JP2015188521A - Catheter connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the operation force of lock mechanisms, and also to reduce the abrasion of a female type connector.SOLUTION: A catheter connector 1 includes: a male type connector 10; a lock member 20 penetrated by the male type connector and rotatable around the male type connector; a female type connector 30 made of a flexible material; a handle 40 to which the female type connector is inserted; and lock mechanisms arranged in the lock member and the handle and including engagement structures 27, 47 to be mutually engaged. When the rock member is rotated with respect to the handle while the male type connector is being inserted to the female type connector, the locking and unlocking are enabled by the lock mechanisms. The locked lock mechanisms prevent the separation of the male type connector and the female type connector.

Description

  The present invention relates to a catheter connector used for connecting a tube or the like to a catheter.

  Enteral nutrition therapy is known as a method for administering nutrition and drugs to patients without oral administration. In enteral nutrition therapy, a nutrient, liquid food, or via a flexible PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) catheter (hereinafter “catheter”) inserted into a gastric fistula formed in the patient's abdomen. A liquid such as a drug (generally called “enteral nutrition”) is administered to the patient. A liquid substance to be administered to a patient is stored in a container. A flexible tube (sometimes called an “extension tube”) is connected to the outlet port of the container. The downstream end of the tube is connected to the upstream end of a catheter inserted into the patient. In general, a male connector is provided at the downstream end of the tube. On the other hand, a female connector that can be connected to the male connector is provided at the upstream end of the catheter.

  If the liquid administered in enteral nutrition therapy is a low-viscosity liquid, the liquid regurgitates from the stomach to the esophagus, causing pneumonia, or diarrhea because the liquid water is not sufficiently absorbed by the body. There are problems such as. Therefore, in enteral nutrition therapy, the liquid material is often made highly viscous (ie, semi-solid) by adding a thromi agent or a thickener. Such a high-viscosity liquid material has low fluidity, and therefore has high resistance when passing through a tube and a catheter. Therefore, when a liquid material having a high viscosity is administered to a patient, the liquid material is fed under pressure.

  The possibility that the male connector and the female connector that connect the tube through which the liquid material flows and the catheter are unintentionally separated by the pressure applied to the liquid material increases. Therefore, a lock mechanism that locks the connection state between the male connector and the female connector may be provided.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 describes a connector composed of a male connector and a female connector having such a lock mechanism. The male connector is made of a hard material and includes a tubular portion that is inserted into the female connector. On the other hand, the female connector is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber and penetrates the handle. The handle is made of a hard material and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The lock mechanism includes a pair of engaging claws provided on the male connector and a pair of engaging walls provided on the handle. The tubular portion of the male connector is inserted into the female connector, and then the handle is rotated with respect to the male connector and the female connector to engage the pair of engaging walls with the pair of engaging claws (locked state). Thereby, separation with a male connector and a female connector is prevented. When the handle is rotated in the opposite direction to the male connector and the female connector in the locked state, the engagement between the pair of engagement walls and the pair of engagement claws is released (release of the lock state), and the male It is possible to separate the connector and the female connector.

International Publication No. 2008/152871 Pamphlet (FIGS. 24-30)

  In the connector with a lock mechanism described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to rotate the handle with respect to the male connector and the female connector in order to lock and release the lock mechanism. As described above, the handle is made of a hard material, and the female connector is made of a flexible material. Therefore, the slipperiness between the female connector and the handle is generally poor, and a large force is required to rotate the handle with respect to the female connector. When the female connector is expanded in diameter by inserting the male connector, the outer peripheral surface of the female connector and the inner peripheral surface of the handle are brought into close contact with each other, so that a greater force is required. This increases the burden on the caregiver performing enteral nutrition therapy.

  Further, since the female connector is flexible and not slippery, the female connector is worn by rotating the handle. The connection and disconnection of the male connector and the female connector with the locking by the locking mechanism and the release thereof are performed every time enteral nutrition therapy is performed. Therefore, in the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the female connector is heavily worn. The female connector is integrated with the catheter and placed in the patient. The lifetime (indwelling period) of the catheter is generally 1 to 3 months. The wear of the female connector shortens the life of the catheter and increases the frequency of catheter replacement.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a catheter connector that does not require a large force to be locked and unlocked by a lock mechanism, and in which wear of a female connector is reduced.

