut has a second formation, the second formation is a recess in the base of the nut, and the inside thread and the outside thread are configured for mutual connection. The nut is configured for deformation by the first formation in a first angle-of-rotation range without the first formation engaging in the recess, and the inside thread, the outside thread, the first formation, and the recess are configured for engaging the first formation when the inside and outside threads are connected in a second angle-of-rotation range. The screw connector has a half-open sterilization position in the second angle-of-rotation range. In another range, the screw connector may be tightened to be gas-tight and/or liquid-tight.

Claims

1. A screw connector for a medical hose system, comprising

a first connecting element with a first lumen and an outside thread and

a second connecting element with an elastically deformable nut with an inside thread,

the inside thread and the outside thread being configured to be screwed to one another,

with the outside thread having a first formation and the nut having a second formation, with the second formation being a recess in a base of the thread of the nut, and

the inside thread and the outside thread being configured for mutual screw connection, and the nut being configured for elastic deformation by the first formation in a predetermined first angle-of-rotation range without the first formation engaging in the recess in the base of the thread of the nut, and

the inside thread and the outside thread and the first formation and the recess in the base of the thread of the nut being configured for engaging the first formation in the recess in the base of the thread of the nut when the inside thread and the outside thread are screwed together in a predetermined second angle-of-rotation range,

with the first connecting element and the second connecting element each being configured to be gas-permeable when the inside thread is screwed to the outside thread in the second angle-of-rotation range between an external environment of the screw connector and an interior of the screw connector formed at least by the first lumen, and

the first connecting element and the second connecting element each being configured to form a gas-tight and/or a liquid-tight seal between the external environment of the screw connector and the interior of the screw connector when the inside thread is screwed to the outside thread in a third angle-of-rotation range.

2. The screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the first formation is a local elevation on a thread flank of the outside thread.

3. The screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the recess in the base of the thread of the nut includes at least one through-opening between an interior of the nut and an exterior surrounding of the nut.

4. The screw connector according to claim 3, wherein the at least one through-opening includes a radial groove in an axial end face of the nut, and wherein the radial groove is open in a direction of the axial end face of the nut.

5. The screw connector according to claim 3, wherein the nut has at least one reinforcing rib arranged in an axial direction of the nut on an outer circumference thereof, and the at least one through-opening extends at least partially along the reinforcing rib.

6. The screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting element and the second connecting element are each configured as complementary halves of a Luer-Lock connector.

7. The screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting element has a sealing cap with a sealing structure.

8. The screw connector according to claim 7, wherein the first lumen is configured as a female half of the Luer-Lock connector and the sealing structure is configured as a male half of the Luer-Lock connector.

9. The screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting element has a second lumen and the nut is configured as a union nut.

10. The screw connector according to claim 9, wherein the first lumen is configured as a female half of the Luer-Lock connector and the second lumen is configured as the male half of the Luer-Lock connector.

11. A medical hose system having a screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the medical hose system includes a blood hose set for an extracorporeal blood treatment, with the blood hose set having a patient arterial hose and a patient venous hose, and with a patient end of the patient arterial hose and the patient end of the patient venous hose each being configured as a second connecting element.

12. The medical hose system according to claim 11, wherein the medical hose system includes a three-way connector with three connected lumens, with at least two of the three connected lumens each being configured as the first connecting element.

13. The medical hose system according to claim 12, wherein the medical hose system is configured for short-circuiting the patient end of the patient arterial hose and the patient end of the patient venous hose with the three-way connector.

14. The medical hose system according to claim 11, wherein the end of the patient arterial hose opposite the patient end of the patient arterial hose, and the end of the patient venous hose opposite the patient end of the patient venous hose, are each connected to a blood cassette for the extracorporeal blood treatment.

15. The medical hose system according to claim 11, wherein the medical hose system has at least one addition site for an addition of medical fluids, with the addition site being configured as the first connecting element for connection to a sealing cap configured as the second connecting element.

16. The screw connector according to claim 1, wherein the gas permeability facilitates a gas sterilization and/or a steam sterilization of a medical hose system associated with an extracorporeal blood treatment, with the medical hose system including a blood hose set having a patient arterial hose and a patient venous hose, and with the patient end of the patient arterial hose and the patient end of the patient venous hose each deign being configured as the second connecting element.

17. The screw connector according to claim 2,

wherein the local elevation is a nose or a lobe on an outside diameter of the outside thread.