Medical male connector

Abstract

To improve operability of a male connector.SOLUTION: A male connector for medical care comprises: a male connector body 150A which has a male lure part 151 insertable into a female connector at its distal end side and has a tube connected to its proximal end side; a coupler 180 which is screwed with the female connector and capable of moving a relative position to the male connector body 150A; and a coupler stopper 100 which is positioned on the tube and restricts the moving of the coupler 180. The color stopper 100 functions as an information tag displaying information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medical male connector, and particularly to a medical male connector with a slidable coupler.

Background Art

[0002] In medical devices, there are various connection parts. As one of the connection parts, there is a slide coupler in which a coupler is provided slidably on the downstream side. In such a slide coupler, it has also been considered to provide a coupler stopper on the tube downstream of the coupler to restrict the movement of the coupler (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, despite the combination of tubes of various thicknesses in the connection part, conventional coupler stoppers cannot correspond to various tubes of different thicknesses, and it is not efficient because a plurality of coupler stoppers must be prepared according to the thickness of the tube.

[0005] In addition, while procedures corresponding to various applications are conceivable, there is room for improvement in operability. For example, when combining tubes of various thicknesses with the connection part, it has been considered to describe various information such as the thickness of the tube on the surface of the downstream tube so that the user can confirm the thickness of the tube and the like. However, there is a risk that this information will be hidden by the coupler or the coupler stopper. It is cumbersome to correct the position of the coupler to read the information or to determine a position where the information is not hidden in advance and move the coupler.

[0006] Furthermore, if the coupler stopper is rigid, there is a risk that the tube may be crushed and blocked when the rigid coupler stopper presses against it.

[0007] In addition, if the connector is repeatedly connected and disconnected, the coupler stopper may get caught on other devices when not in use.

[0008] Furthermore, when the male connector is not connected to the female connector, it is preferable to attach a cap to the opening of the male connector to prevent dust and other debris from entering. The cap is generally attached to the male connector by a loop or the like to prevent loss and improve operability. However, in such cases, the cap may also rotate when screwing the coupler and female connector together or may get in the way when luring or unlapping the connector, making it difficult to handle.

[0009] The objective of this disclosure is to provide a solution to at least one of the above-mentioned problems that occur in male connectors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A first aspect of the medical male connector of this disclosure comprises a male connector body having a male Luer portion at its tip that can be inserted into a medical female connector and a tube connected to its base end; a coupler that screws into the female connector and is movable relative to the male connector body; and a coupler stopper located on the tube and restricting the movement of the coupler, wherein the coupler stopper functions as an information tag that displays information.

[0011] A first embodiment of a medical male connector has a coupler stopper located on the tube that restricts the movement of the coupler, thereby limiting the free movement of the coupler toward the proximal end. In particular, in the case of a connector for enteral nutrition, this prevents the coupler from being contaminated by contact with unsterilized items or the patient's skin. Furthermore, unlike the tube and connection part, the coupler stopper has a high degree of freedom in shape, and by providing it with an information tag to display information, it is possible to convey information to the user in an easy-to-understand manner. For example, the information tag may be a space for the user to write, and information such as the date of implantation, the length of the tube implanted in the patient, and the diameter of the tube can be displayed by the user writing this information. In addition, for example, the information tag may be assigned a specific color during manufacturing so that the user can identify its purpose just by looking at the coupler stopper.

[0012] In a first embodiment of the medical male connector, the information tag may have a flag-shaped tab for writing information. This configuration allows for a larger area to be used for writing information, and prevents the information from being obscured by the coupler.

[0013] A second embodiment of a medical male connector comprises a male connector body having a male Luer portion at its tip that can be inserted into a medical female connector, with a tube connected to its base end; a coupler that screws into the female connector and is movable relative to the male connector body; and a coupler stopper located on the tube that restricts the movement of the coupler, wherein the coupler stopper has a tube insertion portion with an opening through which the tube is inserted, and the tube insertion portion is softer than the tube and deforms elastically when the tube is inserted.

[0014] A second embodiment of a medical male connector features a coupler stopper positioned on a tube to restrict the coupler's movement, which has a tube insertion portion. This tube insertion portion is softer than the tube and deforms elastically when the tube is inserted. Therefore, one type of coupler stopper can accommodate various tubes of different diameters. Furthermore, the soft tube insertion portion reduces the risk of crushing and blocking the tube.

[0015] In a second embodiment of the medical male connector, the opening is a slot hole whose length is longer than its width, and which may have a wider portion in part. By making the opening a slot hole, it is possible to frictionally engage various tubes of different diameters. Furthermore, by providing a wider portion in part of the slot hole, even if the slot hole is narrow to accommodate a thin tube, the situation in which the slot deforms and tears when a thick tube is inserted can be reduced, thus realizing a tube stopper that can accommodate tubes of both thin and thick diameters. Note that multiple slot holes may be arranged radially.

[0016] In a second embodiment of the medical male connector, multiple openings are provided, and the minimum width of each opening may differ from one another. Even with such a configuration, the coupler stopper can be easily frictionally engaged with tubes of various diameters.

[0017] In a second embodiment of the medical male connector, the tube insertion portion has an opening periphery in which an opening is formed, and the opening periphery may have a thicker portion surrounding the opening, which is thicker than the rest of the opening periphery. With this configuration, the portion around the opening of the coupler stopper is reinforced, making it less likely for the coupler stopper to tear from the opening. In addition, when the coupler stopper is moved relative to another object, the opening may curl up or turn inside out, reducing the likelihood of the relative movement not being smooth.

