FR3111405A1 - Distribution wall outlet guide with unique identification marking - Google Patents

Abstract

Title of the Invention Tip guide for fluid dispensing wall outlet with unique identification marking The invention relates to a tip guide (108) for a fluid dispensing outlet (100), i.e. gas or vacuum, comprising a front part (108A) comprising a connection head (210) comprising a front face (220), an axial gas passage (211) communicating with the atmosphere through a proximal port (104) carried by said front face (220), and attachment means (130) configured to allow releasable attachment of the tip guide (108) within a fluid dispensing socket (100). The front face (220) of the connection head (210) comprises a unique identification marking (225) making it possible to individually identify said tip guide. Fluid dispensing socket (100) having a socket body (102) in which is arranged such a tip guide (108) including such a filter element (1). Use of such a fluid delivery outlet (100) to supply gas or vacuum. A method of manufacturing such a bit guide (108). Figure of the abstract: Fig. 5

Description

Distribution wall outlet tip guide with unique identification marking

The invention relates to a tip guide for a fluid distribution socket (i.e. gas or vacuum) and a fluid distribution wall socket equipped with such a tip guide intended to be used in a hospital building or the like, typically a socket wall unit attached to a vertical wall, used to supply gas or vacuum.

Fluid distribution outlets are used to distribute fluids, in particular medical gases (i.e. a pure gas or a gaseous mixture) or vacuum (i.e. depression <1 atm), within hospital buildings or the like. They are commonly called "wall sockets" or "wall fittings" because they are generally mounted either directly on the walls, i.e. the walls or the like, of hospital buildings, or indirectly, for example by being integrated into a box or the like which is itself mounted on a wall, in particular in patient rooms, in operating or treatment rooms, in particular resuscitation rooms, or other rooms

Wall sockets are used to supply medical fluids, i.e. the medical gases conveyed by the gas pipeline networks running through hospital buildings, to the devices and equipment used to treat and care for patients within these buildings, in particular therapeutic gases, such as oxygen, nitrous oxide or air, or medical vacuum (i.e. depression) making it possible to carry out aspirations in particular of biological liquids, for example blood or other liquids biological.

Thus, the document FR-A-2628820 proposes a fluid distribution socket, called a self-locking coupling, having a conventional architecture.

It comprises an elongated socket body comprising a central cavity or passage passing axially through the socket body so as to fluidically connect an upstream end, also called the inlet end or the distal end, to a downstream end, also called the outlet end. or proximal end comprising a fluid supply port, i.e. gas or vacuum. Fluid “flows” through the socket when a connector of a medical device or equipment, such as a gas line connector, is mechanically and fluidly connected to the socket.

Internal fluid passage control elements in the wall socket allow the release of gas to be controlled, in particular to prevent any release of gas when no connector is plugged into it.

These fluid passage control elements comprise an extractable tip guide arranged on the proximal side of the socket, that is to say towards the front of the socket, and an extractable ball-valve chamber, on the distal side of the socket. the socket, that is to say towards the rear or the bottom of the socket, which serves to prevent any circulation of fluid when the tip guide is extracted from the socket body, or to limit the flow rate of leakage.

The tip guide includes a sliding head valve and the gas or vacuum outlet port. The sliding head valve cooperates with a valve seat to ensure or, conversely, interrupt the fluid seal between them and thus prevent or, conversely, allow the passage of fluid, i.e. gas or vacuum, when a connector of a medical device or equipment is connected to the wall socket. An elastic element, such as a spring, acts on the sliding head valve to push it back towards the valve seat.

The bit guide usually comprises or is formed of two parts, namely a rear part and a front part, fixed in a detachable manner to one another, for example by screwing, which are typically made of metal, for example steel stainless. These rear and front parts are fluidically connected to each other to ensure the passage of fluid.

More precisely, the rear part or “body” of the tip guide comprises a peripheral wall delimiting an internal housing, i.e. an internal volume or lumen, extending between an open end and a blind end. The open end carries an orifice communicating with the internal housing, while the peripheral wall comprising one or more lateral gas passage openings communicating with the internal housing. Fluid flows through the side openings and/or port to enter or exit the internal housing. The sliding head valve is movably arranged in the internal housing.

