IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR CONNECTING A SYRINGE TO A CATHETER

Description

1 Dog PF-1364 501901 / 78 DESCRIPTION |in support of a patent application for an invention, I j having as title: . . ______________________ _________ _____________ I "Improvements in the connection devices of a syringe to a catheter" - ___________________ _ Company name: THE KHiDALL CCKPANY *_ n_ w_ ti_ w_ ·*_ ! _________________ During some medical procedures such as continuous epidural or caudal-spinal anesthesia, it is necessary to attach a syringe to the end of a catheter. In continuous epidural anesthesia, a tubular needle is placed in a patient's body, with one end in the patient's epidural space and the other end protruding from the patient's body. A catheter is then passed through the needle until the distal end of the catheter is located in the epidural space, while the proximal end of the catheter remains outside the patient's body. The needle is then removed from the patient's body and the catheter to prevent obstruction and this is done with the patient lying on his or her back and to prevent ; the needle cuts the catheter during the operation. After removing the needle, it is necessary to inject an anesthetic solution.the catheter into the epidural hepatitis by means of a syringe. ----------1— — - Therefore, an adapter device must be provided to connect the syringe to the proximal end of the catheter. The adapter must be positionable on the catheter after removal of the needle from the catheter since the adapter would otherwise prevent removal of the needle from the catheter. Furthermore, it is desirable that the adapter be easily placed on the catheter. A relatively large amount of the anesthetic solution is initially injected from the syringe and additional amounts are injected periodically during the surgical operation. It is preferred to remove the syringe from the adapter between injections since, if the syringe remains attached to the adapter and inadvertently falls from the bed or other structure on which it is placed, the weight of the attached syringe may pull the catheter away from the patient's body, necessitating repositioning of the catheter in the epidural space during surgery if further anesthesia is required. The invention therefore provides a: §1-'· ' > connector, for connecting a syringe to a catheter: comprising a body having a through hole that communicates with an opening at the distal end of the body, a cap of elastic material. _ I positioned in said hole in a relatively uncompressed condition, the plug presenting a through channel, the distal part of which is in contact with the opening in the body and has an internal diameter I ........... slightly larger than the external diameter of the catheter „ i ! to which the connector is to be coupled, the plug j ' .. [being substantially uncompressed when posi-' 3 I inserted into the hole so as to permit the end of the catheter to be introduced into its channel through the opening in the body, a compression member having a nipple on its distal end which is receivable in the proximal end of the body, a port on its proximal end for receiving the tip of the syringe, and a passage extending between the port and the distal end of the nipple, the distal portion of the passage being aligned with the channel in the plug when the nipple is received in the hole in the body, and means for detachably attaching the compression member to the body with the nipple received in the hole and for causing the nipple to move in the hole so as to compress the plug so as to lock the catheter and detachably secure it in the channel. the in the cap· - ..... P. catheter can be easily inserted through the opening in the body and into the channel in the cap while the cap is in its condition I substantially uncompressed. Thereafter the attachment means may be actuated to cause the nipple to compress the plug and cause it to lock the catheter and the tip of the syringe inserted into the port in the compression member. An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - - FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation, showing a connector, a catheter and a syringe. Figure 2 is an exploded elevation view showing the connector with its parts. J separate; _________________________C____ _________ ____________________________ _ Figure 3 is a corresponding sectional view; ... ;· ____________ Figure 4 is a view along the line 4-4 in Figure 3# ....................... Figure 5 is a sectional view of the connector showing the catheter inserted into it; Figure 6 is a partially sectional elevation showing the catheter locked in the connector and the syringe attached to the connector· and Figures 7 and 8 are schematics showing the successive stages involved in placing a catheter into the epidural space of a patient. The assembly 10 shown in Figures 1-4 comprises a syringe 12, a connector 14, and a catheter 16 having an internal lumen 18. The syringe 12 has a tip 20 communicating with a chamber in its cylinder 22 and a "luer" connector 24 for attaching the syringe to the connector 14. I _______ The connector 14 consists of a body 26f a cap 40 and a compression member 46* The cor- * The plug 26 has a through hole 28 communicating with an opening 30 on the distal end 32 of the body, a pair of opposed outwardly directed lugs 34 adjacent its distal end 32, and internal threads 36f on its proximal end 38. * » f / n plug 40 is of elastic material having a through channel 42 the diameter of which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the catheter 16 when the plug 40 is in an uncompressed condition. 1 1 As shown, both the plug 40 and the hole 28 have conical portions on their distal ends and cylindrical portions on their proximal ends, so that the plug 40 can be received in the distal end portion 44 of the hole 28 in an uncompressed condition. : relatively uncompressed, with its 42 j channel;aligned with opening 30 and the distal end of channel 42 and opening 30 defining: a distal taper to facilitate placement of the catheter in channel 42. ------------------------------- j The compression member 46 has a nipple 48 on its distal end 50, an outwardly directed "luer" flange 52 on its proximal end 54 of the compression member 46, and a tapered port 56 to receive the tapered tip 20 of the syringe so that the syringe 12 can be releasably locked to the connector 14 _ 1; 1 · T [by cooperation of the "luer" attachment 24 and the "luer" flange 52 with the tip 20 received in the nipple 56. The compression member 46 has a passage 58 which extends between the port 56 and an opening 60; ! - i 1 on the distal end 50 of the nipple 48. The member ! · The compression member 46 also has a distally directed gripping member 62 that extends circumferentially around the nipple 48 and is connected 1 I ! to the middle part of the compression organ 56______ { The middle of a flange 64* The gripping member 62____ ] ! and the nipple 48 define an annular recess 66 . ! for a purpose to be described later. As shown, the nipple 48 has eater- \ The ne.68 which are able to cooperate with the threads 36 and the body 26* ________________ r — ___________________ The body 26 and the compression member 46 1 can be made of any suitable Daterai* ... * ! The cap can be made of any suitable material such as rubber or Kraton, a commercial product from Shell Oil Company. Connector 14 is shown in FIG. 5 with plug 40 received in distal portion 44 of bore 28 in a relatively uncompressed condition, compression member 46 releasably attached to body 26 by co-operation of threads 36 and 68, with the pre-!simal end 38 of body 26 received in cavity 66 of the compression member 36 between the gripping element t 62 and the nipple 48 and with the distal part of the I , t I passage 38 aligned with the channel 42* the extremity-' The distal end of nipple 46 then just contacts the proximal end of cap 40, and the proximal end 70 of catheter 16 can be readily inserted into channel 42 since cap 40 is in a relatively uncompressed condition. As previously indicated, the distal taper of channel 42 and opening 50 facilitates guiding and placement of catheter 16 into channel 42. ----------- ------------------------------------------- . . as shown in FIG. 6, upon further rotation of compression member 46 relative to body 26, cooperating threads 36 and . ì 68 cause distal movement of nipple 48 in hole 28. As a result, the distal end of nipple 48 compresses plug 40 to reduce the dia- I i The actual meter of channel 42 making sure that the cap 1 The compressed member 62 grips the catheter in the cavity 42' * I · and locks the catheter relative to the connector 14. In this condition, the gripping member 62 is above the proximal end 38 of the body 26, with the proximal end 38 of the body 26 being received in the cavity 66. The syringe 12 can now be attached to the proximal end of the compression member 46 in the manner previously described. ________ j ! The catheter can thus be easily inserted into channel 42 of connector 14 and the catheter can be locked into position by relative rotation of the compression member 46 and the • ......» The body 26 and syringe 12 may then be attached to connector 14 for the purpose of establishing communication between the tip 20 of the syringe and the lumen 18 of the catheter to permit expulsion of fluid into the lumen 18 by pumping the syringe 12. However, after an initial amount of fluid has been pumped from the syringe 12 into the lumen 18, it is preferred to remove the syringe 12 from the connector 14. The physician performs this action by simultaneously grasping the gripping member 62 and the exposed portion of the body 26 with the fingers of one hand and removing the syringe with the other hand. The gripping member 62 permits removal of the syringe 12 from the l__ connector .14 while preventing rotation ______ of the congress organ 46 in relation to the body 26 which could result in involuntary detachment of the catheter 16 from the cap 40._ _. · v _______________ _Lfuao del.The connector for continuous spinal epidural anesthesia procedure will now be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, although it will be understood that the assembly may be used for other suitable purposes such as continuous caudal spinal anesthesia. As shown in Figure 7, the tip S* j. I of a HUstead needle indicated at N, is inserted through the patient's skin S' until an opening 0 in the tip T* is located in the epidural space-E* le-^ «distal reality 72 of the ca-| ; ϊ THE