  The catheter connector of the present invention includes a tubular portion, a male connector made of a hard material, a lock member made of a hard material, penetrated by the male connector, and rotatable around the male connector; An insertion portion into which the tubular portion is inserted, a connection portion to which the catheter is connected to the other end, a female connector made of a flexible material, and a handle made of a hard material into which the female connector is inserted, A locking mechanism provided on the locking member and the handle and including an engaging structure that engages with each other. The lock mechanism can be locked and released by rotating the lock member with respect to the handle while the tubular portion is inserted into the insertion portion. The locked locking mechanism prevents the male connector and the female connector from being separated.

  According to the present invention, the lock member can be locked and released by rotating the lock member with respect to the handle while the tubular portion is inserted into the insertion portion. The locking member is rotatable around the male connector. Therefore, a large force is not required to lock and release the lock mechanism.

  Further, when locking and releasing by the lock mechanism, the female connector does not rotate with respect to the handle and the male connector. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the wear of the female connector that occurs when the lock mechanism locks and releases the lock mechanism.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a catheter connector according to an embodiment of the present invention before a male connector and a female connector are connected. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the catheter connector according to one embodiment of the present invention along the vertical plane including the line 1B-1B in FIG. 1A. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a male connector constituting the catheter connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the male connector along the vertical plane including line 2B-2B of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a lock member constituting the catheter connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the locking member along the vertical plane including the line 3B-3B in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the female connector constituting the catheter connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the female connector along the vertical plane including line 4B-4B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a handle constituting the catheter connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the handle along the vertical plane including line 5B-5B in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the medical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the insertion portion of the male connector is inserted into the female connector and before locking. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the catheter connector according to the embodiment of the present invention along the vertical plane including the line 6B-6B in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a medical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention in which a female connector is inserted into a female connector and is locked. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the catheter connector according to the embodiment of the present invention along the vertical plane including the line 7B-7B in FIG. 7A. FIG. 7C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion 7C of FIG. 7B.

  In the catheter connector according to the present invention, it is preferable that the lock mechanism can be locked and released in a state where the lock member and the female connector are separated from each other. Thereby, the operation force for performing locking and releasing by the locking mechanism can be further reduced. In addition, it is possible to further reduce wear of the female connector that occurs due to the locking by the locking mechanism and the release thereof.

  A plurality of first engaging claws projecting outward from an outer peripheral surface of the lock member; and a plurality of second engaging claws projecting inward from an inner peripheral surface of the vertical wall of the handle; It is preferable to contain. As a result, a highly reliable locking mechanism can be configured with a simple structure.

  The catheter may be a PEG catheter. Thereby, the operation force at the time of detachment | desorption with an extension tube is reduced, and the PEG catheter in which the caregiver's burden was reduced can be provided. Further, it is possible to provide a PEG catheter having a long life and a reduced exchange frequency.

  Below, this invention is demonstrated in detail, showing suitable embodiment. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. For convenience of explanation, the drawings referred to in the following description show only the main members necessary for explaining the present invention in a simplified manner among the constituent members of the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can include any member not shown in the following drawings. In the following drawings, the actual dimensions of members and the dimensional ratios of the members are not faithfully represented.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a catheter connector (hereinafter simply referred to as “connector”) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the connection tool 1 along a plane including the line 1B-1B of FIG. 1A and the central axis 1a of the connection tool 1. FIG. The connection tool 1 includes a male connector 10, a lock member 20, a female connector 30, and a handle 40. One end (downstream end) of a flexible tube (generally called “extension tube”) 7 is connected to the male connector 10. The other end of the tube 7 is connected to a container (not shown) in which enteral nutrients are stored. One end (upstream end) of a flexible PEG catheter (hereinafter simply referred to as “catheter”) 8 is connected to the female connector 30. The other end of the catheter 8 is inserted into the patient's stomach. Enteral nutrients flow from the tube 7 through the connector 1 to the catheter 8. For convenience of the following description, the direction connecting the tube 7 and the catheter 8 (the direction along the central axis 1a) is referred to as “vertical direction”, the tube 7 side is referred to as “upper side”, and the catheter 8 side is referred to as “lower side”. . The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is referred to as the “horizontal direction”. Further, a direction rotating around the central axis 1a is referred to as “circumferential direction”, and a direction orthogonal to the central axis 1a is referred to as “radial direction”. However, “up and down direction” and “horizontal direction” do not mean the direction when the connector 1 is used.

  FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the male connector 10. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the male connector 10 along a plane including the line 2B-2B and the central axis 1a in FIG. 2A. The male connector 10 has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The male connector 10 includes a tubular portion 11 that is inserted into an insertion portion 31 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B described later) of the female connector 30 on the lower side, and a tube that carries enteral nutrients on the upper side thereof. 7 is provided with a connecting portion 19 into which the downstream end of 7 is inserted and fixed. On the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 11, a plurality of tapered surfaces (conical surfaces) having a small outer diameter on the lower side (the side opposite to the connection portion 19) are arranged adjacent to each other along the central axis 1a. The outer diameters of the plurality of taper surfaces are gradually reduced toward the lower end. Therefore, as a whole, the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 11 is a tapered surface whose outer diameter decreases as it approaches the lower end. However, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular part 11 is not limited to this example. For example, you may be comprised with the single taper surface with a small outer diameter by the lower end side in which the some taper surface is not formed. One or more annular protrusions continuous in the circumferential direction may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 11.

  The outer peripheral surface of the connection part 19 is a cylindrical surface whose outer diameter is constant in the direction of the central axis 1a.

  A locking flange 12, which is an annular projection that protrudes outward and is continuous in the circumferential direction, is formed on the lower side of the connection portion 19. In the present embodiment, the locking flange 12 is formed integrally with the tubular portion 11 at the upper end of the tubular portion 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the locking flange 12 may be formed at a position spaced upward from the tubular portion 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, a flow path 18 for flowing enteral nutrient passes through the male connector 10 along the central axis 1a.

  FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the lock member 20. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the locking member 20 along a plane including the 3B-3B line and the central axis 1a in FIG. 3A. The lock member 20 has a cylindrical shape or a bell shape as a whole. On the upper side of the lock member 20, a through hole 29 into which the connection part 19 of the male connector 10 is inserted is formed. The inner peripheral surface of the through hole 29 is a cylindrical surface coaxial with the central axis 1a. The inner diameter of the lock member 20 is larger in the region below the through hole 29. An engagement surface 22 facing downward is formed at the lower end of the through-hole 29 due to the change in the inner diameter. In the present embodiment, the engagement surface 22 is formed at the lower end of the through hole 29, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an annular protrusion that is continuous in the circumferential direction and protrudes toward the central axis 1 a may be formed at a position spaced downward from the through hole 29, and the lower surface of the protrusion may be the engaging surface 22. Moreover, the engaging surface 22 does not need to be continuous in the circumferential direction, and may be divided in the circumferential direction.

  A lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the lock member 20 is a cylindrical surface 23 coaxial with the central axis 1a. A pair of first engaging claws 27 project outward from the cylindrical surface 23 (that is, in a direction away from the central axis 1a along the radial direction). The first engagement claw 27 extends in the circumferential direction along the lower end 20 b of the lock member 20. The upper surface of the first engaging claw 27 is configured by combining three inclined surfaces with different inclination angles. The pair of first engaging claws 27 are rotationally symmetric (two-fold symmetric) with respect to the central axis 1a. In addition, the shape of the 1st engagement nail | claw 27 is not limited to this embodiment, It can change suitably. On the outer peripheral surface of the lock member 20, a pair of ribs 28 extending in the vertical direction protrude outward.

  4A is a perspective view of the female connector 30. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the female connector 30 along a plane including the line 4B-4B and the central axis 1a in FIG. 4A. The female connector 30 has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The female connector 30 includes an insertion portion 31 into which the tubular portion 11 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) of the male connector 10 is inserted, and an upstream end of the catheter 8 is inserted below the female connector 30. A fixed connection 39 is provided. A flow path 38 for flowing enteral nutrient passes through the female connector 30 along the central axis 1a.

