GB2453361A

GB2453361A - A cap member for sealing an open orifice

Info

Publication number: GB2453361A
Application number: GB0719405A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kristian David Hall; Edward Yerbury Hartwell; Martin Richardson
Original assignee: Smith and Nephew PLC; Smith and Nephew Inc
Current assignee: Smith and Nephew PLC; Smith and Nephew Inc
Priority date: 2007-10-04
Filing date: 2007-10-04
Publication date: 2009-04-08
Also published as: GB0719405D0

Abstract

A cap member 10 for sealing an open orifice associated with therapy apparatus; the cap member comprising a blind-ended generally cylindrical capping portion 20 to sealingly co-operate with said open orifice. The cap may be fitted with a tether comprising a thin flexible tie portion 26 and a ring portion 28 to allow the tube being capped to pass through it. The cap is preferably moulded from a plastic material with a hardness range of 100 to 25 Shore A, and where the plastics material is treated or impregnated with an antimicrobial agent such as nano silver. The capping member may also be in the form of a solid plug to engage with the end of a tube.

Description

CONNECTOR CAP

The present invention relates to devices for preventing seepage of fluids from the disconnected ends of fluid conducting tubes, in particular, though not exclusively, of drainage tubes used in topical negative pressure (TNP) therapy apparatus.

The use of wound drainage and TNP therapy systems and apparatus has increased greatly in recent years. In particular such systems and apparatus are being used more extensively in environments outside of generally accepted clinical settings such as a patient's home and/or workplace, for example.

In such settings there is not the same availability of equipment and materials for cleaning up spillages of body fluids which may of a bio-hazardous nature Such spillages may emanate from drainage tubes, for example, between a wound dressing and a waste canister of a portable TNP system such as that described in our co-pending patent *:.s application, GB0712736.8 for example. Reasons for a user of TNP apparatus to disconnect a drainage tube may include, for example, the need to replace a waste canister, the need to disconnect the apparatus from the dressing for mobility reasons *... *.

* and many others.

S. S*** * . 20 * ** Conventionally, disconnected tubes, whether disconnected from the waste canister or from a dressing per se have been sealed off by use of pinch clamps, for example, to * . squeeze the flexible tube lumen closed to retain fluid in the tube. However, some more modern TNP systems use specially designed male and female co-operating connector ends to couple a drainage tube to a waste canister and/or to the dressing site. In this latter case whilst the tube itself can be pinched off with a clamp, the remaining connector half on the waste canister or dressing is not so easily dealt with by a clamp. Even the tube may leak fluid from the portion between where the clamp is attached and the free end of the tube. Further problems relating to the use of clamps by users relate to the fact that they are difficult to manipulate and/or close by the less dextrous and that there is no feed-back to the user as to how successful the use of a clamp has been. Furthermore, the shape and rigidity of clamps can lead to tissue damage where they become interposed between a patient and a bed.

A yet further problem with clamps is that the end of the exposed tube becomes susceptible to ingress of dirt and airborne contaminants which is especially important if it is the dressing end of a tube which is exposed.

An object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the limitations of known systems may be reduced or removed.

According to the present invention there is provided a cap member for sealing an open orifice associated with therapy apparatus, the cap member comprising a blind-ended generally cylindrical capping portion to sealingly co-operate with said open orifice.

The blind-ended capping portion may either enter into the bore of the end of the open orifice or surround the same. In the former case the blind-ended capping portion may, for example, be in the form of a solid generally cylindrical plug; and, in the latter case the capping portion may be in blind-ended generally tubular form. * ** *. * * **

*.*. . . ****. In all case the dimensions of the capping portion may be made to co-operate with specific sized tubes and orifices to be sealed.

****** * S :: 20 The cap member also preferably has a tab portion for gripping by a user's fingers to * ** remove the cap member when the tube is to be re-attached to TNP apparatus, for

:::; example.

The cap member may also preferably be further provided with a tether portion to permanently associate the cap member with a tube. The tether portion may comprise a thin flexible tie portion attached to the cap portion or to the tab portion and the tie portion having a ring portion on the end thereof to allow a tube to be capped to pass therethrough The cap member according to the present invention may advantageously be made having all the constituent features in a single integral moulding, preferably from a plastics material such as Santoprene 800 TPV (trade mark) of shore A hardness 79.

Preferably, the hardness of plastics materials used for the connector cap according to the invention may lie in the range from 100 to 25 shore A, and more preferably, form 85 to4oshoreA..

Advantageously, the cap member according to the present invention may be formed from an antimicrobial plastics material such as a nano silver impregnated or containing plastics material or Microban (trade mark) plastics material which contains Triclosan (trade mark), for example, in order to reduce risk of contamination.

An advantage of the cap member according to the present invention is that it is deformable when lain upon by a patient but the plastics material is resilient and returns to shape rapidly when released. Furthermore the resilience of the material allows the cap member to deform so as to conform to the shape of the connector portion to which it is fitted so as to provide an adequate interference fit.