Furthermore, the front part or "head" of the tip guide comprises means for fixing said tip guide within the fluid distribution socket, for example an external peripheral thread, and is also crossed by an axial passage in fluid communication with the orifice of the rear part of the bit guide which communicates fluidly with the internal housing of the rear part of the bit guide. It is to this front part that the flexible hoses or medical appliances or devices that use the fluid, i.e. gas or vacuum, supplied by the fluid distribution socket equipped with the nozzle guide are connected.

The front part of the bit guide generally carries on its front face, that is to say the face exposed towards the outside of the socket when the bit guide is installed there, a marking comprising a number and a letter which represents the year of manufacture and the batch of manufacture, for example A8 which would represent the first production of 2018.

This type of wall socket must undergo regular maintenance operations, in particular that of the tip guide in order to guarantee its proper functioning, to replace worn or damaged elements (e.g. intensive use), to clean it, etc. For this, it is necessary to be able to easily and quickly identify the wall sockets that must undergo such a maintenance operation in order to avoid dismantling the tip guide of those which do not need it, for example by what they have just undergone. recently undergone maintenance or are recent so do not need them yet.

However, the current marking does not make it possible to ensure good traceability of the guide-fittings of wall sockets because all the guide-fittings of the same production batch, therefore produced at the same time, e.g. the same year, cannot be identified uniquely because they all have the same engraving, i.e. a letter and a number.

The problem is therefore to be able to ensure easier and more precise traceability of the nozzle guides of fluid distribution sockets (i.e. gas or vacuum), typically wall sockets installed in hospital or similar buildings, in order to resolve all or part of the aforementioned problems and drawbacks.

The solution then relates to a nozzle guide for a fluid, i.e. gas or vacuum, distribution socket, comprising a front part comprising a connection head comprising a front face and an axial gas passage communicating with the atmosphere through an orifice proximal carried by said front face, and attachment means configured to allow detachable attachment of the tip guide within a fluid dispensing socket, characterized in that the front face comprises a unique identification marking allowing individually identifying said bit guide, for example each bit guide of a plurality of bit guides.

According to the embodiment considered, the tip guide of the invention may comprise one or more of the following characteristics:

• the proximal orifice opens in the center of the front face defining a crown surface comprising the unique identification marking.
• the unique identification marking is engraved or screen-printed within the crown surface of the front panel.
• the unique identification marking is engraved using a laser beam.
• the unique identification marking includes a unique serial number, i.e. each bit guide has its own serial number.
• the unique identification marking comprises several alphanumeric characters, preferably between 3 and 10 alphanumeric characters, preferably at least 5 alphanumeric characters, for example 6 to 10 alphanumeric characters.
• it comprises a front part and a rear part, and reciprocal fastening means making it possible to ensure a detachable fixing of said front part and rear part, one to the other.
• the reciprocal fastening means comprise an internal thread and a thread cooperating with each other, the thread being arranged in the front part and the internal thread being arranged in the rear part, or vice versa.
• the rear part comprises a filtration element comprising a support part comprising a peripheral wall delimiting an internal housing and extending between an open end comprising an orifice and a blind end, the orifice communicating with the internal housing, and the peripheral wall further comprising at least one side opening communicating with the internal housing, at least one gas filtration membrane being arranged in said at least one side opening so as to cover said at least one side opening, and
• the axial gas passage of the front part is in fluid communication with an internal housing of the gas filtration element of the rear part.
• the support part of the filtration element of the rear part is made of polymer material.
• the support part of the filtering element of the rear part is made of polyamide.
• the connection head of the front part is made of metallic material.
• the connection head of the front part is made of stainless steel or brass, preferably stainless steel or brass coated with an external metallic coating, in particular chrome or nickel.
• the means for fixing the front part of the tip guide are configured to allow detachable fixing of the tip guide within a fluid dispensing socket comprise an external peripheral thread intended to cooperate with a thread arranged in the body of the the fluid distribution socket.
• the means for fixing the front part of the tip guide configured to allow detachable fixing of the tip guide within a fluid dispensing socket comprise an external peripheral thread intended to cooperate with a thread arranged in the body of the fluid delivery socket.