[0018] A third embodiment of a medical male connector comprises a male connector body having a male Luer portion at its tip that can be inserted into a medical female connector and a tube connected to its base end; a coupler that screws into the female connector and is movable relative to the male connector body; and a coupler stopper located on the tube that restricts the movement of the coupler, wherein the coupler stopper has a tube insertion portion provided with an opening through which the tube is inserted, a cap that closes the openings at the tip of the male connector body and the coupler, and a connecting portion that connects the cap and the tube insertion portion.

[0019] A third embodiment of a medical male connector includes a coupler stopper positioned on the tube, which restricts the movement of the coupler and has a cap that closes the opening on the tip side of the male connector body and coupler. This prevents dust and other debris from entering the male connector and coupler when the male connector is not in use. Furthermore, since the cap and the tube insertion part are connected by a connecting part, it prevents the cap from being lost and prevents the cap from getting in the way when moving the coupler.

[0020] In a third embodiment of the medical male connector, the tube insertion portion has an outer shape in which the length is longer than the width, the opening is an elongated hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the coupler stopper, and the end opposite the connecting portion may be formed to be wider than the width of the portion where the center of the opening is located. This configuration makes it possible to easily deform the opening and makes it less likely for the end of the tube insertion portion to tear.

[0021] A fourth aspect of a medical male connector comprises a male connector body having a male Luer portion at its tip that can be inserted into a medical female connector, with a tube connected to its base end; a coupler that screws into the female connector and is movable relative to the male connector body; and a coupler stopper that restricts the movement of the coupler, the coupler stopper being provided on the coupler and having a friction engagement portion that frictionally engages with the tube.

[0022] A fourth aspect of the medical male connector is that a coupler stopper for restricting the movement of the coupler is provided on the coupler and has a friction engagement portion that frictionally engages with the tube. Therefore, the coupler can be fixed on the tube together with the coupler stopper. Also, there is no need to move the coupler and the coupler stopper separately, which facilitates the operation.

[0023] In the fourth aspect of the medical male connector, in a state where the coupler is moved to the most distal side, the friction engagement portion may be located on the tube. By adopting such a configuration, when the coupler is screwed with the female connector, it is possible to prevent the friction engagement portion from engaging with the male luer portion and interfering with the screwing.

[0024] A fifth aspect of the medical male connector includes a male connector body having a male luer portion that can be inserted into a medical female connector at the distal end side and a tube connected to the proximal end side, a coupler that is screwed with the female connector and is movable relative to the male connector body, and a coupler stopper that restricts the movement of the coupler. The coupler stopper has a cap that covers the male connector body.

[0025] In the fifth aspect of the medical male connector, the position of the coupler stopper when not in use can be kept within a predetermined range, and a situation where the coupler stopper gets caught on other instruments can be reduced. Also, since the movement range of the cap can be controlled, it is possible to prevent the cap from coming off or being lost.

[0026] A sixth aspect of the medical male connector includes a male connector body having a male luer portion that can be inserted into a medical female connector at the distal end side and a tube connected to the proximal end side, a coupler that can be screwed with the female connector, and a cap portion that covers the openings at the distal end sides of the male luer portion and the coupler. The cap portion has a cap body, an opening through which the tube is inserted, a tube insertion portion that frictionally engages with the inserted tube, and a connecting portion that connects the cap body and the tube insertion portion.

[0027] According to the sixth aspect of the male connector for medical use, since the cap portion is connected to the tube by the tube insertion portion, the cap can be prevented from rotating when screwing or unscrewing the coupler and the female connector, as compared with the case where it is connected to the male connector body or the coupler. Further, since the tube insertion portion is in frictional engagement with the tube, it can be freely moved. Therefore, the cap can be easily attached and detached, and when various operations are performed on the male connector, the removed cap can be prevented from hitting the hand. Also, unintentional movement can be prevented, so it is possible to make it less likely that the cap moves unintentionally and touches the patient.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] According to the male connector for medical use of the present disclosure, a male connector with excellent operability can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a male connector for medical use according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a state where the coupler is moved to the second position. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a coupler stopper. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing a coupler stopper. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing a state where a thin catheter is connected. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing a first modification example of the tube insertion portion. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing a second modification example of the tube insertion portion. [Figure 8] It is a plan view showing a third modification example of the tube insertion portion. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing a modification example of the male connector body. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view showing a first modification example of the male connector for medical use. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the first modified example with a thin catheter connected to a medical male connector. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing a second modified example of a medical male connector. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of a medical male connector. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view showing a third modified example of a medical male connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] One embodiment of the medical male connector is, for example, a male connector for enteral nutrition, and as shown in Figures 1 to 4, comprises a male connector body 150A, a coupler 180, and a coupler stopper 100. In the following description, enteral nutrition use will be used as an example, and the side opposite the patient will be referred to as the upstream side (tip side), and the patient side as the downstream side (proximal end side). In cases other than enteral nutrition use, the upstream and downstream sides may be reversed.