Whilst the capping member according to the present invention may be used to seal plain tube ends, it may also be used to seal open tube ends where the mutually engaging ends or dressing or waste canister, for example, utilises moulded coupling portions having male and female engaging features, for example. * * * . * * S.

*:::* Although the cap member according to the present invention is primarily intended for use with TNP apparatus, it is of course equally useful for capping tubes used in other medical or non-medical applications. : 20

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood, examples will now be described by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings, of .2 which: Figures 1A to 1C show a plan, side elevation and perspective view of a first embodiment of a cap member according to the present invention used for sealing a female coupling portion of a tube end shown in Figure 1 D; and Figures 2A to 2C show a corresponding set of drawings to those of Fig. 1 but for a cap member according to the present invention to seal a male coupling portion of a tube end shown in Figure 2D.

Referring now to the drawings and where the same or similar features are denoted by common reference numerals.

Figures 1A to 1C show a cap member 10 adapted to seal off a disconnected female coupling portion end 12 shown Fig. 1D (not necessarily to the same scale as Figs 1A to 1C). The cap member 10 comprises a capping portion 14; a tab portion 16; and a tether portion 18. The capping portion 14 is generally cylindrical in form having a wall portion 20 which has a slight frusto-conical form having a smaller diameter at the end 22. The wall portion 20 has a blind-end 24 and is adapted to be insertable into the bore 30 of the female coupling portion 12 and to seal therewith. The tab portion 16 may be provided with features such as ribs or an embossed surface (not shown) to assist a user in gripping it in order to remove the cap member 10 from the bore 30. The tether portion 18 has a thin flexible tie portion 26 having one end thereof attached to the capping portion at a distal end a ring portion 28 to allow a tube (shown as dashed lines 32) to pass therethrough. The length of the tie portion 26 is sufficient to allow the capping portion 14 to comfortably reach the bore 30. As shown in FigurelD the coupling portion 12 has a serrated tubular spigot end 34 over which the tube in question may be sealingly pushed. * **

*.*** Figures 2A to 2C show a second embodiment of a cap member 40 according to the present invention and intended to seal with a male coupling end 60 of a tubing connector. The cap member 40 has essentially the same structural features as the cap member 10 shown in Figure 1 save for the fact that the blind-ended capping portion 42 : 20 has a wall portion 44 which sealingly pushes over the male coupling projection 62 and its : associated sealing "O"ring 64 (the drawings of Figs 2A to 2C are to the same scale as Fig. 2D). Thus, in this embodiment the bore 46 of the capping portion 42 is of relevance and must be dimensioned appropriately to seal with the male coupling projection 62 and "O"ring 64.

Both cap members described above may be moulded having all the features thereof integrally formed thereon from a suitable plastics material.

Whilst the above embodiments have been described with reference to sealing male and female coupling portions, the cap member of the present invention may, of course be used, appropriately dimensioned to seal plain tube ends or to seal, for example, an orifice in a dressing per se where a drainage tube has been disconnected.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and contain" and variations of the words, for example "comprising" and "comprises", means "including but not limited to", and is not intended to (and does not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. * S. * S * * S. S... * . *S.*

S S... * S

S

**.*.. * S * *5 * . S **S. S. * * S * **

Claims

1. A cap member for sealing an open orifice associated with therapy apparatus, the cap member comprising a blind-ended generally cylindrical capping portion to sealingly co-operate with said open orifice.

2. A cap member according to claim 1 wherein the blind-ended capping portion either enters into a bore of the end of the open orifice or surrounds the same.

3. A cap member according to either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the capping portion is either a solid cylindrical plug or a generally tubular wall portion.

4. A cap member according to any one preceding claim further including a tab portion for gripping by a user's fingers.

5. A cap member according to any one preceding claim further including a tether portion.

6. A cap member according to claim 5 wherein the tether portion comprises a thin flexible tie portion attached to the cap portion or to the tab portion.

7. A cap member according to either claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the tie portion has a ring portion on an end thereof remote from said capping portion to allow a tube to be capped to pass therethrough.

8. A cap member according to any one preceding claim wherein it is moulded from a plastics material.

* **

9. A cap member according to claim 8 wherein the hardness of the plastics material lies in a range of 100 to 25 Shore A. S...

10. A cap member according to claim 9 wherein the hardness range is 85 to 40 Shore A. S.....

*

11. A cap member according to any one of preceding claims 8 to 10 wherein the S. .55.

* plastics material is treated with an antimicrobial agent.

: .**,

12. A cap member according to claim 11 wherein the plastics material is S...

impregnated with the antimicrobial agent.

13. A cap member according to any one preceding claim wherein the cap member is adapted to seal coupling portions having either male or female engaging features.

14. A cap member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying description and Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the drawings.