Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-09-18
Mendez, Manuel (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S286000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290688
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical connectors used in the treatment of the injured or sick, and in particular to a connector for introducing medication into a patient in a safe, convenient way.
2. Background Discussion
It is a common practice in treating patients, particularly patients who must be cared for under emergency conditions, with medication introduced into the patient intravenously. An intravenous solution, commonly referred to as parenteral liquid, is fed from a container holding this liquid. The liquid flows through tubing into a needle which has been inserted into the patient's vein, The needle is taped securely to the patient's body and is not likely to pull loose if the patient moves. Medication needed to sustain the life of the patient, for example, drugs which maintain the blood pressure of the patient at the desired level, are added to the parenteral liquid. The conventional practice is to introduce the medication through a second needle inserted into a sealed entry port in the tubing through which the parenteral liquid flows.
One problem with this conventional practice is that the needle may be pulled loose from the sealed port relatively easily. Such accidental removal of the needle from the sealed port can have very serious consequences and could even lead to the death of the patient. Although many hospitals require nurses to tape the needle securely to the tubing, this is not always done, because taping is a burdensome and time consuming task.
A second problem with the conventional practice is needle sticks. From time to time a nurse in attempting to insert the needle into the sealed entry port will accidentally stick himself or herself with the needle. This often occurs under emergency conditions when the nurse is under pressure to complete this task as quickly as possible. Not only is the accomplishment of the task delayed, but the nurse must stop working and have a blood test performed. Such a test is needed in case the nurse becomes infected, because the hospital will be responsible financially. Consequently, needle sticks not only result in increased hospital cost, but are a possible life treating event to the nurse.
A third problem with the conventional practice is infection. All too often a patient's life is seriously endangered by bacteria gaining entry into a patient's blood stream and infecting the patient. In a vast number of cases it is unknown how the bacteria gain entry. We have observed conditions in hospitals and identified that one likely way the bacteria gain entry is by contamination of the needle inserted into the sealed entry port. This happens when the nurse notices that the needle has been pulled loose and simply reinserts it even though it may now have on its surface bacteria picked up by direct contact with, for example, the patient's bedding. Another possible way that bacteria may gain entry into the patient's blood stream is through contamination of the tape used to hold the needle to the connector.
MAJOR FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
The problems discussed above present a serious health hazard to patients and their nurses. The present invention eliminates these problems and provides a medical connector which is both safe and convenient to use.
There are several features of this invention which contribute to its safety and convenience, no single one of which is solely responsible for these desirable attributes. Many of these features were present in our experimental versions of the invention, which were improved after testing. Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section of this application entitled DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING, one will understand how the features of this invention provide the attributes of safey and convenience.
One safety feature of this invention is the use of a cap member to enclose the needle to be inserted into the sealed entry port structure. This cap member fits snugly over the entry port structure, connecting with the port structure in a male-female mating relationship. The needle pierces the seal when the cap member is seated on the port structure. This needle is housed deep within a cavity in the cap member that terminates in an open mouth into which the sealed end of the port structure fits. This open mouth is narrow in width so that the finger of the nurse or patient cannot fit into the cavity and contact the needle. Since the needle is so mounted within the cap member, the likelihood of bacterial contamination is avoided or reduced and the nurse is protected against accidental needle sticks.
A second safety feature is provided by the wall design of the cap member and port structure. These walls are of preferably cylindrical configuration and engage each other like a telescope. The interior surface of the wall of the cap member slides over the exterior surface of the wall of the mating port structure, with these walls engaging each other to guide the needle into the center of the seal. This ensures that the needle does not scrape against the inside surface of the wall of the port structure. Particles scraped from this wall could make their way into the patient's blood stream and result in death. This potentially lethal condition is inherent in the design of conventional devices. But the connector of this invention, with the guideway wall design of the cap member and port structure, ensures that the needle is directed into the center of the seal so that it avoids scraping against the inside surface of the wall of the port structure. This guideway wall design also permits the nurse quickly to connect the cap member to the port structure. This makes the connector of this invention not only more convenient to use, but in emergencies, enables the nurse to administer medication to a patient faster than with conventional devices and doing it without the danger of needle sticks.
A third safety feature of the invention is that a locking mechanism detachably secures the cap member to the port structure. Because of this feature, movement of the patient does not result in accidental removal of the needle from the seal. Although many different types of locking mechanisms may be employed, the preferred one provides a sound upon locking engagement of the cap member and port structure. We have devised such a locking mechanism which produces a sound such as a “click.” This “click” is an audible signal which tells the nurse that the cap member is locked safely to the port structure and cannot be accidentally jarred loose by movement of the patient.
Several embodiments of the invention illustrating all the features of this invention will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments show the invention being used for administering medication intravenously to a patient. This invention may also be used to administer medication to a patient in other ways, for example, intracranially or intraperitonially.
Laul Virgil R.
Lopez George A.
ICU Medical Inc.
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Mendez Manuel
LandOfFree
Medical connector does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Medical connector, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Medical connector will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2491331