  The inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 31 is a tapered surface whose inner diameter increases as it approaches the upper opening 30a so that the tubular portion 11 can be easily inserted. Further, in order to realize a liquid-tight connection with the tubular portion 11 by locally closely contacting the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 11, a step whose inner diameter changes rapidly in the vertical direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 31. Is formed. However, the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the insertion part 31 is not limited to these. For example, the female connector provided at the upstream end of the PEG catheter may have any known shape.

  A flange 32 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 31. The flange 32 is an annular protrusion that protrudes outward and is continuous in the circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, the flange 32 is formed along the opening 30a, but may be formed at a position slightly spaced downward from the opening 30a. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of protrusions 34 projecting outward are formed below the flange 32. The protrusions 34 are hook-shaped protrusions (ribs) extending in parallel with the central axis 1a, and are arranged at equiangular intervals with respect to the central axis 1a. However, the shape and number of the protrusions 34 are arbitrary. For example, the protrusion 34 may extend in the circumferential direction, and may have a hemispherical shape, a conical shape, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, an annular groove 33 continuous in the circumferential direction is formed on the lower surface of the flange 32.

  FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the handle 40. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the handle 40 along a plane including the line 5B-5B and the central axis 1a in FIG. 5A. The handle 40 includes a handle body 41 having a hollow and substantially cylindrical shape. At the upper end of the handle body 41, there is a large diameter portion 42 whose inner peripheral surface is a cylindrical surface. A cylindrical cylindrical rib 43 protruding upward is provided inside the large diameter portion 42. The height of the cylindrical rib 43 is slightly lower than the upper end of the large diameter portion 42. An annular groove 44 that is continuous in the circumferential direction is formed between the large diameter portion 42 and the cylindrical rib 43. The inner diameter of the handle 40 is the smallest at the small diameter portion 45 adjacent to the cylindrical rib 43 on the lower side.

  A pair of vertical walls 46 extend upward on the outer side in the radial direction from the large-diameter portion 42 (the side far from the central axis 1 a) and above the large-diameter portion 42. The inner peripheral surface of the vertical wall 46 is a cylindrical surface coaxial with the central axis 1a and faces the central axis 1a. On the inner peripheral surface of each vertical wall 46, the second engagement claw 47 projects inwardly (that is, toward the central axis 1a). The second engagement claw 47 extends along the circumferential direction. The lower surface of the second engagement claw 47 is configured by combining three inclined surfaces with different inclination angles. One end of the second engaging claw 47 in the longitudinal direction is closed by a stop portion 48, and the other end is opened. The second engaging claw 47 and the stop portion 48 are rotationally symmetric (two-fold symmetry) with respect to the central axis 1a. In the present embodiment, the pair of vertical walls 46 are independent from each other, but may be continuous in the circumferential direction so as to surround the large diameter portion 42. The shapes of the second engagement claws 47 and the stop portion 48 are not limited to the present embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate. The stop wall 47 may be omitted, and both ends in the circumferential direction of the second engagement claw 47 may be opened.

  The female connector 30 is made of a flexible material, and has a characteristic (so-called rubber-like elasticity) that is easily deformed by an external force and immediately returns to the initial shape when the external force disappears. The material of the female connector 30 is not limited, but a soft material having rubber elasticity (so-called elastomer) can be used. For example, rubber such as natural rubber, isoprene rubber, silicone rubber, styrene elastomer, Thermoplastic elastomers such as olefin elastomers and polyurethane elastomers can be used, among which silicone rubber is preferred.

  On the other hand, the male connector 10, the lock member 20, and the handle 40 are made of a relatively hard material (hard material) compared to the female connector 30, and have mechanical strength (rigidity) that is not substantially deformed by an external force. ing. Such a hard material is not limited, but, for example, polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyacetal (POM), polystyrene, polyamide, polyethylene, hard polyvinyl chloride, ABS (acryl-butadiene-styrene copolymer) Resin materials such as polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), and polyacetal (POM) are preferable. Each of the male connector 10, the lock member 20, and the handle 40 can be integrally manufactured by an injection molding method or the like using the resin material described above. The materials constituting each of the male connector 10, the lock member 20, and the handle 40 may be the same or different from each other.

  As the tube 7 connected to the male connector 10, any hollow tube having flexibility can be used. For example, any material conventionally used as a so-called “extension tube” can be used. Specifically, polyvinyl chloride, polybutadiene, polyurethane, silicone, polypropylene, styrene elastomer, or the like can be used.