• the connection head of the front part is (at least partly) cylindrical.

• the support part has a generally tubular shape with a blind bottom, that is to say closed at one end.
• the open end of the support piece includes an orifice through which the fluid (i.e. gas or vacuum) can circulate, i.e. enter or exit the filtration element.
• the internal housing of the support piece has a cylindrical shape.
• the support piece comprises several side openings, each side opening comprising a gas filtration membrane.
• the support piece comprises from 2 to 6 side openings, preferably from 2 to 4 side openings.
• the side openings are preferably identical to each other or, according to another embodiment, they can have different shapes from each other.
• the filtration membranes completely cover the side openings in which they are arranged, that is to say that the passage sections of the side openings are completely closed off by the filtration membranes.
• Filtration membranes are designed to filter the fluid (i.e. gas or vacuum) passing through them.
• the filtration membranes are formed from a single piece of cylindrical shape.
• the cylindrical part carrying the filtration membranes has a diameter less than or equal, preferably approximately equal, to the internal diameter of the internal housing of the support part.
• according to one embodiment, the cylindrical part carrying the filtration membranes is inserted and not fixed (i.e. free) in the internal housing of the support part.
• according to another embodiment, the cylindrical part carrying the filtration membranes is inserted and fixed (i.e. free) in the internal housing of the support part.
• the filtration membranes are fixed to the support part by gluing, thermo-welding, overmolding or the like, preferably by overmolding the support part.
• Filtration membranes are made of a polymer cloth or fabric.
• filtration membranes include pores, also called meshes, between 50 and 300 µm.
• filtration membranes include pores of between 50 and 80 µm, in particular when they are intended to filter a gas, in particular a medical gas.
• according to another embodiment, the filtration membranes comprise pores comprised between 200 and 300 μm, in particular when they are intended to filter vacuum or instrument air.
• Filtration membranes are made of a single piece of cylindrical shape made of a canvas or a polymer fabric.
• the support part is molded around the unique cylindrical part made of a canvas or a polymer fabric.
• Filtration membranes are made of a cylindrical polymer part around which the support part is overmolded.
• the support piece comprises a longitudinal axis (AA), that is to say it extends axially along the longitudinal axis (AA).
• the support part is a part of revolution.
• each filtration membrane has a thickness less than the thickness of the peripheral wall around the side openings in which it is arranged.
• the filtration membranes are preferably made of polymer, for example polyamide, such as Nylon®.
• the filtration membranes are, according to another embodiment, made of metal, for example stainless steel.
• the support piece forms an armature, i.e. a chassis or frame, carrying the filtration membranes.
• the reinforcement constituting the support piece is formed of a polyamide-type polymer piece.
• the support piece has a generally cylindrical shape.
• the side openings are of square or rectangular section, or other, for example oval or ellipsoidal.
• the support piece comprises several successive sections of different external diameters, i.e. cylindrical or approximately cylindrical sections.
• the support piece comprises an upstream section at its open end; a downstream section at its blind end; and at least one intermediate section arranged between the upstream and downstream sections, said intermediate section comprising the openings.
• the upstream and downstream sections are cylindrical.
• the intermediate section is cylindrical or approximately cylindrical.
• the external diameter of the intermediate section comprising the openings is smaller than the external diameters of the upstream and downstream sections.
• the upstream and downstream sections are connected to each other by elongated wall elements forming all or part of the intermediate section.
• the slender wall elements are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis (AA).
• the openings of the intermediate section are bordered by the upstream and downstream sections, and the elongated wall elements.
• the upstream and downstream sections, and the elongated wall elements are formed in one piece, for example by molding.
• the upstream and downstream sections, and the elongated wall elements are made of polymer material, i.e. are made of plastic, typically polyamide.
• the upstream and downstream sections, and the slender wall elements of the support piece form the reinforcement, i.e. the chassis or frame, carrying the filtration membranes.
• the external diameter of the upstream section is for example between 12 and 16 mm.
• the external diameter of the downstream section is for example between 11 and 15 mm.
• the external diameter of the intermediate cylindrical section is for example between 11 and 15 mm.
• the blind end of the support part comprises a push rod projecting axially (axis AA) at the center of the external face of the blind end.
• the support part has a length of the order of 20 to 25 mm.
• the internal housing of the support part has an internal diameter of the order of 9 to 12 mm.
• the open end of the support part includes a thread allowing it to be fixed to the front part of the bit guide.
• a sliding head valve is arranged in the internal housing of the filtration element.
• an elastic means, such as a spring, is arranged in the internal housing of the filtration element.
• the elastic means is arranged to act on, i.e. push back, the head valve in the direction of a valve seat.
• the front part of the tip guide comprises an annular peripheral groove and a seal element arranged in said annular peripheral groove, in particular an O-ring.
• the front part of the tip guide comprises the valve seat cooperating with the head valve.