[0031] The male connector body 150A has a male Luer portion 151 that is inserted into an upstream female connector (not shown) and a tube connection portion 152 to which a tube can be connected. In this embodiment, the tube is a flexible catheter 200A that is inserted into the body cavity of the patient (downstream side). The upstream end of the catheter 200A is fixed to the tube connection portion 152 and is exposed outside the body cavity. The downstream end of the catheter 200A is inserted into the patient's body cavity, and nutritional fluid can flow out into the stomach or intestines through a side hole, which is an opening formed at the downstream end.

[0032] The coupler 180 is cylindrical and has a female thread that can be screwed onto a male thread provided on the outer surface of the female connector. It is movable between a first position (Figure 1) where it can be screwed onto the male thread of the female connector and a second position (Figure 2) downstream of the first position where the male Luer portion 151 is exposed. The coupler 180 is movable on the catheter 200A that is exposed to the outside between the male Luer portion 151 and the patient (for example, the patient's abdomen). Note that the medical male connector is not limited to being directly fixed to the catheter 200A inserted into the patient. For example, the medical male connector of this embodiment can also be provided on an extension tube connecting a gastrostomy button and a container that are placed in a body cavity.

[0033] In this embodiment, the coupler stopper 100 includes a cap 101 that closes the opening of the male Luer portion 151, a tube insertion portion 120 having an opening into which the catheter 200A is inserted, and a connecting portion 103 that connects the cap 101 and the tube insertion portion 120.

[0034] In this embodiment, the tube insertion portion 120 is a thin plate-shaped member having a slot hole 121, which is an opening, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The tube insertion portion 120 is a relatively soft material, and the slot hole 121 deforms so as to be elastically expanded by the inserted catheter 200A, and frictionally engages with the catheter 200A inserted into the slot hole 121. For this reason, the tube insertion portion 120 can be moved by applying force, such as pulling it by hand, to slide it over the catheter 200A that has passed through the slot hole 121, but if no force is intentionally applied, it will be fixed on the catheter 200A and will not move. Furthermore, the width and length of the slot hole 121 are set so as to frictionally engage with a thin catheter 200B, as shown in Figure 5. For example, by making the width of the slot hole 121 1.0 mm or less and the length approximately 8 mm to 12 mm, the position can be fixed and moved regardless of whether it is attached to a catheter of the diameter of approximately 1 mm to 6 mm that is commonly used in enteral nutrition. Depending on the diameter of the catheter to be inserted, the slot hole 121 can also be made into a slit with almost no gap.

[0035] In this embodiment, the tube insertion portion 120 is frictionally engaged with the catheter 200A, so the coupler 180 will not move even if it falls along the catheter 200A due to gravity and hits the tube insertion portion 120. Therefore, it functions as a stopper to prevent the coupler 180 from moving downstream of the second position, and prevents the coupler 180 from sliding down the catheter 200A until it hits the patient. This prevents the coupler from injuring the patient by hitting them, or from contaminating the coupler by hitting an unsterilized area. On the other hand, if force is applied by pulling the coupler 180 by hand, the tube insertion portion 120 moves together with the coupler 180, so even if the tube insertion portion 120 is located upstream of the second position where the male Luer portion 151 can be exposed, it is easy to move the coupler 180 to the second position.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cap 101, connected by the tube insertion portion 120 and the connecting portion 103, has an inner cylindrical portion 111 that fits onto the male Luer portion 151 and an outer cylindrical portion 112 that fits onto the coupler 180. Therefore, when the coupler 180 is in the first position, the cap 101 can close the openings of both the male Luer portion 151 and the coupler 180. It is preferable that the cap 101 be configured to hold the coupler 180 while closing the opening of the male Luer portion 151.

[0037] In this embodiment, the cap 101 is connected to the tube insertion portion 120 which is frictionally engaged with the catheter 200A. This prevents the cap 101 from moving significantly when it is not attached to the male Luer portion 151. When attaching the cap 101 to the male Luer portion 151, the tube insertion portion 120 can be moved to a position that is easy to attach by pulling it by hand. Therefore, the length of the connecting portion 103 can be set to a length that makes it easy to attach the cap 101 when the tube insertion portion 120 is moved to near the downstream end of the male connector body 150A. Depending on the length of the male connector body, etc., for example, in the case of a typical enteral nutrition male connector, the length of the connecting portion can be set to about 30 mm to 50 mm. This allows the length of the connecting portion 103 to be shortened compared to when the end of the connecting portion 103 is fixed so that it does not move to the second position, and makes it less likely for the long, loop-shaped connecting portion 103 to get caught when the cap 101 is attached to the male Luer portion 151. Additionally, it is possible to ensure that the removed cap 101 does not move too far away from the catheter 200A. The same applies when a thin catheter 200B is connected.

[0038] When connecting the medical male connector of this embodiment to the female connector, first, the cap 101 is removed from the male Luer portion 151 and the coupler 180. Next, as shown in Figure 4, the coupler 180 is moved to the second position to expose the male Luer portion 151. The coupler 180 is prevented from unintentionally sliding toward the downstream end by the tube insertion portion 120 of the coupler stopper 100. When the male Luer portion 151 is inserted into the female connector with the male Luer portion 151 exposed, even if enteral nutrition fluid overflows during insertion, it is unlikely that any enteral nutrition fluid will adhere to the coupler 180, which is located downstream. Furthermore, because the male Luer portion 151 is exposed, any overflowing enteral nutrition fluid can be easily wiped away even when the male Luer portion 151 is inserted into the female connector. After wiping away the enteral nutrition solution, moving the coupler 180 to the first position allows the coupler 180 to engage with the female connector and lock without any enteral nutrition solution adhering to the inside of the coupler 180. This allows medical procedures to be performed with a clean connector.