  The material of the catheter 8 connected to the female connector 30 is not limited, but a material having flexibility similar to the female connector 30 can be used. In the present embodiment, the female connector 30 and the catheter 8 are separately formed and then connected, but they may be integrally formed as one component. The method for fixing the catheter 8 to the patient is arbitrary, and may be either a balloon type or a bumper type.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the male connector 10 is inserted into the lock member 20 from the lower end 20b side. The locking flange 12 of the male connector 10 and the engagement surface 22 of the lock member 20 are in contact with each other in the vertical direction. Thereby, the male connector 10 cannot move upward (in a direction away from the female connector 30) with respect to the lock member 20. That is, the engaging flange 12 and the engaging surface 22 that engage with each other function as a movement restriction mechanism that restricts the male connector 10 from moving in a direction away from the female connector 30 with respect to the lock member 20. The lock member 20 can freely rotate around the male connector 10 while being penetrated by the male connector 10. In a state where the locking flange 12 and the engagement surface 22 are in contact with each other, the tubular portion 11 of the male connector 10 protrudes downward from the lock member 20.

  The female connector 30 is inserted into the handle 40 from the large diameter portion 42 side. The flange 32 of the female connector 30 is fitted into the large diameter portion 42. The flange 32 and the annular groove 33 on the lower surface thereof are fitted with the groove 44 and the cylindrical rib 43 of the female connector 40 (see FIG. 7C described later). Thereby, the female connector 30 cannot move downward (in a direction away from the male connector 10) with respect to the handle 40. That is, the flange 32, the groove 44, and the cylindrical rib 43 that are engaged with each other function as a movement restriction mechanism that restricts the movement of the female connector 30 in the direction away from the male connector 10 with respect to the handle 40.

<How to use>
A method of using the connection tool 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  First, a method for connecting the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are opposed to each other, and the tubular portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted into the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30. The insertion operation can be performed by gripping the outer peripheral surface of the lock member 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the handle 40 with separate hands. The locking flange 12 of the male connector 10 is engaged with the lock member 20. Further, the flange 32 of the female connector 30 is engaged with the handle 40. Accordingly, the pushing force can be applied to the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 without gripping the male connector 10 and the female connector 30.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the tubular portion of the male connector 10 until the first engagement claw 27 of the lock member 20 is substantially the same as or below the second engagement claw 47 of the handle 40 in the vertical direction. 11 is inserted deeply into the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30. The direction in which the pair of first engagement claws 27 of the lock member 20 face each other and the direction in which the pair of second engagement claws 47 of the handle 40 face each other are substantially orthogonal.

  In this state, the lock member 20 and the handle 40 are gripped, and rotational forces in opposite directions (arrows R20 and R40) are applied to each. A rotational force can be applied to the rib 28 with respect to the lock member 20.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the engagement surface 22 of the lock member 20 and the locking flange 12 of the male connector 10 are in contact with each other. Since both the lock member 20 and the male connector 10 are made of a hard material, the slipperiness between the lock member 20 and the male connector 10 is relatively good. On the other hand, the female connector 30 is made of a flexible material. Further, the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30 is stretched in the circumferential direction so as to increase in diameter when the cylindrical portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted, and is in close contact with the cylindrical portion 11 in a liquid-tight manner. Therefore, the slipperiness between the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 is poor. Further, the flange 32 of the female connector 30 is fitted into the groove 44 and the cylindrical rib 43 of the handle 40, and the protrusion 34 of the female connector 30 abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 45 of the handle 40. Therefore, the slipperiness between the handle 40 and the female connector 30 is also poor.

  Therefore, when the rotational force in the opposite directions R20 and R40 is applied to the lock member 20 and the handle 40, the lock member 20 rotates with respect to the male connector 10, the female connector 30, and the handle 40.

  When the lock member 20 rotates with respect to the handle 40, the first engagement claw 27 of the lock member 20 enters the space below the second engagement claw 47 of the handle 40. The lock member 20 is rotated until one end of the first engagement claw 27 collides with the stop portion 48 (see FIG. 5A). The three inclined surfaces that constitute the upper surface of the first engaging claw 27 and the three inclined surfaces that constitute the lower surface of the second engaging claw 47 mesh with each other.