The invention also relates to a fluid distribution socket, that is to say gas or vacuum (i.e. depression), comprising a socket body in which is arranged a tip guide according to the invention.

According to the embodiment considered, the fluid distribution socket of the invention may comprise one or more of the following characteristics:

• the grip body further comprises a ball chamber containing a ball-valve cooperating with the push rod of the support piece of the tip guide.
• the ball chamber is removable.
• the ball chamber is screwed into the socket body, in particular into the central passage of the socket body.
• it is a wall socket, that is to say that it comprises fixing means allowing it to be fixed to a wall, such as a wall or the like.
• the tip guide is removably mounted, that is to say removable, in the socket body.
• it is connected to a gas or vacuum pipeline, in particular to the network of gas or vacuum pipelines (i.e. depression) of a hospital building.

The invention further relates to a use of a fluid distribution socket according to the invention for distributing, ie supplying, a gas or gaseous mixture, or vacuum (ie suction at a pressure <1 atm) within a hospital building. The gas or gaseous mixture can be oxygen, air, an N ₂ O/O ₂ mixture, etc. Or other. The fluid distribution outlet according to the invention is fluidically connected to the pipe network of the hospital building.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a ferrule guide according to the invention, characterized in that a unique identification marking is engraved in the front face of the connection head, making it possible to identify individually said tip guide.

According to the embodiment considered, the manufacturing method of the invention may comprise one or more of the following characteristics:

- the engraving is carried out by a laser beam.

- the front face of the connection head is made of metal, in particular stainless steel or brass.

- the unique identification marking comprises 5 to 10 alphanumeric characters, preferably 6 to 10 alphanumeric characters.

- several bit guides are successively manufactured, each comprising a unique identification marking, i.e. from one bit guide to another.

The invention will now be better understood thanks to the following detailed description, given by way of illustration but not limitation, with reference to the appended figures, including:

is a side view of a gas filtration element forming the rear part of a fluid dispensing plug guide according to the invention,

is a schematic side view of a bit guide according to the invention, and

is a sectional view of a gas distribution socket including a tip guide according to the invention,

is a diagram of a gas distribution socket according to the invention integrated into a wall box, and

is a ¾ view of a bit guide according to the invention.

There shows an embodiment of a gas distribution outlet 100 according to the invention, for example oxygen or medical air, comprising an outlet body 102 of elongated shape, along a longitudinal axis AA, which is crossed axially by a central passage 103 forming an internal housing within which are arranged gas passage control elements, in particular the tip guide 108 according to the invention illustrated in and a ball chamber 122, as explained below.

The extractable bit guide 108 according to the invention is formed of two main parts fixed to each other, for example by screwing, namely a front part 108A including a connection "head" 210 of the bit guide 108 and a rear part 108B or "body" of the tip guide 108 comprising the gas filtration element 1, as illustrated in the And and detailed below. The connection head 210 210 of the front part has a generally cylindrical shape, as seen in and in .