Claims

10 - The catheter 16 is then passed through the needle N and the opening 0 until it is located in the epidural space E, as shown. The length of the portion of the catheter 16 positioned in the epidural space E can be determined by means of suitable gradations along the outer surface of the catheter. The needle N is then removed from the patient's body and the catheter 16 to prevent the needle from inadvertently cutting the catheter during the surgical operation. ..........I _____As shown in Figure 8 after the needle has been removed from the catheter, the proximal end 70 of the catheter 16 which is external to the body, is inserted into connector 14 and locked in position as previously described. Syringe 12 is then attached to connector 14 and a quantity of anesthetic solution is pumped from the syringe through the connector and catheter into the epidural space E. Syringe 12 is then removed from connector 14. REVITI DI ACTIONS.

1. A connector for connecting a syringe I to a catheter, comprising a body having a through hole communicating with an opening in the distal end of the body, a plug of elastic material positioned in said hole in a relatively uncompressed condition, the plug having an equal through hole, the distal portion of which is aligned with the opening in the body and has an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of the catheter to which the connector is to be coupled, the plug being substantially uncompressed when positioned in the hole so as to permit the end of the catheter to be introduced into its channel and drawn towards the opening in the body, a compression member having a nipple on its distal end which is receivable in the proximal end of the body, a port on its proximal end for retaining the catheter;receiving the tip of the syringe and a passage extending between the port and the distal end of the nipple only, the distal portion of the passage being aligned with the channel in the cap when the nipple is received in the hole in the body, and means for releasably attaching the compression member to the body, with the nipple received in the hole and for causing the nipple to move in the hole so as to compress the cap so as to lock the catheter and releasably secure it in the channel in the cap.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the attachment means comprises cooperating threads on the inner surface of the proximal end of the body and on the outer surface of the nipple. . ............... _______| ........ 3· Connector according to claim + ; i ;1, or according to claim 2, wherein the compression member includes a distal locking or gripping member and the proximal end a of the body is received in a space between the gripping member and the nipple when the latter is received in the bore of the body;......... ........

4. A connector according to claim 3, wherein the gripping member extends approximately around the nipple and defines an annular cavity for receiving the proximal end of the body and the compression member includes a flange connecting the gripping member with the compression member. . ___________ .. ^ ........ ....____ _______ 5. A connector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body includes 1 - a pair of opposed outwardly directed fins. | _ | 6. A connector according to any of the preceding claims, including means for releasably attaching the syringe to the compression member with its tip received in the port. ! + ..... ;: ............................ . .. .-r -. ·~γ .....- 13 - J 7· Connector according to any of the preceding claims wherein the opening in the body and the distal end of the channel in the cap define a taper to facilitate placement;