Fluid coupling and the method of manufacture

Details Fluid coupling and the method of manufacture Fluid coupling and the method of manufacture

1992-09-02

1994-11-15

Yasko, John D.

Surgery

Means for introducing or removing material from body for...

Treating material introduced into or removed from body...

604284, 604905, 2851371, 156296, 156294, A61M 2500

Patent

active

053643771

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to fluid couplings, and relates more particularly but not exclusively to couplings for joining several intravenous fluid conduits to a single intravenous cannula.
In the context of medical treatment of patients, it has become common practice to connect several tubes to a single intravenous cannula inserted into a vein of the patient, with the tubes each acting as a conduit, for a respective intravenous fluid. This practice allows the simultaneous supply to the patient of several intravenous fluids without multiple puncturing of the patient. For example, the patient may be continuously supplied with a saline solution, and intermittently injected with a drug, all through a single needle.
However, it has been found that conventional couplings cause unacceptable variations in flow rates of the different fluids. A drug meant to be delivered to the patient in a relatively short period of time may in fact be delivered over a long period, and at an unpredictable rate, or a fluid meant to be delivered at a slow rate over a long period of time may in fact be injected as a bolus (i.e. in one brief surge). Such unpredictable lack of control of fluid delivery rates has obvious dangers for the patient being injected.
The conventional couplings have the general shape of a "Y", and it is the volume of the downstream leg of the "Y" that is considered to account for the hazardous fluid delivery rate variations referred to above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid coupling suitable for joining three or more intravenous fluid tubes to a single cannula, in which the internal volume otherwise giving rise to fluid delivery rate variations is substantially eliminated.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a fluid coupling for connecting a plurality of fluid sources to a single-bore outlet member, said coupling comprising a plurality of tubes mutually conjoined within a connector for attachment of said outlet member, each said tube extending through said connector to terminate at a point which is substantially contiguous with said outlet member when attached to said connector, the lumens of each said tube being mutually isolated by the tube walls until the termination of the tubes at said point, whereby in use of said fluid coupling with said single-bore outlet member connected thereto, fluid passing down any of said tubes discharges from the end of the respective tube substantially directly into the bore of said outlet member.
Said single-bore outlet member may comprise a cannula, which is preferably integral with or formed as a hypodermic trocar. Said outlet member preferably comprises the female half of a luer connector, and the connector of said coupling is preferably in the form of the matching male half of a luer connector.
The tubes of said coupling are preferably flexible tubes of a flexible polymeric material that is substantially unreactive with fluids conveyed thereby in use of the coupling. The end of each said tube remote from the connector of said coupling may be terminated by the female half of a respective luer connector.
Preferably a first tube is of short length and large bore, a second tube is of short length and fine bore, and a third tube is of variable length and of fine or medium bore. In this configuration the first tube provides a gravity feed line, the second tube is available for intermittent injection of fluid and the third tube, which is preferably made of, or lined with, a non-absorbent material, provides a line for supply of fluid from a pump. Further pump lines may be provided.
The large-bore first tube is preferably of 1.00-2.3 mm internal diameter and not more than 20 cm in length. This combination of large lumen and short length provides excellent flow rates on gravity feed.
The fine-bore tube or tubes are preferably of less than 0.8 mm, most preferably 0.2-0.5 mm, internal diameter; said second tube referred to above is preferably not more than 20 cm in length. Said third tube may be of short or long length.
The act

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