[0039] When separating the connectors, first the engagement between the coupler 180 and the female connector is released, and the coupler 180 is moved to the second position. Next, the male Luer portion 151 is pulled out from the female connector. In this way, even if enteral nutrition fluid spills out when the male Luer portion 151 is pulled out from the female connector, it can be easily wiped away because the male Luer portion 151 is exposed. Also, because the coupler 180 is separated from the upstream end of the male Luer portion 151, it is unlikely that any spilled enteral nutrition fluid will enter the inside of the coupler 180. After this, the coupler 180 is returned to the first position, and the tube insertion portion 120 to which the cap 101 is attached is also moved upstream. This allows the cap 101 to be attached to the openings of the male Luer portion 151 and the coupler 180, sealing the openings.

[0040] The second position can be any position where the male Luer portion 151 is exposed and can be wiped clean, but it can also be a position where the male connector body 150A further downstream is completely exposed. In this case, by slightly bending the catheter 200A at the second position, it is easy to offset the axial direction of the male connector body 150A and the axial direction of the coupler 180. By offsetting the axial direction of the male connector body 150A and the axial direction of the coupler 180 when inserting or removing the male Luer portion 151, it becomes more difficult for the overflowing enteral nutrition fluid to enter the coupler 180. The same applies when a thin catheter 200B is connected.

[0041] In this embodiment, the medical male connector exposes the male luer portion by sliding the coupler downstream towards the tube, rather than pulling it out upstream. This not only makes operation easy but also eliminates the risk of dropping or losing the removed coupler.

[0042] In this embodiment, the slot hole 121 of the tube insertion portion 120 has wide portions 122 at both ends, which are wider than the other portions. By providing the wide portions 122, the deformability in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is improved, thereby widening the range of catheter diameters that can be attached. By making the shape of the wide portions 122 a substantially circular shape without corners, force is prevented from concentrating when the slot hole 121 is expanded, making the slot hole 121 less likely to tear. Depending on the width of the slot hole 121 and the diameter of the catheter to be attached, the wide portions 122 may be provided at only one end, or not at all. Alternatively, by making both ends of the slot hole 121 curved, wide portions can be formed, making the slot hole 121 less likely to tear.

[0043] In this embodiment, the tube insertion portion 120 is plate-shaped and has an opening periphery portion 124 in which a slot hole 121 is formed. The opening periphery portion 124 has a thickened portion 125 surrounding the slot hole 121. In this embodiment, the thickened portion 125 is gently raised toward the slot hole 121 and is thicker than the other parts of the opening periphery portion 124. By providing the thickened portion 125 surrounding the slot hole 121, the strength can be increased and the slot hole 121 can be made less likely to tear. In addition, the thickness of the portion of the tube insertion portion 120 that contacts the catheter surface can increase the frictional force between it and the catheter. Furthermore, it is also possible to obtain the effect of making the portions on both sides of the slot hole 121 of the tube insertion portion 120 less likely to twist or turn inside out.

[0044] In this embodiment, the tube insertion portion 120 has a widened end 126 at the end opposite to the connecting portion 103, the widened end having a maximum width greater than the minimum width of the intermediate portion where the center of the slot hole 121 is located. By providing the widened end 126 when the tube insertion portion 120 is in the shape of an elongated plate, the slot hole 121 can be made less likely to tear. The widened end 126 can also be made easier to grasp. On the other hand, by narrowing the width of the tube insertion portion 120 in the intermediate portion, the slot hole 121 can be made easier to widen, allowing it to accommodate thicker catheters.

[0045] In this embodiment, the tube insertion portion 120 is shown as a narrow plate shape having a single slot hole 121 extending from the connecting portion 103 side toward the opposite end as an opening. With such a configuration, even if the width of the tube insertion portion 120 is narrowed, it can accommodate catheters of various diameters. However, the tube insertion portion 120 can also have other shapes. For example, as shown in the first modified example in Figure 6, the opening 130 can have a shape having a first slot hole 131 and a second slot hole 132 that are independent of each other. By making the opening a plurality of slot holes, the range of catheter diameters that can be accommodated can be further expanded. In Figure 6, the width W1 of the first slot hole 131 is smaller than the width W2 of the second slot hole 132, so the first slot hole 131 can be used when the catheter is thin, and the second slot hole 132 can be used when the catheter is thick. In Figure 6, the length of the second slot hole 132 is shorter than the length of the first slot hole 131, but depending on the corresponding catheter, they can be made the same length or the second slot hole 132 can be made longer. Also, although the first slot hole 131 and the second slot hole 132 are arranged in parallel, they can also be arranged sequentially in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the opening 130 can consist of three or more independent slot holes.

[0046] The opening 130 can be any shape other than a slot hole, as long as it can be frictionally engaged through the catheter. For example, in the second modified example shown in Figure 7, the opening 130 consists of a first hole 133 with a diameter of φ1, a second hole 134 with a diameter of φ2, and a third hole 135 with a diameter of φ3. By providing multiple holes with different diameters, it is possible to accommodate multiple catheters of different thicknesses. In Figure 7, the three holes are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction, but they can be arranged in any way. Also, the number of holes is not limited to three; it can be two, four or more. The holes are not limited to perfect circles; they can be distorted or elliptical. If they are not perfect circles, the maximum widths of the openings should be different from each other. In Figure 7, the three holes are independent of each other, but slit-shaped connecting holes may be provided to connect the holes.

