Closure for tubular access port

Abstract

A closure for a tubular access port in a medical fluid flow line or other container comprises a removable cap for enclosing and sealing the tubular access port. The cap has a closed end wall. The end wall carries an extending poker to facilitate the pushing of an antiseptic-carrying material into a lumen of the access port. The poker has an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the access port. A method of using the poker is also described.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 11 / 247,931, filed Oct. 11, 2005.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Tubular access ports are used in medical fluid flow lines and other medical fluid containers such as blood and parenteral solution bags, syringe chambers for administration of liquids, and various tube sets such as hemodialysis arterial and venous sets, plus other extracorporeal blood flow sets, and parenteral solution administration sets. The tubular portion of the access port is designed to receive a mating connector of another device which fits within the lumen of the tubular portion. To preserve sterility prior to use, the tubular access port may have a closure of conventional design, typically a removable, tubular cap comprising an end wall covering the opening of the lumen, a tubular wall fitting around the outer portion of said tubular portion and, also, typically, a male member attached to the inner...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The poker, which generally comprises a small, projecting, semi-rigid or rigid stick of circular cross section (or any other desired cross sectional shape), is inserted into the open lumen of the access port, to force at least a portion of the antiseptic-containing material into the same open lumen to come in contact with the lumen wall, thereby coating such wall with the antiseptic. (If there is a recessed wall within the lumen of the access port that at least partially blocks or bridges the lumen, the poker may preferably be long enough such that this wall is coated with disinfectant material also.) There, the antiseptic-containing material is allowed to reside for a desired period of time, sufficient to provide a chosen antimicrobial effect by either fluid contact or gaseous effect. Thereafter, the antiseptic-containing material and poker may be removed from the open mouth, leaving at least a film of antiseptic remaining in at least the lumen of the access port and the access port is ready for connection in aseptic manner with another connector for the transfer of fluid therethrough.

[0010]While occupying the access port, the antiseptic and / or the antiseptic-impregnated material and the poker can provide closure and sealing, preventing ingress of infective materials, as well as delaying evaporation, thereby increasing the persistence of the antiseptic causing antimicrobial effect to any infective materials already in the lumen. As an advantage of the method of this invention, at least the antiseptic-impregnated material, and optionally the poker, may remain in the access port for a substantial period of time prior to removal and use of the access port. In other words, the antiseptic impregnated material and poker can be applied, for example, immediately after disconnection of the initial, sterile connection of a device to the access port. Such persistence of antiseptic within the access port can provide a degree of disinfection which is substantially higher than the conventional exposed swabbing of a site immediately before use by accessing with a needle in that the kill time by this invention can be greatly extended, resulting in a much more reliable disinfection without a change of disinfectant. In other words, isopropyl alcohol may be used, but the level of disinfection is significantly raised by the extended period of exposure of the injection site or the like to the isopropyl alcohol, when compared with disinfection of the site immediately before access is effected, as is now the common practice. Thus, this exposure time to the antiseptic may be minutes and even hours between access events.

[0011]Typically, the poker is carried on a cap which is proportioned to cover the access port. This cap may be the original cap that is covering and optionally sealing the access port as it comes from the factory, typically maintaining aseptic conditions within the access port, with the poker extending outwardly from the cap. The same cap may be used to cover and optionally close the access port after the access port has been used, for example by connection with, and then disconnection from, a male luer or other tubular connector. In some embodiments, the poker has a length that is at least approximately the length of the tubular access port, to assure that the antiseptic and / or antiseptic-carrying fabric is driven completely into the access port to engage all of the inner surfaces of the lumen.

[0014]Accordingly, by this invention, a multiple use cap is provided which can initially close off an access port and optionally hold it in sterile condition, and the same cap may be used in a simple process to exert antimicrobial effect in the lumen of the access port, while serving as a temporary closure for the access port in conjunction with the antiseptic-carrying material, for a desired period of time to provide the desired antimicrobial effect, and longer if desired. Typically, the cap is positioned backwards, with the poker extending into the access port, until such time as the cap and antiseptic impregnated material may be removed. Then, the cap may be inverted, and may reclose the access port once again in a normal manner.

Problems solved by technology

As a problem with these designs, when the access port is opened, sterility of course is lost in the lumen of the access port and any barriers, valves or mechanisms within the flow pathway of the port, and the port should be resterilized or disinfected if it is to be reused.

Images