  Thus, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the first engagement claw 27 and the second engagement claw 47 are engaged. In this state (locked state), the lock member 20 and the handle 40 cannot be separated from each other along the direction of the central axis 1a. The locking flange 12 of the male connector 10 is engaged with the lock member 20. Further, the flange 32 of the female connector 30 is engaged with the handle 40. Therefore, the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are not separated. That is, the first engagement claw 27 of the lock member 20 and the second engagement claw 47 of the handle 40 constitute a lock mechanism that prevents unintentional separation between the male connector 10 and the female connector 30.

  As described above, the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are connected, and the lock mechanism is set to the locked state. The tube 7 and the catheter 8 are in fluid-tight communication with each other through the connection tool 1 in this state. Enteral nutrient can be administered to the patient via the tube 7, the connector 1, and the catheter 8 in this order.

  Separation of the connected female connector 10 and the male connector 30 is possible by performing an operation substantially reverse to the above.

  That is, in the state shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the lock member 20 and the handle 40 are rotated in directions opposite to those described above (arrows R20 and R40 in FIG. 6A) and in directions opposite to each other. As described above, the slipperiness between the lock member 20 and the male connector 10 is the best. Accordingly, the lock member 20 rotates with respect to the male connector 10, the female connector 30, and the handle 40, and the engagement (locking by the lock mechanism) between the first engagement claw 27 and the second engagement claw 47 is released. The Next, the lock member 20 is moved onto the tube 7 to expose the connection portion 19 of the male connector 10. Next, the connection part 19 of the male connector 10 and the connection part 39 of the female connector 30 are respectively gripped and pulled away from each other, so that the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are separated.

  The connection and separation between the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 described above can be repeated any number of times.

<Action>
The connector 1 of this embodiment includes a lock mechanism that prevents the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 connected to each other from being separated. Therefore, the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are firmly connected. When a high-viscosity enteral nutrient is pumped by applying pressure through the tube 7 and the catheter 8 connected by the connector 1, the female connector 10 and the male connector 30 are connected by the internal pressure in the tube 7 and the catheter 8. Is unlikely to be unintentionally separated. Moreover, even if tension is applied to the tube 7 and the catheter 8, there is a low possibility that the female connector 10 and the male connector 30 are unintentionally separated.

  In the connection tool 1 of the present embodiment, an engagement structure (that is, the first engagement claw 27 and the second engagement claw 47) constituting the lock mechanism is provided on the lock member 20 and the handle 40. The lock member 20 is rotatable around the male connector 10. Therefore, the engagement structure can be engaged and released by rotating the lock member 20 with respect to the handle 40 in a state where the tubular portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted into the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30. As a result, it is possible to lock and release the lock mechanism.

  Unlike the conventional connector, in the connector 1 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to rotate the handle 40 with respect to the female connector 30 in order to lock and release the lock mechanism. Further, even if the lock member 20 is rotated, the male connector 10 does not rotate with respect to the female connector 30. That is, it is not necessary to rotate the female connector 30 with respect to the handle 40 and the male connector 10. Therefore, it is possible to reduce wear of the female connector 30 that is generated to perform locking and releasing by the locking mechanism.

  When performing locking and releasing by the locking mechanism, the locking member 20 comes into contact with the male connector 10 and the handle 40 having relatively good sliding properties. The lock member 20 does not substantially contact the female connector 30 that is relatively inferior in sliding property. The lock member 20 is rotated to lock and release the lock mechanism 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, a large force is not required to perform locking and releasing by the locking mechanism.

  FIG. 7C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion 7C of FIG. 7B. As shown in FIG. 7C, the upper end of the large-diameter portion 42 of the handle 40 preferably protrudes above the upper end of the female connector 30 (that is, the upper surface of the flange 32). As a result, the lower surface of the lock member 20 and the upper end of the female connector 30 are separated by a distance D. Therefore, the possibility that the lock member 20 contacts the female connector 30 is further reduced when the lock member 20 is rotated in order to lock and release the lock mechanism. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the wear of the female connector 30 that occurs when the lock mechanism locks and releases the lock mechanism. In addition, it is possible to further reduce the operating force for performing locking and releasing by the locking mechanism.