As illustrated in , according to the invention, the front face 220 of the bit guide 108 bears a unique identification marking 225, represented here by a "star", making it possible to individually identify the bit guide 108, which makes it possible to greatly improve its traceability and therefore to know quickly and simply if this tip guide 108 must undergo a maintenance operation for example.

More precisely, the proximal orifice 104 opens out at the center of the front face 220 of the tip guide 108 thus defining a crown surface 221 which bears the unique identification marking 225, as seen in .

The unique identification marking 225 can be engraved, screen printed or otherwise in this crown surface 221 of the front face 220, for example engraved by laser beam during the manufacturing process of the tip guide 108.

The unique identification marking 225 comprises a unique identification number, in particular a unique serial number, specific to it, typically of 3 to 10 alphanumeric characters, preferably at least 5 alphanumeric characters, advantageously of 6 to 10 characters alphanumeric.

In other words, during the manufacturing process of the bit guides 108, each bit guide 108 is assigned a given serial number which is then engraved or the like in the crown surface 221 located on the front face 220 of the bit guide 108 , that is to say the region located around the proximal orifice 104. The serial numbers are incremental, that is to say that the numbers are incremented for example by 1 for the guide-tips 108 manufactured one after another.

For example, 5 successively manufactured bit guides 108 may bear the following unique identification markings 225: 100 001, 100 002, 100 003, 100 004 and 100 005.

In the presence of a plurality of bit guides 108 from batches which may be different and/or produced at different times, that is to say not necessarily the same day, the same week, the same month or the same year , a maintenance operator can simply know whether or not he should carry out maintenance on one or more of these bit guides 108, thanks to the unique identification marking 225 present on each bit guide 108, for example by consulting a database of data listing all the bit guides 108 via their unique identification marking 225, as well as all the events or information related to their "life".

Furthermore, the support piece 2 of the filtration element 1 of the rear part 108B of the tip guide 108 is made of polymer material, preferably of polyamide, while the connection head 210 of the front part 108A is made of material metallic, preferably stainless steel or brass, preferably stainless steel or brass coated with an external metallic coating, in particular chromium or nickel.

The front part 108A also comprises means 130 for fixing the tip guide 108 within the fluid distribution socket 100, namely here an external peripheral thread shown schematically on the cooperating with a thread arranged in the body 102 of the socket 100, and is also crossed by an axial passage 211 comprising a proximal orifice 104 through which the gas can exit from the axial passage 211 of the front part 108A to supply a flexible pipe, a medical or other apparatus or device, or through which vacuum suction is effected. The proximal orifice 104 opens in the center of the front face 220.

In the case of taking 100 of And , the gas is distributed, that is to say leaves the socket 100, through the proximal orifice 104 when an apparatus, device or equipment using or conveying the gas is connected thereto via a suitable connector, such as a flexible conduit delivering the gas to an assisted breathing device, such as a medical ventilator. The proximal orifice 104 is of circular section. Conversely, when the socket 100 is a vacuum socket, it is through this proximal orifice 104 that the suction of the gas takes place, that is to say that the depression is applied, making it possible to aspirate biological or other liquids.

Furthermore, as detailed in And , a gas filtration element 1 forms all or part of the rear part 108B of the tip guide 108 of the invention. It comprises a support piece 2 with a peripheral wall 3 delimiting an internal housing 7 or lumen. The rear part 108B is fixed, for example by screwing, to the front part 108A of the tip guide 108, as shown schematically in And .

The support piece 2 is elongated, that is to say tubular. It extends between an open end 2a comprising an orifice 4 and a blind end 2b. The support part 2 forms an armature, that is to say a chassis or a frame, carrying filtration membranes 6, as explained below. It is preferably formed from a single piece of polyamide-type polymer.

