Medical implement cleaning device

• US 20080019889A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Ivera Medical Corporation (3M Company)
• Inventors: Rogers, Bobby E., DiPerna, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/292
• 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: A61M 39/162 with antiseptic agent incorporated within the connector

Abstract

A cleaning device for a medical implement is disclosed. The cleaning device includes a cap having an opening to an inner cavity, the opening being adapted to receive a site of the medical implement. The cleaning device further includes a compressible cleaning material that contains a cleaning agent prior to receipt of the site of the medical implement, i.e. the cleaning material is pre-loaded with the cleaning agent. The compressible cleaning material is at least partially secured in the inner cavity and adapted to swab and clean the site with the cleaning agent.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for a medical implement, the cleaning device comprising:

a cap having an opening to an inner cavity, the opening being adapted to receive a site of the medical implement; and

a compressible cleaning material that contains a cleaning agent prior to receipt of the site of the medical implement, the compressible cleaning material at least partially secured in the inner cavity and adapted to swab and clean the site with the cleaning agent.

2. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising threading around a periphery of the inner cavity.

3. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cleaning material includes a first cleaning material that forms a ring in the inner cavity, and a second cleaning material that forms a cylinder within the first cleaning material.

4. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cap includes an outer surface having a plurality of vertical ridges.

5. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the threading is provided in a threaded ring that is connected to the cap at the periphery of the inner cavity.

6. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one vent hole in the cap.

7. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a removable seal connected to the cap over the opening to the inner cavity.

8. A cleaning system for a threaded medical implement, the cleaning system comprising:

a cap having an inner cavity and an opening to receive a site of the medical implement into the inner cavity;

a threaded ring connected to the inner cavity at the opening to the cap, and having threads that correspond to threads on the threaded medical implement;

a cleaning material in the inner cavity adapted to provide radial compression against the threaded medical implement, the cleaning material containing a cleaning agent prior to receipt of the site of the medical implement.

9. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the cleaning material is further adapted to provide axial compression against the threaded medical implement.

10. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the cap and the threaded ring are formed of a unitary piece of material.

11. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the cleaning material is formed of a first cleaning material to provide the radial compression against the threaded medical implement, and a second cleaning material to provide the axial compression against the threaded medical implement.

12. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the cleaning agent includes isopropyl alcohol.

13. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the cap includes an outer surface having a plurality of vertical ridges.

14. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the cap includes one or more vent holes for allowing evaporation of the isopropyl alcohol.

15. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a removable seal connected to the lower edge of the cap to cover the opening to the inner cavity.

16. A method of cleaning a site of a medical implement, the method comprising:

at least partially saturating a cleaning material with a cleaning agent in an inner cavity of a cap;

contacting a top of the site of the medical implement to a first portion of the cleaning material;

compressing the first portion of cleaning material with the site of the medical implement to contact a side of the site with a second portion of the cleaning material provided around the first cleaning material; and

attaching the cap over the site of the medical implement.

17. A cleaning device for a medical implement, the cleaning device comprising:

a cap having an opening to an inner cavity, an inner surface of the opening including one or more threads adapted to receive a site of the medical implement; and

a cleaning material formed of a compressible material that is at least partially secured in the inner cavity, the cleaning material containing a cleaning agent.

18. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the cleaning material is adapted to provide radial compression against the site of the medical implement for radial swabbing of the site.

19. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the cleaning material is adapted to provide axial compression against the site of the medical implement for axial and rotational swabbing of the site of the medical implement when the site is rotated into the opening of the cap.

20. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the compressible material includes an open-cell foam.

21. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the cleaning material includes a first cleaning material to provide the radial compression against the site of the medical implement, and a second cleaning material to provide the axial compression against the site of the medical implement.

22. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a removable covering that covers the opening to the inner cavity prior to coupling with the site of the medical implement.

23. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the cleaning material is preloaded with the cleaning agent prior to a seal being applied to the opening of the cap.

24. A cleaning system for a medical environment, the cleaning system comprising:

a plurality of caps, each cap having;

an inner cavity and an opening to receive a site of the medical implement into the inner cavity;

a cleaning material in the inner cavity adapted to provide radial compression against a site of a medical implement, the cleaning material containing a cleaning agent prior to receipt of the site of the medical implement; and

a seal that covers the opening of each of the plurality of caps, and from which individual ones of the plurality of caps can be selectively removed to be used for cleaning the site of the medical implement.

25. A cleaning system in accordance with claim 24, wherein each cap further includes a threaded ring connected to the inner cavity at the opening to the cap, and having threads that correspond to threads on the medical implement.