Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-06-12
Nguyen, Anhtuan T. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S905000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245055
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an adapter for making a fluid-tight fit between a tube smaller than a luer fitting and a luer fitting. Specifically, the invention relates to an adapter that easily mounts to a tubular delivery appliance, such as a needle.
BACKGROUND
In medical practice a delivery appliance of one size must frequently be connected to a delivery source of a different size. One common example is a tubular needle designed to be used in a syringe. Disposable needles are well known in the medical sciences and are mass manufactured so that they can be easily inserted into a delivery source, utilized for their intended purpose, and then discarded. The luer connection hub or fitting was developed before disposable syringes and needles as a standard receptacle for receiving needles and other tubular delivery appliances.
The use of luer fitting appliances in standardized sizes requires manufacturers to supply delivery appliances that easily fit into a luer fitting. The most common method for manufacturing these delivery appliances is by insertion molding. In insertion molding, a delivery appliance is inserted into a mold and a luer fitting adapter is molded permanently around the delivery appliance. Since tubular delivery appliances are produced in a wide variety of diameters, a large number of different molding arrangements are needed to fill orders.
Insertion molding works well if the production quantities of the product are sufficiently high to justify the purchase or retrofitting of an insertion molding assembly machine to build the required luer-ready appliances. However, in may instances, manufacturers are not equipped to handle small volume orders for specific luer-ready appliances, and frequently delay production until the ordered quantity is large enough to justify the expense of retrofitting or purchasing the molding equipment or parts.
Accordingly, there is a need for a luer adapter for delivery appliances that can be manufactured inexpensively in small quantities so that small quantities of luer-ready delivery appliances can be supplied promptly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for an adapter that can be produced and subsequently modified so that small quantities of various luer-ready delivery appliances can be manufactured economically.
In accordance with the invention, an adapter for adapting a tubular delivery appliance to a luer fitting comprises two right circular semi-cylinders. Each right circular semi-cylinder has a generally planar surface including a central longitudinal groove. When the two semi-cylinders are combined with their planar surfaces face-to-face, the adapter has an outer diameter for frictionally engaging the internal surface of a first tube and an inner channel for receiving a second tube. The first tube may be a luer fitting.
In accordance with the invention, there is also provided, for a luer fitting having an inside diameter and inside surface, a tubular delivery appliance having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of a luer fitting, and an adapter for insertion into and engagement with the inside surface of the luer fitting in a fluid-tight fit, and holding the tubular delivery appliance in the luer fitting in a fluid-tight fit, the adapter comprising two right circular semi-cylinders, each right semi-cylinder including a generally planar surface having a central longitudinal groove, the semi-cylinders being bonded together with the planar surfaces face-to-face and the grooves aligned opposite each other so that the adapter has an outer diameter for frictionally engaging the luer fitting, the tubular delivery appliance being held in the grooves.
In accordance with the invention there is also provided, for a luer fitting having an inside diameter and inside surface, a tubular delivery appliance having an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the luer fitting, and an adapter for insertion into and engagement with the inside surface of the luer fitting in a fluid-tight fit, holding the tubular delivery appliance in the luer fitting in a fluid-tight fit, the adapter comprising two right circular semi-cylinders, each right circular semi-cylinder including a generally planar surface having a central longitudinal groove, the two semi-cylinders being combined with the planar surfaces face-to-face and the grooves aligned opposite each other so that the adapter has an outer diameter for frictionally engaging the luer fitting and a central bore receiving and holding the tubular delivery appliance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4013310 (1977-03-01), Dye
patent: 4405312 (1983-09-01), Gross et al.
patent: 4473369 (1984-09-01), Lueders et al.
patent: 4723948 (1988-02-01), Clark et al.
patent: 4838873 (1989-06-01), Landskron et al.
patent: 5263945 (1993-11-01), Byrnes et al.
patent: 5776117 (1998-07-01), Haselhorst et al.
Adelman David B.
Fulford Tony W.
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Nguyen Anhtuan T.
Roboz Surgical Instrument Co., Inc.
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