GB2272211A

GB2272211A - A valved injection port

Info

Publication number: GB2272211A
Application number: GB9321981A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert James Douglas
Original assignee: TUTA LAB
Current assignee: TUTA LAB
Priority date: 1992-11-09
Filing date: 1993-10-26
Publication date: 1994-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2013-10-26
Also published as: GB9321981D0; GB2272211B

Abstract

An injection port 10 includes a body 11 with an inlet port 12 providing an inlet passage 15 which is closed by a resilient closure member 17 having a transverse slit (18, Figures 3 and 4), a plurality of resilient fingers 19 when engaged by a male luer (25, Fig 1) splaying and opening the slit 18. Preferably the fingers 19 have ramp surfaces 22 with which the luer engage. The luer does not engage the resilient closure member 17 and does not need a needle. The fingers may be formed integrally with the inlet port 12 or be mounted therein. A port 14 of a connecting part 13 connects to a container or a catheter. <IMAGE>

Description

AN INJECTION PORT The present invention relates to resealable closures and more particularly but not exclusively to an injection port employing such a closure. Still further, the present invention relates to check valves used for medical and administration sets.

Disclosed in Australian patent specification 47719/79 is a check valve for an injection port. The check valve, includes a resiliently deformable disc which is deflected under pressure from its seated sealing position.

Other type of injection ports have included a resilient sealing member which is slit.

The slit is maintained closed by the radial forces applied to the member by its housing.

Generally, if an injection is to take place, the needle or cannulae of the syringe is inserted through the slit. With repeated use, the slit eventually becomes damaged and the injection port leaks.

There is disclosed herein a resealable closure comprising: a housing having a passage terminating at one end with an opening; a closure member mounted within said housing and positioned to close said passage, said member having a slit which when opened permits a liquid to pass along said passage and through said member, said member being formed of resilient material so that said slit is biased closed; a plurality of fingers formed integral with or mounted in said housing, the fingers including portions engaged with said member so that upon displacement of said fingers in a predetermined direction, said fingers cause deformation of said member to open said slit.

Preferably, the fingers each have a ramp surface which is engageable by a male luer projecting into said passage via said opening, which male luer causes splaying of said fingers to thereby open said slit.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of an injection port; Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of a syringe male luer; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a resilient closure member employed in the port of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the member of Figure 3 sectioned along the line A-A.

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted an injection port 10 which communicates with a peripheral venous catheter. The injection port 10 would be connected to the catheter by means of flexible tubing.

The injection port 10 includes a body 11. The body 11 has an inlet part 12 providing an inlet passage 15. The body 11 also has a connecting part 13 which has aligned apertures 14 which connect the port 10 to a catheter and/or container having an infusion solution. The connecting part 13 has an annular shoulder 16 within which there is seated a resilient closure member 17. The closure member is of a generally circular configuration having a transverse slit 18. The shoulder 16 is of a diameter so that the member 17 is radially compressed to retain the slit 18 in its closed position. That is, the slit 18 is biased closed.

The inlet part is formed integral or has mounted within it a plurality of resilient fingers 19 which form segments surrounding the inner portion of the passage 15. The fingers 19 extend into a generally cylindrical cavity 20 of the member 17, and more particularly abut the cylindrical wall 21 of that cavity. Each of the fingers 19 has a ramp surface 22 which faces the inlet opening 23. The fingers 19 are resiliently radially deflectable from the position illustrated in Figure 1, to a position spaced radially outwardly therefrom. This radial outward deflection of the fingers 19 causes opening of the slit 18.

The ramp surfaces 22 are adapted to engage the leading portion 24 of the male luer 25 of a syringe. As the male luer 25 is inserted through the opening 23 and along the passage 15, it eventually engages the ramp surfaces 22 to cause the fingers 19 to move radially outwardly. The slit 18 is then opened and therefore the syringe can be activated to inject a liquid through the port 10 to the apertures 14. Alternatively, the syringe could be activated to withdraw liquid from the port 10 by drawing liquid back through the apertures 14 to the male luer 25.

It should be appreciated that the male luer 25 does not engage the member 17 and that the member 17 is resiliently deformed by the radial outward movement of the fingers 19.

When the male luer 25 is withdrawn, the fingers 19 move under their own resilience to their radially inner relaxed position. The member 17 under its own resilience then closes the slit 18.

The above described preferred embodiment has the advantage that the male luer 25 does not need a needle in order to penetrate the slit 18 to communicate with the apertures 14.

It should be appreciated that the present invention is described in its preferred embodiment with respect to the injection port 10. However the resilient member 17 and its associated fingers 19 may be incorporated in an injection site.

Claims

ClAIMS

1. A resealable closure comprising: a housing having a passage terminating at one end with an opening; a closure member mounted within said housing and positioned to close said passage, said member having a slit which when opened permits a liquid to pass along said passage and through said member, said member being formed of resilient material so that said slit is biased closed; a plurality of fingers formed integral with or mounted in said housing, the fingers including portions engaged with said member so that upon displacement of said fingers in a predetermined direction, said fingers cause deformation of said member to open said slit.

2. The resealable closure of claim 1, wherein the fingers each have a ramp surface which is engaged by a male luer projecting into said passage via said opening, which male luer causes splaying of said fingers to thereby open said slit.

3. The resealable closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein said closure member is of a generally cylindrical configuration with said slit extending generally transverse of the longitudinal axis of the closure member.

4. The closure member of claim 3, wherein said closure member has a generally cylindrical central cavity leading to said slit, and within which said fingers are located.

5. The resealable closure of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said fingers are equally angularly displaced about the longitudinal axis of said passage.

6. A resealable closure, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.