Infusion device

Abstract

This invention discloses an infusion connection device, comprising an inner sleeve, an elastic sleeve, and an outer sleeve. A support plate is provided inside the inner sleeve to divide its internal space into two sub-spaces. A central conduit located in one of the two sub-spaces passes through the support plate. The elastic sleeve includes a sealing portion and a spring portion. The bottom of the sealing portion is connected to the spring portion, and the bottom of the spring portion has an opening. The spring portion is fitted onto the central conduit through the opening and is located on the support plate, thereby sealing the central conduit using the sealing portion and the spring portion. The spring portion includes multiple annular spring structures arranged from top to bottom, with the area of ​​the annular spring structures gradually increasing from top to bottom to form a conical arrangement. The outer sleeve is fitted onto the outer sidewall of the inner sleeve to accommodate the elastic sleeve between the central conduit and the outer sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a connecting device, and more particularly to an infusion connecting device. Prior Technology

[0002] Needle-free infusion connectors are a key component of needle-free infusion systems, serving to connect the drug container and infusion equipment during drug delivery. These connectors ensure that medications are delivered to the patient at the appropriate pressure and rate.

[0003] A Luer Lock is a standardized medical connector used to ensure a secure connection between infusion tubing, syringes, or other devices. Needleless infusion devices can be designed with Luer Lock compatibility to ensure compatibility with existing medical devices. For example, one end of the needleless connector may be a Luer Lock for connecting to an infusion tubing or syringe, while the other end is needleless for needleless operation. However, when connecting a Luer Lock to a needleless infusion device, the silicone spring within the device needs to be compressed to fully expose the guide needle opening.

[0004] The elastic part of a silicone spring comprises multiple annular spring structures arranged from top to bottom, with each annular spring structure enclosing an essentially identical area. Therefore, when the Luer connector is connected to the needleless infusion device and compresses the silicone spring, the multiple annular spring structures are compressed and stacked. After these annular spring structures are compressed and stacked, the Luer connector still needs to compress the stacked annular spring structures to deform them, allowing the opening of the guide needle in the needleless infusion device to be fully exposed. However, the force required to deform the stacked annular spring structures is relatively large, thus the Luer connector cannot reach the position where the opening of the guide needle in the needleless infusion device is fully exposed, resulting in the guide needle opening not being fully exposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a miniaturized and easy-to-connect needleless infusion connection device to solve the above problems.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an infusion connection device, comprising an inner sleeve, an elastic sleeve, and an outer sleeve. A support plate is provided inside the inner sleeve to divide its internal space into two sub-spaces. A central conduit located in one of the two sub-spaces passes through the support plate to allow fluid passage. The elastic sleeve includes a sealing portion and a spring portion. The bottom of the sealing portion is connected to the spring portion, and the bottom of the spring portion has an opening. The spring portion is fitted onto the central conduit through the opening and is located on the support plate, thereby sealing the central conduit using the sealing portion and the spring portion. The spring portion includes multiple annular spring structures arranged from top to bottom, with the area of ​​the multiple annular spring structures gradually increasing from top to bottom to form a conical arrangement. The outer sleeve is fitted onto the outer sidewall of the inner sleeve to accommodate the elastic sleeve between the central conduit and the outer sleeve.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a sheet-like flange is provided around the sealing portion.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sidewall of the central conduit has an opening located between the support plate and the sealing portion.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the spring portion remains in its original state, the spring portion and the sealing portion close the opening.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the spring is compressed, the central conduit penetrates the sealing portion to expose the opening.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner space of the outer sleeve includes a conical space, which accommodates annular spring structures arranged in a conical shape.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic kit is a silicone kit.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first Luer Lock is further fitted on the outer side wall of the outer sleeve, the first Luer Lock being used to compress the sealing portion.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, a second Luer connector is further fitted between the inner sleeve and the central conduit.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the area surrounded by each annular spring structure is a circular area.