[0047] As shown in the third modified example in Figure 8, the opening 130 can also be formed by multiple radially expanding slot holes 136. The radially expanding slot holes 136 can widen the range of catheter diameters that can be accommodated. In Figure 8, a wide portion 137 is provided at the end of each slot hole 136. By providing the wide portion 137, the slot hole 136 is less likely to tear even when a thick catheter is inserted. It is preferable that the wide portion 137 be a roughly circular shape without corners. However, the wide portion 137 does not have to be provided, and it can be provided only in some of the slot holes. In Figure 8, an example is shown in which the slot holes 136 expand in six directions, but the slot holes 136 can be made to expand in three or more directions. The slot holes 136 can also be slit-shaped with almost no gaps. Furthermore, the length and gap width do not have to be the same for all slot holes 136.

[0048] Although an example has been shown in which the tube insertion portion 120 has a closed opening, it is also possible to provide a notch or the like that to connect the outside of the tube insertion portion 120 to the opening. By providing a notch or the like that to connect the opening to the outside, the catheter can be inserted into the opening from the position of the notch, so it is possible to attach the tube insertion portion 120 to the catheter even when the downstream end of the catheter is inserted into the patient's body cavity.

[0049] The tube insertion section 120 can be made of a relatively soft material that undergoes elastic deformation when a catheter is inserted into the opening. For example, it can be made of soft polyvinyl chloride, silicone rubber, isoprene rubber, urethane rubber, and various elastomers. The tube insertion section 120 may be softer than the catheter. By making the tube insertion section 120 soft, even relatively thick catheters can be easily inserted. Furthermore, it is preferable that the tube insertion section 120 compresses the catheter inserted into the opening to some extent in order to generate sufficient frictional engagement force, but by using a soft material, it is possible to avoid a situation where the catheter is compressed too much and becomes blocked. However, in the case of a configuration in which multiple openings are provided to match the outer diameter of the catheter, as in the second modified example, the openings can be configured so that they do not deform when the catheter is inserted. For this reason, the tube insertion section 120 can also be made of a hard material.

[0050] In this embodiment, the cap 101 has a cap gripping portion 113 that protrudes radially outward on the side opposite to the connecting portion 103. Providing the cap gripping portion 113 makes it easy to attach and detach the cap 101. A notch or the like that can be provided in the cap gripping portion 113 to engage with the catheter can also be provided. If the cap 101 is not engaged with the male Luer portion 151, fixing the cap gripping portion 113 to the catheter will prevent the cap 101 from getting in the way. Also, if the coupler 180 is in the second position, fixing the cap gripping portion 113 to the catheter upstream of the second position can prevent the coupler 180 from unintentionally returning to the upstream side. The cap gripping portion 113 can have any shape as long as it makes it easy to grip the cap 101. It can also be provided as needed, or not provided at all.

[0051] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 103 is formed in a plate shape that is thinner than the tube insertion portion 120. Therefore, it can support the removed cap 101 so that its relative position to the tube insertion portion 120 does not change significantly, and it can also be made elastic enough to be easily bent when attaching the cap 101. By providing the connecting portion 103 with both thin and thick portions, it is also possible to make the connecting portion 103 easier to bend while ensuring sufficient strength to support the cap 101 in a fixed position. The connecting portion 103 can also be made in the shape of a string.

[0052] The cap 101 and the connecting portion 103 are preferably molded integrally with the tube insertion portion 120, but they can also be molded in multiple parts and then assembled into a single unit. The cap 101 can be made from the same material as the tube insertion portion 120, but it can also be made from a different material.

[0053] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the coupler stopper 100 functions as a cap. Because the cap 101 is connected to the tube insertion portion 120 via the connecting portion 103, the coupler 180 does not overtake the coupler stopper 100 during normal operation. However, the cap 101 and the connecting portion 103 can be provided as needed, and the coupler stopper 100 can also be made only of the tube insertion portion 120. In this case, if the diameter of the circle circumscribing the tube insertion portion 120 (maximum outer diameter) is made larger than the minimum inner diameter of the coupler 180, the coupler 180 can be prevented from overtaking the tube insertion portion 120. Alternatively, the maximum outer diameter of the coupler stopper 100 may be increased by providing a protrusion or the like that projecting radially outward from the tube insertion portion 120. The cap 101 may be attached to the catheter using a separate component from the tube insertion portion 120, or it may be attached to the coupler 180.

[0054] In this embodiment, the coupler 180 has a cylindrical female threaded portion 181 with a female thread on its inner surface that engages with the female connector, and a small-diameter portion 182 provided downstream of the female threaded portion 181 and having a smaller inner diameter than the female threaded portion 181. The male connector bodies 150A and 150B have a flange-like portion 155 that protrudes radially outward downstream of the male luer portion 151, and the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 155 is smaller than the inner diameter of the female threaded portion 181 of the coupler 180, but larger than the inner diameter of the small-diameter portion 182. Therefore, the small-diameter portion 182 of the coupler 180 cannot pass through the flange-like portion 155, preventing the coupler 180 from moving upstream beyond the first position. Furthermore, when the coupler 180 is screwed into the female connector, friction is generated when the small-diameter portion 182 comes into contact with the flange-like portion, making it difficult for the coupler 180 to loosen. Any mechanism can be used to prevent the coupler 180 from moving upstream of the first position, and this can be achieved by means other than providing the flange portion 155.