Preferably, the support piece 2 forms an elongated tubular body, and comprises several successive sections 200-202 having different external diameters, namely an upstream section 200 at its open end 2a, a downstream section 201 at its blind end 2b, and an intermediate section 202 arranged between the upstream and downstream sections 200, 201, which carries the openings 5 closed by the filtration membranes 6. The upstream 200 and downstream 201 sections are cylindrical and have equal or different external diameters, for example included between 11 and 16 mm, whereas the intermediate section 202 is cylindrical or approximately cylindrical, and has a diameter smaller than the external diameter or diameters of the upstream 200 and downstream 201 sections, for example between 11 and 15 mm. The support part 2 has for example a length of the order of 20 to 25 mm.

In the embodiment of the , the upstream 200 and downstream 201 sections are cylinders connected to each other by slender wall elements 203 forming all or part of the intermediate section 202. These slender wall elements 204 are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis (AA). The openings 5 are therefore bordered by the upstream 200 and downstream 201 sections, and the elongated wall elements 204, which form the frame or chassis.

Advantageously, the upstream 200 and downstream 201 sections, and the slender wall elements 204 constituting the filtration element 1 are formed from a single piece of polymer, i.e. plastic, for example by molding or the like, typically a polyamide.

As seen on the , the blind end 2b of the support piece 2 bears, on the outer face, the push rod 11 which cooperates with the ball valve 120, as explained above. Push rod 11 protrudes axially (along axis AA) at the center of the outer face of the blind end of support part 2.

The internal housing 7 of the support part 2 has an internal diameter of the order of 9 to 12 mm so as to be able to accommodate the head valve 109 and the spring 111, as explained above. Orifice 4 of gas filtration element 1 communicates with this internal housing 7.

The peripheral wall 3 further comprising side openings 5, for example from 2 to 4 side openings, here of rectangular shape, communicating with the internal housing 7. A gas filtration membrane 6 is arranged in each of the side openings 5 so as to to cover the side openings 5 so that the gas passing through these side openings 5 is filtered by the filtration membranes 6 which are arranged there. The fluid, i.e. gas or vacuum, circulates through the side openings 5 and the orifice 4 to enter or exit the internal housing 7.

The openings 5 here are rectangular in shape but, of course, they could be of another shape, for example square, oval, ellipsoidal or other. The filtration membranes 6 have shapes complementary to those of the openings 5 so as to cover them completely so that all the gas passing through the openings 5 is filtered by these filtration membranes 6.

A sliding head valve 109 is arranged to move along the axis AA in the internal housing 7, ie sliding in translation, as illustrated in . In addition, an elastic element 111, such as a cylindrical spring or the like, is arranged in the axial housing 7 of the filtration element 1 of the tip guide 108, preferably in the terminal bottom and around the rear portion of the head 109, which elastic element 111 bears, on the one hand, on the blind bottom of the filtration element 1 and, on the other hand, on an annular shoulder integral with the head valve 109, for example formed in the outer peripheral wall of the head valve 109. The elastic element 111 makes it possible to normally push the head valve 109 against a valve seat 110 arranged in the tip guide 108, for example within the internal wall of the tip guide 108 , so as to control the passage of fluid in the grip body 102.

Furthermore, the tip guide 108 of the invention also comprises a sealing element 105 making it possible to ensure a fluid seal between said tip guide 108 and the socket body 102 within which it is removably fixed, c ie detachable. Another sealing element 117, carried by the valve 109, makes it possible to ensure a fluid seal between the valve 109 and the valve seat 110, when the head valve 109 is pushed against the valve seat 110 by the elastic element 111.

Furthermore, the outlet 100 for dispensing fluid from also comprises a safety system arranged at the bottom of the central passage 103, that is to say at the bottom of the socket body 102, making it possible to prevent or limit the flow of gas towards the outlet orifice 104, when the bit guide 108 is extracted from the socket body 102, for example during a maintenance operation of the bit guide 108. This safety system, called ball-valve chamber 122, comprises a compartment 121, ie a chamber, in which is housed a ball-valve 120, namely here a ball of spherical shape, cooperating with a ball-valve seat located in the compartment 121 of the ball-valve chamber 122.