[0016] Based on the above, the infusion connection device adopts a conical ring spring structure to reduce the resistance of Luer connector installation, so as to facilitate installation and fully expose the opening of the central catheter.

[0017] The foregoing descriptions and other technical contents, features and effects of this invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0018] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural view of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a structural cross-sectional view of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4a is a cross-sectional view of the infusion connection device, the second Luer connector and the first Luer connector before connection according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view of the infusion connection device, the second Luer connector and the first Luer connector after connection according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention connecting an infusion bottle to a patient. Implementation

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals in the drawings and description represent the same or similar components. In the drawings, shapes and thicknesses may be exaggerated for simplicity and convenience. It is understood that elements not specifically shown in the drawings or described in the description are forms known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications based on the content of this invention.

[0020] Unless otherwise specified, certain conditional clauses or words, such as "can," "could," "might," or "may," are generally intended to express features, elements, or steps that are present in the embodiments of this invention, but may also be interpreted as features, elements, or steps that may not be required. In other embodiments, these features, elements, or steps may be unnecessary.

[0021] In the following description of "one embodiment" or "an embodiment," the term refers to a specific element, structure, or feature associated with at least one embodiment. Therefore, the multiple descriptions of "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" appearing in various places below do not refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific components, structures, and features in one or more embodiments may be combined in a suitable manner.

[0022] Certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific elements. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the same element may be referred to by different names. The specification and claims do not distinguish elements by differences in name, but by differences in function. The term "comprising" as used in the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to".

[0023] The disclosure is specifically described with reference to the following examples, which are merely illustrative. Various modifications and refinements can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims. Throughout the specification and claims, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the words “a” and “the” include “a or at least one” of the element or component. Furthermore, as used in this disclosure, the singular article also includes descriptions of multiple elements or components unless clearly excluded from the specific context. Moreover, when applied in this description and throughout the claims below, unless explicitly stated otherwise, “in which” may include both “in which” and “on which”. The terms used throughout the specification and claims, unless otherwise specified, generally have their ordinary meaning in the context of this disclosure and in specific contexts. Certain terms used to describe this disclosure will be discussed below or elsewhere in this specification to provide additional guidance to practitioners in describing this disclosure. Examples throughout this specification, including examples of any terms discussed herein, are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope or meaning of this disclosure or any illustrative terms. Similarly, this disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments set forth in this specification.

[0024] The following describes a connecting device of the present invention, which adopts a ring spring structure arranged in a conical shape to reduce the resistance of Luer connector fitting, so as to achieve easy fitting and fully expose the opening of the central conduit.

[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is an exploded view of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the infusion connection device 1 includes an inner sleeve 10, an elastic sleeve 11, and an outer sleeve 12. The elastic sleeve 11 includes a sealing portion 110 and a spring portion 111. The bottom of the sealing portion 110 is connected to the spring portion 111, and the bottom of the spring portion 111 has an opening 1110. The elastic sleeve 11 may be, but is not limited to, a silicone sleeve.

[0026] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 3, a support plate 13 is provided inside the inner sleeve 10 to divide one of the internal spaces 100 of the inner sleeve 10 into two sub-spaces 1000. A central conduit 14 is passed through the support plate 13 and located in one of the two sub-spaces 1000, allowing liquid to pass through. The side wall of the central conduit 14 has an opening 140 located between the support plate 13 of the inner sleeve 10 and the sealing portion 110 of the elastic sleeve 11. The spring portion 111 of the elastic sleeve 11 is fitted onto the central conduit 14 through the opening 1110 and is located on the support plate 13, so as to close the central conduit 14 using the sealing portion 110 and the spring portion 111. An outer sleeve 12 is fitted onto the outer side wall of the inner sleeve 10 to accommodate the elastic sleeve 11 between the central conduit 14 and the outer sleeve 12.

