Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2002-11-26
Hayes, Michael J. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S537000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06485483
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a medical tube-connector device for connecting tubes forming a channel for a medical liquid, which is used for medical applications, particularly for peritoneal dialysis. Particularly, the present invention relates to a medical tube-connector device in which channel ends are not contaminated or damaged by fingers in connecting or disconnecting connectors and the connectors are connected and disconnected easily.
BACKGROUND ART
When peritoneal dialysis is operated, the inside of peritonea is filled with a dialysate having a concentration gradient with respect to a body fluid of a patient through a catheter introduced into the abdominal cavity passing through a abdominal wall of the patient. The peritonea of the patient function as a diaphragm, and toxin, a waste product, or the like inside the body of the patient is moved into the abdominal cavity. Then, the toxin, waste product, or the like inside the abdominal cavity is discharged to the outside of the body.
Concretely, extension tubes or the like that are connected to a dialysate bag, a drainage bag, and a catheter are connected to infuse a dialysate into the abdominal cavity and the dialysate is retained for a predetermined time (three to five hours). After that, a pooled liquid of toxin, waste products, or the like is discharged into the drainage bag. The dialysate is infused into the abdominal cavity of the patient through the tubes and the liquid of toxin, waste products, or the like also is discharged into the drainage bag through the tubes.
Thus, a twin bag system has been contrived, in which a dialysate bag and a drainage bag are connected with a Y-shaped connector or the like beforehand so that the patient can infuse the dialysate easily into the abdominal cavity or can discharge the pooled liquid easily.
However, while the dialysate is retained inside the abdominal cavity, it is more comfortable and preferable for a patient that the connected bags are disconnected from connectors for extension tubes compared to the case where the patient must carry such a dialysate bag and a drainage bag with him. In this case, when the connectors for the extension tubes are exposed to the air without having any protection, there is a fear that the connectors may be contaminated by bacteria or the like in the air. Therefore, it is desirable to cover the connectors with caps or the like. In the conventional twin bag system, caps mainly have been used for protecting the connectors from contamination.
However, in the case where liquids are replaced by a patient, the channel also is contaminated when the patient touches the connectors, the caps, or the like with his hands carelessly in attaching the caps to or detaching the caps from the connectors. As a result, the possibility that the inside of the abdominal cavity of the patient might be contaminated remains.
As a method for solving the above-mentioned problem, a structure having double walls formed at the connection ends of connectors to prevent fingers from touching the connector ends easily has been proposed as described in JP 5-31178 A. JP 8-000725 A discloses an automatic connection device for attaching and detaching a cap and connecting and disconnecting connectors automatically so that a patient can connect and disconnect the connectors without touching them directly with his hands.
However, even if such a double-wall structure as described in JP 5-31178 A was employed, it was not enough as a countermeasure against contamination. First, when connectors, or a connector and a cap are attached to or detached from each other, channel ends provided in the connectors are exposed to the outside air. Therefore, there was a possibility that the channel might be contaminated by floating fungus. Second, since the connectors are attached or detached by hands, it cannot be said that the open ends of the connectors are prevented perfectly from being touched by fingers. In other words, one of the connectors inevitably has a large external-wall diameter and therefore the possibility that the connectors might be touched by fingers still remains.
On the other hand, as described in JP8-000725 A, an apparatus of automating the attachment and detachment of a cap and the connection and disconnection of connectors is used in limited situations, since the apparatus has a complicated configuration and is expensive, and it is inconvenient for a patient to carry the apparatus with him all the time.
In the peritoneal dialysis, besides the contamination problem that might occur in attaching or detaching a cap or connectors as described above, there has been a problem of switching channels for infusing a fluid into and discharging a fluid from the abdominal cavity of a patient. That is to say, a switching device is required for switching channels easily without confusing the infusion of a dialysate and the discharge of a pooled fluid. Conventionally, the switching has been performed generally by a patient himself with his hands using a clamp. In view of the prevention of wrong operations, safety, or the like, however, various devices for controlling the switching have been contrived. For instance, JP 8-224300 A discloses a rotary controller as a device for controlling the flow of fluids. Further, JP 2-502882 A discloses a flow controller using a special three-way valve.
However, in the conventional method in which a patient controls the flow by himself using a clamp, there has been a possibility that switching failure causes the back flow of a fluid into his body or wasteful discharge of a dialysate into a drainage bag.
In addition, in a conventional channel-switching device, channels can be switched, but a patient is required to attach or detach a connector of a tube and a connector of a dialysate bag, or a connector and a cap to or from each other by himself with his hands. In this case, therefore, the possibility that the connectors or the cap might be contaminated by careless operations or mistakes by a patient himself still remains. Furthermore, since the cap also is replaced by a patient himself with his hands, there also has been a possibility that an unused cap might be contaminated at the time of the replacement.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned disadvantages in conventional techniques and to provide a medical tube-connector device having a configuration in which in order to prevent the contamination by fingers or wrong operations, which might occur in disconnecting or connecting connectors, caps are detached from or attached to the connectors without exposing channel ends provided in the connectors when the connectors are connected to or disconnected from each other.
Further, the present invention aims to provide a medical tube-connector device that enables the connection or disconnection of connectors accompanied with the detachment or attachment of caps to be operated easily without using special devices or tools, while keeping the channels of the connectors from being contaminated.
In addition, the present invention aims to provide a medical tube-connector device that can facilitate channel switching, can prevent possible contamination or wrong operations in connecting or disconnecting connectors, and enables a patient to replace caps in connecting and disconnecting the connectors without touching connection parts directly with his hands.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a medical tube-connector device of the present invention includes two connectors for connecting tubes and the two connectors can be connected to or disconnected from each other. The medical tube-connector device is provided with a first connector including a first connector body and a protective cap and a second connector including a second connector body and a guide cap. The first connector body has a channel extending through its inside and can be connected to a tube at one end of the channel. The protective cap can be attached to or detached from the first connector body for covering and sealing the other end of
Hayes Michael J.
JMS Co. Ltd.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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