The ball-valve chamber 122 is also extractable from the grip body 102 in order to allow its maintenance. It prevents the gas from escaping from the socket 100 or vacuum suction (i.e. depression) from taking place, i.e. air from entering the vacuum network connected to the socket 100 and raise the pressure (< 1 atm) prevailing there, when the gas passage control elements, typically the tip guide 108, are dismantled and extracted from the socket body 102, in particular during a verification, maintenance or replacement operation.

The ball-valve 120 acts as a safety valve coming, under the effect of the fluidic pressure or of the depression (ie vacuum) exerted on the ball-valve 120 in the event of dismantling of the tip-guide 108, pressing and close a valve seat located in the compartment 121. Conversely, when the gas passage control elements are mounted in the socket body 102, the tip guide 108 comes to press on the ball-valve 120 for the take off from the valve seat and thus allow fluid communication through the connecting channel 123 fluidly connecting the compartment 121 to the axial passage 103 of the body 102 of the socket 100. This can be done via a push rod 11, i.e. that is to say a rod or axial expansion, projecting on the rear outer surface of the tip-guide 8 and integral with the latter, which is oriented so as to pass axially through the connecting channel 123 to come to press on the ball-valve 120 and thus take her off her seat. The axial rod 11 is carried by the support part 2 of the filtration element 1 of the tip guide 8 of the invention, as visible on the To , and detailed below.

The fluid distribution outlet 1 of the invention, such as that illustrated in And , can be mounted either directly on a wall (not shown), that is to say a wall or the like, of a hospital building by means of a fixing bracket 99 (cf. ), or be integrated into a box 300 or the like which is itself mounted on a wall, as illustrated in . On , we see that the socket 100 is protected by a box 300 of parallelepipedic shape comprising a hinged cover 301, that is to say pivoting around a hinge 302. The cover 301 closes to protect the socket 100 when it is not used, in particular against dust deposits and the like.

The fluid distribution socket 1 of the invention makes it possible to supply the vacuum or the medical gases conveyed by the network of fluid pipes running through the hospital building, to the apparatus and equipment used to treat and care for the patients within these buildings. To do this, they can be connected to the network of fluid pipes of such a building, via a rear pipe 150, such as a connector or the like, in fluid communication, via its lumen 151, with, on the one hand, said network of fluid lines and, on the other hand, with the internal central passage of the socket 100 via the ball chamber 122 which communicates with the lumen 151 of the rear manifold 150, via a wide opening 124 of the ball chamber 122.

In order to make it possible to fix the filtration element 1 forming the rear part 108B of the tip guide 108, to the front part 108A of the tip guide 108, there are provided reciprocal securing means 212 configured to ensure a detachable fixing of said front parts 108A and rear 108B, to each other, as shown in . More specifically, to do this, the open end 2a of the support part 2 of the filtration element 1 comprises a thread allowing the filtration element 1 to be fixed to the front part 108A of the tip guide 108. A thread reciprocal is therefore provided on the front part 108A of the tip guide 108 which cooperates with the thread carried by the rear part 108B of the tip guide 108, that is to say by the support part 2 of the filter element 1. Of course, another suitable fastening system could be used instead of tapping and threading, for example a bayonet system or the like.

The filtration membranes 6 arranged in the openings 5 are designed to filter the fluid, i.e. gas or vacuum, which passes through them. They can be made of polymer or of metal, preferably of polymer, for example of polyamide. They have pores having dimensions smaller than the particles that they must stop, such as dust, debris, residues, bacteria or any other particles, for example pores with a diameter of between 50 and 80 μm, when they are intended to filter a gas, in particular a medical gas (medical air, oxygen, etc.), or between 200 and 300 µm, when they are intended to filter vacuum (i.e. depression) or instrument air.