[0027] The spring portion 111 includes a plurality of annular spring structures 1111 arranged from top to bottom. The area enclosed by the annular spring structures 1111 gradually increases from top to bottom, forming a conical arrangement. In other words, in two adjacent annular spring structures 1111, the area enclosed by the upper annular spring structure 1111 is smaller than the area enclosed by the lower annular spring structure 1111. Therefore, when the spring portion 111 is compressed, the upper annular spring structure 1111 can deform and squeeze into the lower annular spring structure 1111, rather than stacking on top of the lower annular spring structure 1111. In this way, the structural design of the present invention, in which the area of ​​the annular spring structure 1111 gradually increases from top to bottom (i.e., the area surrounded by the upper annular spring structure 1111 is smaller than the area surrounded by the lower annular spring structure 1111), means that when deformed under pressure, the force required to deform the upper annular spring structure 1111 into the lower annular spring structure 1111 is less than the force required for further deformation when conventional annular spring structures are stacked together.

[0028] Therefore, the structural design of the annular spring structure 1111 of the present invention, with its area gradually increasing from top to bottom (i.e., the area surrounded by the upper annular spring structure 1111 is smaller than the area surrounded by the lower annular spring structure 1111), can reduce the force required to compress the annular spring structure 1111 and increase the amount of compression, which is beneficial to the miniaturization trend of the infusion connection device 1. In some embodiments, the area surrounded by each annular spring structure 1111 may be, but is not limited to, a circular area.

[0029] Furthermore, to accommodate the tapered arrangement of the multiple annular spring structures 1111 in the elastic sleeve 11, the internal space of the outer sleeve 12 includes a tapered placement space 120. The shape of the tapered placement space 120 corresponds to the external shape of the multiple annular spring structures 1111 after being arranged in a tapered manner, allowing the tapered placement space 120 to accommodate the tapered annular spring structures 1111. In addition, a sheet-like flange 1100 is provided around the outer periphery of the sealing portion 110 to seal the tapered placement space 120. The sheet-like flange 1100 contacts the inner sidewall of the outer sleeve 12 to ensure that the spring portion 111 maintains a distance from the inner sidewall of the outer sleeve 12. In other words, when the spring portion 111 moves downward under pressure, the sheet-like flange 1100 ensures that the spring portion 111 does not rub against the inner sidewall of the outer sleeve 12, thereby reducing the force required for the spring portion 111 to move downward under pressure. In addition, the thickness of the sheet flange 1100 is controlled between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm to further reduce the contact area between the sheet flange 1100 and the inner wall of the outer sleeve 12, thereby reducing the friction between the sheet flange 1100 and the inner wall of the outer sleeve 12 when the spring part 111 moves downward under pressure.

[0030] Figure 4a is a cross-sectional view of the infusion connection device, the first Luer Lock, and the second Luer Lock before connection according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 4a, before connection, the spring portion 111 of the infusion connection device 1, the first Luer Lock 2, and the second Luer Lock 3 remains in its original state, so that the spring portion 111 and the sealing portion 110 close the opening 140. The first Luer Lock 2 and the second Luer Lock 3 are provided to allow the infusion connection device 1 to be disassembled and replaced. In this embodiment, one of the first Luer Lock 2 and the second Luer Lock 3 can be a male Luer Lock, and the other of the first Luer Lock 2 and the second Luer Lock 3 can be a female Luer Lock.