[0055] For example, as shown in Figure 9, instead of the flange-shaped portion 155, a plurality of retaining protrusions 157 that project radially outward may be provided. The diameter of the circumscribed circle of the retaining protrusions 157 should be smaller than the inner diameter of the female screw portion 181 and larger than the inner diameter of the small-diameter portion 182. By using a plurality of retaining protrusions 157 instead of the ring-shaped flange-shaped portion 155, the contact area with the small-diameter portion 182 can be reduced, thereby adjusting the anti-loosening effect. The number of retaining protrusions 157 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to provide four or six at equal intervals from the viewpoint of preventing the coupler 180 from moving upstream. It is also possible to make the coupler 180 removable upstream. In addition, even in the first position, the coupler 180 can rotate freely around the male connector bodies 150A and 150B.

[0056] The male connector bodies 150A and 150B have a tube connection portion 152 downstream of the flange portion 155. When the coupler 180 is in the first position, at least a part of the tube connection portion 152 protrudes downstream of the coupler 180, making it easy to grasp. Therefore, the tube connection portion 152 functions as a gripping portion for attaching and detaching the coupler 180 to the female connector. It can also be used to grip the coupler 180 when moving it from the first position to the second position. With a relatively thick catheter 200A, it is easy to grasp the catheter and pull the coupler 180 downstream, but with a thin catheter 200B, the catheter is prone to bending and cannot be pulled properly. However, by grasping the tube connection portion 152, the coupler 180 can be easily moved downstream even with a thin catheter 200A. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tube connection portion 152 can be gripped even when the coupler 180 is in the second position, so the tube connection portion 152 can be gripped and operated when moving the coupler 180 upstream. In this embodiment, the tube connection portion 152 is the part downstream of the flange portion 155 and includes parts other than the part in which the catheter is inserted and connected.

[0057] In this embodiment, the outer surface of the tube connection portion 152 has a plurality of ribs 153 that protrude radially outward. As a result, fingers can grip the ribs 153, making it easy to grasp. Furthermore, if the surface between the ribs 153 is a curved surface that is recessed inward, the surface 154 between the ribs 153 can be firmly pressed with the pads of the fingers, making it even easier to grasp. By providing a gripping portion that can be easily grasped whether the coupler 180 is in the first position or the second position, the operator can be guided to move the coupler 180 to the second position to wipe the male luer portion 151, or to insert or remove the male luer portion 151 while the coupler 180 is in the second position, making it easy to keep the male connector clean.

[0058] Furthermore, if the thin catheter 200B is directly connected to the tube connection part 152, kinking is likely to occur at the connection point. For this reason, in this embodiment, the catheter 200B is connected to the tube connection part 152 via a tube 156 that is thicker than the catheter 200B. This makes it less likely for the thin catheter 200B to kink at the connection point.

[0059] Instead of providing ribs 153 on the tube connection portion 152, the tube connection portion 152 can be made easier to grip by making the cross-section of the tube connection portion 152 a polygonal shape such as a quadrangular or hexagonal shape. In this case, if the outer surface forming the tube connection portion 152 is a curved surface that is recessed inward, the fingers will fit more easily, making it even easier to grip.

[0060] The medical male connector of this embodiment may also be provided with a weak mating mechanism to prevent the coupler 180 from loosening when it is screwed into the female connector. The weak mating mechanism can be realized, for example, by tapering the outer surface of the male connector body or by adjusting the dimensions of the inner surface of the coupler 180, but it may also be realized by other methods.

[0061] The coupler stopper only needs to be capable of preventing the coupler 180 from moving downstream. For example, the coupler stopper 140 of the medical male connector according to the first modified example shown in Figure 10 has the function of an information tag that displays information about a catheter, etc. The coupler stopper 140 of this modified example has a tab 141 which is an information display part on which information is written, and an attachment part 142 which is attached to a catheter. The tab 141 of this modified example protrudes radially outward from the catheter 200A in a flag shape, and the coupler 180 cannot move downstream beyond the tab 141 unless it is forcibly pulled.

[0062] Tab 141 can display product information such as the catheter's diameter, length, and intended use, manufacturing information such as the lot number, and various other information. If such information were engraved on the surface of the catheter, the coupler and coupler stopper moved onto the catheter might overlap it, making it impossible to read. However, since the information tag, which is the coupler stopper, is not hidden by the coupler, the movement of the coupler does not interfere with the reading of the information. Also, while engraving and reading information can be difficult with thin catheters, as shown in Figure 11, the size of the tab can be set independently of the tube's diameter, making it easy to write and read information even on thin catheters. Such information can be displayed not only in text but also in symbols, barcodes, etc. It can also be displayed in color. For example, by changing the color according to the intended use, such as for nerve anesthesia, enteral nutrition, and vascular use, misuse can be reduced. Furthermore, users can freely add information during use. For example, by recording the date of catheter placement and the length inserted into the body, medical procedures can be performed more safely. Multiple pieces of information may be displayed on the tab.