  Since the female connector 30 has flexibility, the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30 is preferably extended in the circumferential direction and expanded in diameter when the tubular portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted. Thereby, the liquid-tightness of the connection of the tubular part 11 and the insertion part 31 improves.

  A protrusion 34 (see FIG. 4A) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30. The protrusion 34 preferably contacts the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 45 of the handle 40. For this reason, in the state before inserting the tubular portion 11 of the male connector 10 into the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30 (the state shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B), the handle is caused by the frictional force between the protrusion 34 and the small diameter portion 45. 40 is prevented from falling downward from female connector 30. Therefore, after that, when connecting the female connector 30 and the male connector 10, there is no need to move the handle 40 onto the insertion portion 31 of the female connector 30. When the diameter of the insertion portion 31 is increased by inserting the tubular portion 11 of the male connector 10 into the insertion portion 31, the protrusion 34 is compressed and deformed in the radial direction by the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 45. At the same time, the insertion portion 31 and the tubular portion 11 are locally brought into close contact with each other at a position corresponding to the small diameter portion 45, thereby improving liquid tightness.

  The lock mechanism includes a first engagement claw 27 protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface 23 of the lock member 20 and a second engagement claw 47 protruding inward from the inner peripheral surface of the vertical wall 46 of the handle 40. It is comprised by the engagement structure. By making the first engagement claw 27 and the second engagement claw 47 face each other in the vertical direction, the first engagement claw 27 and the second engagement claw 47 are engaged with each other to be in a locked state. Such a lock mechanism has a simple structure and high reliability.

  The above embodiments are merely exemplary. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate.

  In the above embodiment, the pair of first engagement claws 27 and the pair of second engagement claws 47 are used as the engagement structure constituting the lock mechanism. The first engagement claw 27 and the second engagement claw 47 may have any shape as long as they can engage with each other. Further, the number of the first engaging claws 27 and the second engaging claws 47 is also arbitrary. The engagement structure does not need to be constituted by a claw, and may be constituted by, for example, a male screw and a female screw that are screwed together.

  The configuration of the movement limiting mechanism that limits the movement of the male connector 10 relative to the lock member 20 is not limited to the above embodiment. Further, the configuration of the movement limiting mechanism that limits the movement of the female connector 30 relative to the handle 40 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the cylindrical rib 43 may be omitted, and the annular groove 33 on the lower surface of the flange 32 may be omitted.

  The catheter 8 is not limited to a PEG catheter, and may be any catheter whose downstream end is inserted into the patient's body, such as a nasal catheter.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely used as a connection tool for detachably connecting a catheter and a tube in the medical field. In particular, it can be preferably used as a connection tool for connecting a PEG catheter used for enteral nutrition therapy and a flexible tube (extension tube).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector for catheter 7 Tube 8 Catheter 10 Male connector 11 Tubular part 20 Lock member 27 1st engaging claw (engaging structure)
30 female connector 31 insertion portion 39 connection portion 40 handle 46 vertical wall 47 second engagement claw (engagement structure)

Claims (4)

A male connector comprising a tubular portion and made of a hard material;
A lock member made of a hard material, penetrated by the male connector, and rotatable around the male connector;
A female connector made of a flexible material, having an insertion part into which the tubular part is inserted at one end, a connection part to which the catheter is connected at the other end, and
The female connector is inserted, a handle made of a hard material,
A connecting device for a catheter comprising a locking mechanism provided on the locking member and the handle and including an engaging structure that engages with each other;
By rotating the lock member with respect to the handle in a state where the tubular portion is inserted into the insertion portion, the lock mechanism can be locked and released,
The catheter locking device, wherein the locked locking mechanism prevents separation of the male connector and the female connector.   The catheter connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking member and the female connector can be locked and released by the locking mechanism in a state where the locking member and the female connector are separated from each other.   A plurality of first engaging claws projecting outward from an outer peripheral surface of the lock member; and a plurality of second engaging claws projecting inward from an inner peripheral surface of the vertical wall of the handle; The catheter connector according to claim 1, comprising:   The catheter connector according to claim 1, wherein the catheter is a PEG catheter.

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