Male luer valve

Details Male luer valve Male luer valve

2002-10-01

2003-04-08

Hirsch, Paul J. (Department: 3754)

Valves and valve actuation

With correlated flow path

Valve operated by joining flow path sections

C251S086000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06543745

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
This invention generally relates to valves such as luer lock valves which are used primarily in the medical field, and more specifically relates to a slidable type of valve used primarily in the medical field.
Slidable valves presently exist for use in the medical field. Such valves provide that the valve is initially biased into a closed position, where fluid cannot flow through the valve, and one or more internal components of the valve are slidable within the valve to actuate the valve into an open position, where fluid can flow through the valve.
One type of medical valve is the subject of United States patent application Ser. No. 09/523,354, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,132 and is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the present application. Specifically,
FIG. 1
shows the valve
10
in the closed position (wherein fluid cannot flow through the valve), and
FIG. 2
shows the valve
10
in the open position (wherein fluid can flow through the valve). The valve
10
includes a valve body
12
, a valve poppet
14
with luer taper (with sealing member
16
thereon), an internal resilient valve stem
18
, a metal compression spring
20
and a valve plug
22
, all of which are within the flow path of fluid moving through the valve (the arrows
24
shown in
FIG. 2
illustrate the fluid flow path (in one of two possible directions) through the valve
10
). The valve stem
18
may include flutes or ribs on an external surface
26
thereof to facilitate fluid flow around the stem
18
when the valve
10
is in the open position.
In use, engagement or mating structure
28
, such as a syringe, another valve or some other structure, engages the valve poppet
14
, pushing it generally into the valve body
12
causing the valve
10
to move from the closed position as shown in
FIG. 1
to the open position as shown in FIG.
2
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, when the valve
10
is in the open position, the valve stem
18
is disengaged from a valve seat
30
in the valve
10
. This provides that fluid can ultimately flow from a bore
32
provided in the valve poppet
14
to an area
34
adjacent the periphery of the valve stem
18
, or vice versa if the fluid is flowing in the opposite direction.
In the case where the fluid flows from left-to-right in
FIG. 2
, fluid initially enters the bore
32
in the valve poppet
14
(i.e. from the mating structure
28
), and travels to a notch
36
in the valve poppet
14
(and/or to a notch (not shown) in surface
38
of the valve stem
18
). The valve stem
18
deflects the fluid to an area
34
adjacent the periphery of the valve stem
18
, and the fluid flows along the external surface
26
of the valve stem
18
(and along the ribs, if provided, on the external surface
26
of the valve stem
18
), past the valve seat
30
, along the compression spring
20
, and out the plug
22
, and specifically between fins of the plug
22
and out the valve
10
. In the opposite direction, fluid flows into the plug
22
of the valve
10
, along the compression spring
20
, past the valve seat
30
, along the periphery of the valve stem
18
(and along the ribs, if provided, on the external surface
26
of the valve stem
18
), to the notch
36
in the valve poppet
14
(and/or to a notch (not shown) in surface
38
of the valve stem
18
), and through the bore
32
in the valve poppet
14
to the mating structure
28
.
The overall design of the valve shown in FIGS.
1
and
2
—being that there are so many components in the fluid flow path—results in substantial restriction to fluid flow through the valve
10
. As a result, the valve
10
cannot effectively conduct fluids having viscosities of 1.0 to 1.5 centipoise and above. Additionally, the design provides that there are numerous cavities or “dead areas” for entrapment of fluid within the valve
10
. The existence of dead areas, and the fact that there so many components in the fluid flow path, creates turbulence in the fluid flow as the fluid flows through the valve
10
. The turbulence renders the valve
10
a poor candidate for transmitting human blood, blood products, or any other material which is sensitive to turbulence. With regard to blood, concerns of lycing (i.e. damage to blood cells) and retention of clotted blood within the valve
10
gives rise to problems with possible infusion of thrombolotics or fibrous re-injection into a patient. The low viscosity conduction limits of the valve design shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
restrict its utilization for high viscosity materials, thus limiting broader employment of the valve in a clinical environment.
Furthermore, the design shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
provides that while the valve poppet
14
is installed through the one end
40
of the valve
10
, the other components (i.e. the valve stem
18
, compression spring
20
, and plug
22
) are installed through the other end
42
. This complicates and increases the cost of the assembly process.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY
A general object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a valve which has increased flow rate and an unobstructed fluid flow path.
Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a valve which has fewer components within the fluid flow path.
Still another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a valve which causes less turbulence to the fluid flow.
Still yet another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a valve which minimizes the residual volume (i.e. “dead areas”) contributing to fluid entrapment.
Still yet another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method of assembling a valve wherein components are installed through one end of a valve body, but not the other.
Briefly, and in accordance with at least one of the foregoing objects, an embodiment of the present invention provides a valve that has at least one internal port which aligns with an internal slot to permit fluid flow. Specifically, the valve includes a valve body that has a sealing surface and at least one internal slot. A valve core is disposed in the valve body, and the valve core includes at least one port. Spring means is engaged with the valve body and valve core, and the spring means biases the valve core into a closed position wherein the port of the valve core is aligned with the sealing surface of the valve body thereby prohibiting fluid flow through the valve. The valve core is slidable within the valve body such that the valve is actuated into an open position wherein the port of the valve core becomes aligned with the internal slot of the valve body thereby allowing fluid flow through the valve. Preferably, at least one end of the valve is configured for a luer lock fitting.
A bore extends through the valve core, along a longitudinal axis thereof, and the bore defines a fluid flow area. The one or more ports on the valve core which align with the sealing surface of the valve body when the valve is in the closed position and with the one or more slots in the valve body when the valve is in the open position consists of one or more openings in a wall of the valve core. The valve body also includes a fluid flow area. Hence, a fluid flow path through the valve is defined by the fluid flow area defined through the valve core (i.e. the bore and the one or more ports) and the fluid flow area of the valve body. The spring means is generally between the valve body and valve core, but is not within the fluid flow path through the valve.
Preferably, each slot in the valve body is larger than each respective port of the valve core, and each port of the valve core is larger than a cross-sectional diameter of the bore which extends through the valve core. Preferably, the valve core includes two ports and the valve body includes two corresponding slots which align with each other when the valve core slides within the valve body to the open position. The ports of the valve core and the slots of the valve body are preferably 180 degrees apart relative to each other.
Preferably, a first sealing member and a second sealing member are di

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