[0031] Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view of the infusion connection device, the first Luer connector, and the second Luer connector after connection according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 4b, after the infusion connection device 1, the first Luer connector 2, and the second Luer connector 3 are connected, the spring portion 111 is compressed, causing the central conduit 14 to penetrate the sealing portion 110 and expose the opening 140. Because the amount of compression of the annular spring structure 1111 has been increased, and the force required to compress the annular spring structure 1111 has also been reduced, the resistance of the first Luer connector 2 being fitted is reduced. Therefore, the first Luer connector 2 can compress the spring portion 111, allowing the opening 140 of the infusion connection device 1 to be fully exposed. Specifically, when the first Luer connector 2 is connected, the tubular structure of the first Luer connector 2 pushes against the sealing portion 110. At this time, the sealing portion 110 and the support plate 13 jointly squeeze the annular spring structure 1111, causing the annular spring structure 1111 to deform. It is worth mentioning that, due to the increasing area of ​​the annular spring structure 1111 from top to bottom to form the conical arrangement, the annular spring structure 1111 in the conical arrangement can increase the amount of deformation in the vertical direction when deformed, thereby allowing the opening 140 of the side wall of the central conduit 14 to be completely exposed outside the sealing portion 110 of the elastic sleeve 11.

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an infusion connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention connecting an IV drip bottle to a patient. Referring to Figure 5, when the infusion connection device 1 is in use, one end of the second Luer connector 3 is fitted onto the infusion connection device 1, and the other end of the second Luer connector 3 is connected to an indwelling needle, which is then inserted into the skin of the patient 4. The IV drip bottle 5 is connected via the first Luer connector 2, thus connecting the infusion connection device 1 to the IV drip bottle 5 and the patient 4. Therefore, the medication in the IV drip bottle 5 can sequentially seep into the patient 4 through the first Luer connector 2, the infusion connection device 1, and the second Luer connector 3.

[0033] According to the above embodiments, the infusion connection device adopts a ring spring structure arranged in a conical shape to reduce the resistance of Luer connector fitting, so as to achieve easy fitting to fully expose the opening of the central catheter and the trend of miniaturization of the infusion connection device.

[0034] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes and modifications made to the shape, structure, features and spirit described in the claims of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0035] 1: Infusion connection device 10: Inner sleeve 100: Interior Space 1000: Subspace 11: Elastic Kit 110: Sealing section 1100: Sheet-like flange 111: Spring section 1110: Opening 1111: Ring spring structure 12: Outerwear 120: Conical shape placement space 13: Support plate 14: Central catheter 140: Opening 2: First Luer Joint 20: Indwelling needle 3: Second Luer Joint 4: Patients 5: Infusion bottle

Claims

1. An infusion connection device, comprising: An inner sleeve has a support plate inside, which divides the internal space of the inner sleeve into two sub-spaces. A central conduit is passed through the support plate in the two sub-spaces to allow liquid to pass through. An elastic sleeve includes a sealing part and a spring part. The sealing part is connected to the spring part. The bottom of the spring part has an opening. The spring part is fitted onto the central conduit through the opening and is located on the support plate. The spring part includes multiple annular spring structures. The area enclosed by one of two adjacent annular spring structures is smaller than the area enclosed by the other of two adjacent annular spring structures, forming a conical arrangement. When the spring part is compressed, any of the upper annular spring structures can deform and squeeze into another annular spring structure located below.

2. The infusion connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the periphery of the sealing portion has a sheet-like flange.

3. The infusion connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the central conduit has an opening located between the support plate and the sealing portion.

4. The infusion connection device as described in claim 3, wherein when the spring portion remains in its original state, the spring portion and the sealing portion close the opening.

5. The infusion connection device as described in claim 3, wherein when the spring portion is compressed, the central conduit penetrates the sealing portion to expose the opening.

6. The infusion connection device as described in claim 1, further comprising: An outer sleeve is fitted onto the outer side wall of the inner sleeve to accommodate the elastic component between the central conduit and the outer sleeve.

7. The infusion connection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inner space of the outer sleeve includes a conical placement space that accommodates the plurality of annular spring structures arranged in the conical shape.

8. The infusion connection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a first Luer Lock is further fitted on the outer side wall of the outer sleeve for pressing the sealing portion.

9. The infusion connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second Luer connector is further fitted between the inner sleeve and the central catheter.

10. The infusion connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area enclosed by each of the annular spring structures is a circular area.

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