[0063] In this embodiment, the coupler stopper 140, which is an information tag, can be formed by bonding two adhesive surfaces together with a catheter in between. This method allows for the coupler stopper 140 to be provided very inexpensively and easily. Alternatively, it can be formed by bonding two sheets together with a catheter in between, or by attaching the adhesive-coated end of a sheet, where adhesive is applied only near one end, to the catheter. Furthermore, the attachment portion is not limited to being attached to the catheter; it may also engage with the catheter through friction. For example, a loop-shaped portion formed by inserting the other end of a ribbon-shaped sheet, which has a slit near one end, into the slit can be used as the attachment portion. The attachment portion and the tab can also be configured as separate components.

[0064] The information display section is not limited to a flag-shaped tab, as long as information can be written on it. For example, a large-diameter tube that the coupler cannot pass through can be attached to the catheter, and the surface of the tube can be used as the information display section. Alternatively, the longitudinal ends of a sheet-like information display section can be fixed to the catheter.

[0065] Figures 10 and 11 show an example in which a cap 160 is attached between a coupler 180 and a coupler stopper 140. The cap 160 has a cap body 161, a ring-shaped portion 162 through which a catheter is inserted, and a connecting portion 163 that connects the cap body 161 and the ring-shaped portion 162. The ring-shaped portion 162 is configured so as not to go over the coupler stopper 140. With this configuration, it is possible to restrict not only the coupler 180 but also the cap 160 from moving downstream. The ring-shaped portion 162 does not need to frictionally engage with the catheter, but it may frictionally engage with the catheter. Also, as long as it does not easily fall off the catheter, it may be a C-shape with a part cut off, etc., rather than a ring. Note that the cap 160 can also be attached to the coupler 180. Also, the cap 160 may not be provided at all.

[0066] The coupler stopper 170 of the medical male connector according to the second modified example shown in Figures 12 and 13 is attached to the coupler 180. The coupler stopper 170 has a tube insertion portion 172 through which the catheter 200A is inserted, a cap body 171, and a connecting portion 173 that connects the cap body 171 and the tube insertion portion 172. The tube insertion portion has an insertion hole 175 that elastically deforms when the catheter 200A is inserted, and a friction engagement portion 174 that frictionally engages with the inserted catheter 200A. Furthermore, the tube insertion portion 172 has an engagement projection 176 that fits into an engagement recess 183 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the downstream side of the coupler 180, and is attached to the coupler 180. Therefore, the coupler 180 can be stopped at any position on the catheter 200A unless the user intentionally operates and moves it.

[0067] By making the insertion hole 175 in the friction engagement portion 174 a slot, the friction engagement portion 174 can be easily frictionally engaged with catheters of different diameters. The insertion hole 175 can also be made up of multiple slots combined together, as shown in Figure 8. The friction engagement portion 174 in which the insertion hole 175 is provided is preferably made of rubber or a relatively soft resin such as polyurethane. It can also be made of a material softer than the catheter.

[0068] An example has been shown in which the engaging projection 176 of the tube insertion portion 172 is engaged with the engaging recess 183 of the coupler 180 to attach the tube insertion portion 172 to the coupler 180. However, the mechanism for attaching the tube insertion portion 172 to the coupler 180 can be anything, and may include screwing or bonding. The tube insertion portion 172 and the coupler 180 can also be molded as a single unit. The tube insertion portion 172 can also be configured to be rotatable relative to the coupler 180. In this way, the coupler 180 can be easily screwed into the female connector.

[0069] In Figures 12 and 13, the disc-shaped friction engagement portion 174 is configured to be separate from the rest of the tube insertion portion 172. This configuration makes it easy to make the friction engagement portion 174 softer than the catheter. However, the tube insertion portion 172 including the friction engagement portion 174 can also be formed integrally. Furthermore, the tube insertion portion 172 other than the friction engagement portion 174 can also be molded integrally with the coupler 180.

[0070] When the coupler 180 is screwed onto the female connector, it is preferable that the friction engagement portion 174 is located on the catheter. In this way, it is not necessary for the tube connection portion 152, which has a larger diameter than the catheter, to pass through the insertion hole 175. Therefore, by making the insertion hole 175 a narrow slot, it is easy to frictionally engage even a thin catheter.

[0071] While an example was shown where the tube insertion portion 120 frictionally engages with the catheter and functions as a coupler stopper, it is also possible to configure the tube insertion portion 120 so that it does not frictionally engage with the catheter. The coupler stopper can also be temporarily moved relative to the tube by configuring it to switch between a state where the tube is clamped and a state where it is not clamped. For example, it can be configured to slide in the direction perpendicular to the tube axis, allowing switching between the clamped and non-clamped states.

[0072] An example has been shown in which a tube insertion portion that frictionally engages with the catheter is used as a coupler stopper, but it is also possible to have a configuration in which the tube insertion portion does not function as a coupler stopper. For example, in the male connector according to the third modified example shown in Figure 14, a projection 197 formed at the base end of the male connector body 150C and projecting radially outward functions as a coupler stopper that restricts the downstream movement of the coupler 180. A cap portion 190 having the same configuration as the coupler stopper 100 shown in Figure 3, etc., is inserted through the catheter 200A, which is a tube.

