Liquid purification or separation – With repair or assembling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-27
2001-10-30
Kim, John (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
With repair or assembling means
C210S238000, C210S321720, C285S148190, C285S148210, C285S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309543
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling assembly and, more particularly, to a coupling device for interconnecting a dialyzer reprocessing system to a dialyzer blood port.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is significant concern about possible cross-contamination of dialyzers that are being reprocessed if the blood port connector on the reprocessing machine is not adequately disinfected between uses. Many conventional dialyzer reprocessing systems use a luer/tubing connector to connect the blood line thereof to the dialyzer blood port. This connector is generally not removed from the reprocessor tubing and, therefore, disinfection is typically limited to wiping the connector with disinfectant. In addition, the tubing must be twisted in order to thread the connector onto the luer connection of the dialyzer blood port.
Some reprocessing systems provide a quick connect/disconnect coupling on the blood line thereof. Conventional quick connect/disconnect couplings are adapted to interconnect tube segments and thus use conventional tubing connectors. See in that regard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,725, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. Therefore, a conventional quick disconnect can only be used to interconnect a quick connect/disconnect equipped reprocessor to the luer fitting on the dialyzer if additional tubing is used to connect the quick disconnect to a luer/tubing connector that is in turn connected to the luer connector of the dialyzer. This additional tubing means that there are additional parts that must be disinfected and the tubing must still be twisted to thread the luer connector onto the dialyzer port. In addition, the cost of multiple sets of the removable portion, i.e. the tubing with connectors on both ends, makes disinfecting by removal and soaking impractical. Therefore, providing a quick disconnect coupling on the blood line does not solve the problem of improving disinfection and simplifying attachment to the luer connector of the dialyzer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling device that reduces the risk of cross-contamination of dialyzers during reprocessing by providing a reusable, easily disinfected connector for coupling a dialyzer to, e.g., the blood line of a dialyzer reprocessing system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coupling device that allows a dialyzer to be coupled to a dialyzer reprocessing system without rotating or twisting associated tubing.
The foregoing objects are realized in accordance with the invention by providing a coupling device that is a simple, one-piece adapter for being screwed to the luer connector of the dialyzer at a luer connector end thereof and then axially attached to a blood line of a dialyzer reprocessing device via a quick connect/disconnect coupling end thereof. The adapter is reusable and easily disinfected by simply soaking it in liquid disinfectant. Since there is no tubing incorporated in the adapter, costs are minimized and handling is facilitated. Moreover, the thicker side wall realized by the elimination of a tubing nipple extends the connector life and makes it more reliable. In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment, the adapter also includes grip wings or a grippable outer surface to facilitate threading of the luer connector end thereof to the dialyzer blood port.
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Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 26th Edition, Oct. 1995, pp. 998 and 1748.*
Renal Systems; Maximum Flexibility in an Integrated System; Renatron II Dialyzer Reprocessing System; Pamphlet; 1996.
Carlson Wayne G.
Fenton Thomas L.
Grady Shawn P.
Wolbers Scott D.
Kim John
Minntech Corporation
Nixon & Vanderhye PC
Sorkin David
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