Advantageously, the filtration membranes 6 consist of or carried by a single piece of cylindrical shape preferably formed of a polyamide fabric, such as Nylon®, around which the rest of the support piece 2 is molded, in particular the upstream sections 200 and downstream 201, and the slender wall elements 204 which form the frame or chassis. Preferably, a polyamide fabric of reference SEFAR-NITEX® marketed by the company Sefar is used to form the membranes 6.

shows an embodiment of a gas distribution socket 100 in which is mounted a detachable tip guide 108 according to the invention. Its overall architecture is very similar to that of a vacuum distribution outlet, that is to say depression. A major difference, however, lies in the fact that, in a vacuum distribution outlet, vacuum suction (ie depression), i.e. the circulation of the gas drawn in through the outlet, takes place in the direction opposite to that of the gas flow within the outlet 100 of . Thus, the gas (eg air) is sucked up by the depression prevailing in the grip body 102 through the proximal orifice 104, which makes it possible to obtain a suction effect, that is to say suction, by upstream of the socket 100, that is to say in a medical device (not shown) fluidically connected to the socket 100. The proximal orifice 104 is therefore used to suck in gas and not to distribute it. A consequence of this reverse flow of fluid is that, in a vacuum distribution outlet 100, the ball chamber is oriented opposite to that of the and that moreover, the ball-valve is not completely spherical but comprises for example only a hemispherical head on which comes to rest the rod 111 of the tip guide 108 through the connecting channel 122, as explained above.

In general, the sockets 1 of the invention are generally arranged on the walls, such as walls or the like, of hospital buildings and are designed to make it possible to supply either therapeutic gases, i.e. medical gases, in particular oxygen, nitrous oxide, air or any other gas or gaseous mixture, or medical vacuum (i.e. a negative pressure) used to operate aspirations in particular of biological liquids, for example blood or other biological liquids.

Claims (10)

Tip guide (108) for a fluid dispensing socket (100) comprising a
front part (108A) comprising a connection head (210) comprising:

• a face (220) before,
• an axial gas passage (211) communicating with the atmosphere through a proximal orifice (104) carried by said front face (220), and
• attachment means (130) configured to allow releasable attachment of the tip guide (108) within a fluid dispensing outlet (100),

characterized in that the front face (220) of the connection head (210) comprises a unique identification marking (225) making it possible to individually identify said tip guide. Tip guide according to Claim 1, characterized in that the proximal orifice (104) opens out at the center of the front face (220) defining a crown surface (221) comprising the unique identification marking (225). Bit guide according to Claim 2, characterized in that the unique identification marking (225) is engraved or screen-printed within the crown surface (221) of the front face (220), preferably engraved by laser beam. Bit guide according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unique identification marking (225) comprises a unique serial number comprising 6 to 10 alphanumeric characters. Bit guide according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a front part (108A) and a rear part (108B), and reciprocal fastening means (212) making it possible to ensure detachable fixing of the said parts front and rear part (108A, 108B), one to the other, Tip guide according to Claim 5, characterized in that the rear part (108B) comprises a filtration element (1) comprising a support part (2) comprising a peripheral wall (3) delimiting an internal housing (7) and extending between an open end (2a) comprising an orifice (4) and a blind end (2b), the orifice (4) communicating with the internal housing (7), and the peripheral wall (3) further comprising at least one side opening (5) communicating with the internal housing (7), at least one gas filtration membrane (6) being arranged in said at least one side opening (5) so as to cover said at least one side opening (5) . Bit guide according to claim 5, characterized in that:

• the support part (2) of the filtration element (1) of the rear part (108B) is made of polymer material, and
• the connection head (210) of the front part (108A) is made of metallic material.

Fluid dispensing socket (100) comprising a socket body (102) in which is arranged a tip guide (108) according to one of the preceding claims. Use of a fluid distribution outlet (100) according to claim 9 for distributing a gas or gaseous mixture, or vacuum within a hospital building. Method of manufacturing a ferrule guide (108) according to claim 1, characterized in that a unique identification marking (225) is engraved in the front face (220) of the connection head (210) allowing to individually identify said tip guide, preferably the engraving is carried out by a laser beam.