[0073] The cap portion 190 is attached to the tube via the tube insertion portion 120, rather than to the male connector body 150C or the coupler 180. The tube insertion portion 120 is frictionally engaged with the tube and can move freely along the tube, making it easy to move the cap to a position where it is easy to attach and detach, or to a position where it will not be hit by the hand when operating the male connector. Furthermore, it can be stopped in the intended position, making it less likely for the cap to unintentionally move to a position where it may come into contact with the patient.

[0074] If the cap is fixed to the coupler, the cap rotates along with the coupler when screwing or unscrewing the coupler to the female connector, significantly reducing operability. In the case of free-lock or slide-type couplers, where the coupler rotates freely relative to the male connector body, attaching the cap to the male connector body prevents the cap and coupler from rotating together. However, even in this case, the cap must be attached close to the coupler, which may get in the way when rotating or moving the coupler. Furthermore, in the case of fixed-lock type couplers, where the coupler rotates integrally with the male connector body, the cap will rotate along with the coupler even if it is attached to the male connector body. In fixed-lock type couplers, the tube also rotates with the coupler, so even if the cap is fixed to the tube to prevent movement, the cap will still rotate along with the coupler. However, in this modified example, the cap portion 190 is frictionally engaged with the tube via the tube insertion portion 120. Therefore, in any type of coupler, for example, lightly pressing the cap portion 190 will easily prevent it from rotating together with the coupler. Thus, the cap portion 190 attached to the tube by the tube insertion portion 120 is useful not only for connectors with slide-type couplers, but also for connectors with free-lock type couplers and fixed-lock type couplers.

[0075] The tube insertion section 120, which has a vertically elongated slot as shown in Figure 3, can accommodate not only thick tubes but also thin tubes, and is less likely to cause tube blockage. However, the tube insertion section 120 can have various configurations as illustrated in the embodiments and each modified example.

[0076] In this modified example, the coupler stopper is a pair of wing-shaped protrusions 197 formed at the base end of the male connector body 150C, but various configurations that can prevent the coupler 180 from passing can be adopted. For example, it can be a protrusion that protrudes only on one side, or a flange-shaped protrusion. Furthermore, the coupler stopper is not limited to being formed on the male connector body. For example, it can be formed downstream of the male connector body, spaced apart from the male connector body. In addition, a tab-like configuration as shown in Figure 10 can also be adopted.

[0077] In this modified example, the coupler 180 is provided with a notch 195 into which the protrusion 197 is inserted. By engaging the notch 195 with the protrusion 19, the coupler 180 and the male connector body 150C can be rotated together. This allows the coupler 180 to be gripped and the male connector body 150C to be rotated, making it easier to insert and remove the lure portion. However, the mechanism for limiting the relative rotation between the coupler 180 and the male connector body 150C is not limited to this configuration. It may be provided as needed, or it may not be provided at all.

[0078] Furthermore, in this modified example, a flange-shaped protrusion 196 is formed near the projection 197. The inner surface of the small-diameter portion 182 of the coupler 180 has grooves and protrusions that detachably engage with the protrusion 196, allowing the coupler 180 to be temporarily held in the position of the coupler stopper. This makes it less likely for the coupler 180 to move unintentionally upstream, further reducing the likelihood of coupler contamination. Note that the configuration for holding the coupler in the position of the coupler stopper is not limited to this configuration. It may be provided as needed, or it may not be provided.

[0079] While an example was shown where a medical male connector is used for enteral nutrition, a similar configuration can be applied to other medical male connectors. [Industrial applicability]

[0080] The male connector of this disclosure offers excellent operability and is particularly useful in the medical field. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100 Coupler Stoppers 101 Cap 103 Connection part 111 Inner cylinder 112 Outer cylinder part 113 Gripping part 120 Tube insertion section 121 slot holes 122 Wide section 124 Periphery of the opening 125 Thick part 126 Widening end 130 opening 131 First slot hole 132 Second slot hole 133 First Hole 134 Second hole 135 Third Hole 136 slot holes 137 Wide section 140 Coupler Stopper 141 tabs 142 Mounting part 150A, 150B, 150C Male Connector Body 151 Male Lure Section 152 Tube connection 153 Rib 154 sides 155 Collar 156 Tubes 157 Retaining protrusion 160 caps 161 Cap body 162 Ring-shaped part 163 Connecting part 170 Coupler Stopper 171 Cap body 172 Tube insertion section 173 Connecting part 174 Friction engagement part 175 Through hole 176 Engagement protrusion 180 Coupler 181 Female thread section 182 Small diameter section 183 Engaging recess 190 Cap section 195 Notches 196 Convex part 197 Protrusion 200A catheter 200B Catheter

Claims

1. A male connector body having a male Luer connector at the tip that can be inserted into a medical female connector, and a catheter tube connected to the proximal end, A coupler that screws into the female connector and whose relative position to the male connector body is movable, The coupler stopper is located on the tube and restricts the movement of the coupler, The coupler stopper functions as an information tag displaying information including at least one of letters, symbols, and a barcode indicating at least one of the diameter, length, and manufacturing information of the catheter, and is a medical male connector.

2. A male connector body having a male Luer part at the tip that can be inserted into a medical female connector, and a tube connected to the base end, A coupler that screws into the female connector and whose relative position to the male connector body is movable, The coupler stopper is located on the tube and restricts the movement of the coupler, The aforementioned coupler stopper functions as an information tag that displays information, The aforementioned information tag is a medical male connector having a flag-shaped tab for writing information.

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