Luer connector

Abstract

A luer connector (1) comprises a female member (2) and a male member (3). The female member (2) has a female-side luer part (15) and a male screw part (20), and the male member (3) has a male-side luer part (33) and an intermediate part (40). On the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate part (40), a first portion (51) having an outer surface at a position at a predetermined distance from an axis (A) in the radial direction, and a second portion (52) having an outer surface at a position closer to the axis (A) than the first portion (51) are provided side by side in the circumferential direction.

Description

Luer connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a luer connector used in medical settings to connect tubes through which liquids such as blood flow.

[0002] For example, luer connectors are used to connect tubes in blood circuits during hemodialysis. Luer connectors include a cylindrical female member and a cylindrical male member that is inserted into the female member for connection. The inner circumferential surface of the female member and the outer circumferential surface of the male member form tapered surfaces that align with each other, enabling a liquid-tight connection. Furthermore, by operating the coupler, the tapered surfaces of the two members can be brought into tight contact with each other, achieving a strong and stable connection (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2015-146868 A

[0004] However, such luer connectors have the advantage of being firmly connected as described above and thus effectively preventing liquid leakage. However, when separating the luer connectors, the female and male members may be strongly adhered to each other, making separation difficult.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a luer connector in which the female member and the male member can be easily separated.

[0006] A luer connector according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a female member having a cylindrical shape and a female pipe connecting portion at one end in an axial direction to which a pipe member is connected; and a male member having a cylindrical shape and a male pipe connecting portion at the other end in the axial direction to which another pipe member is connected, and connected to the female member, wherein the female member has a female luer portion having an inner circumferential surface that opens to the other side in the axial direction and whose inner diameter decreases toward one side in the axial direction; the male member has a male luer portion formed at one end in the axial direction and having an outer circumferential surface that decreases in outer diameter toward one side in the axial direction, and connected to the female luer portion; and on the outer circumferential surface of an intermediate portion between the male pipe connecting portion and the male luer portion, a first portion having an outer surface at a predetermined radial distance from the axis, and a second portion having an outer surface at a position closer to the axis than the first portion are provided side by side in the circumferential direction.

[0007] With this configuration, when separating the female and male members of the luer connector, it is easy to grip the male member and rotate it around its axis. That is, since the middle part of the male member is provided with a first part and a second part that are different distances from the axis, when gripping and rotating this middle part, the fingers of the gripping member can easily catch on the engaged part, making it easy to rotate.

[0008] Furthermore, the luer connector according to the second aspect of the present disclosure may be such that, in the first aspect, the first portion has a cylindrical circumferential surface centered on the axis, and the second portion has a concave circumferential surface that is recessed toward the axis relative to the cylindrical circumferential surface.

[0009] With this configuration, the cylindrical circumferential surface of the first portion of the intermediate section can be shaped to fit the inner circumferential surface of the coupler, allowing stable rotation of the coupler when threading the coupler onto the female member after connecting the female and male members.

[0010] Furthermore, in the luer connector according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, the concave circumferential surface may form a plane parallel to the axis.

[0011] With this configuration, when grasping the intermediate portion, a fingertip (or an instrument such as forceps) can come into contact with the concave peripheral surface of the second portion over a wide area, making it possible to stably grasp the intermediate portion and easily apply a large force to the intermediate portion.

[0012] Furthermore, in the luer connector according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, the concave circumferential surfaces may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate portion at positions facing each other across the axis.

[0013] This configuration allows the user to grasp the middle portion by placing fingers (or forceps, etc.) on each of the concave peripheral surfaces located opposite each other across the axis, making it possible to grasp the middle portion more stably and to easily apply a large force to the middle portion.

[0014] Furthermore, in the luer connector according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, the concave circumferential surface may have at least one rib protruding outward in the radial direction.

[0015] This allows the hand gripping the middle portion to rest on the rib, thus allowing a greater rotational force to be applied to the middle portion.

[0016] Furthermore, in a luer connector according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion may have a plurality of ribs that protrude radially outward and extend in the axial direction, and the radially outer end faces of the ribs may form the first portion, and a surface connecting two adjacent ribs may form the second portion.

[0017] With this configuration, the height difference between the first and second portions formed by the multiple ribs makes it easy for a finger to catch on the middle portion and rotate the coupler. Furthermore, if a coupler is further provided as described below, the end faces (first portions) of the multiple ribs can support the inner peripheral surface of the coupler, allowing the coupler to rotate stably.

[0018] In a luer connector according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the intermediate portion may have a cross-sectional outline intersecting the axis that is polygonal, with corners that form the first portion and sides that form the second portion.

[0019] With this configuration, the height difference between the corner (first portion) and the side (second portion) makes it easy for a finger to catch the middle portion and rotate it. Also, as described above, if a coupler is further provided, the inner peripheral surface of the coupler can be supported at multiple corners (first portions), allowing the coupler to rotate stably.

[0020] Furthermore, a luer connector according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure may be the first aspect, further comprising a coupler that is cylindrical and has a female thread portion provided around one inner peripheral surface in the axial direction and an engaging portion provided protruding from the other inner peripheral surface, reinforcing the connection between the female member and the male member, wherein the female member further has a male thread portion provided around the outer peripheral surface and threadedly engaging with the female thread portion of the coupler, and the intermediate portion of the male member may be provided with an engaged portion that is provided between the male side luer portion and the male side pipe connecting portion and is biased toward one side in the axial direction by engaging with the engaging portion of the coupler.

[0021] This makes it easier to separate luer connectors, even those that use a coupler to more firmly connect the female and male components. The male component's middle section has a mating section that engages with the coupler's engaging section, so it is designed with a large diameter. Therefore, by gripping and rotating the middle section, a large torque can be generated around the axis, making it easier to disengage the female and male components.

[0022] Furthermore, a luer connector according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure may be the eighth aspect, wherein a third portion having an outer surface at the same radial distance from the axis as the first portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion, next to the second portion on the other side in the axial direction, and an inclined surface is provided between the second portion and the third portion.

[0023] With this configuration, the first and third portions form a circumferential surface of the same diameter over almost the entire circumferential direction of the intermediate portion, conforming to the inner circumferential surface of the coupler. Therefore, after connecting the female and male components, the coupler can be stably rotated when threading the coupler onto the female component. Furthermore, because an inclined surface is provided between the second and third portions, when grasping the intermediate portion, the grasping fingers (or forceps) can be smoothly guided into the second portion, achieving good operability.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a luer connector in which the female member and the male member can be easily separated.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a blood circuit including a luer connector according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of the luer connector (excluding the coupler). FIG. 2B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the luer connector. FIG. 3A is an external perspective view of the female member. FIG. 3B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female member. FIG. 4A is an external perspective view of the male member. FIG. 4B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the male member. FIG. 5A is an external perspective view of the coupler. FIG. 5B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coupler. FIG. 6A is another example of a cross-sectional view of the male member. FIG. 6B is yet another example of a cross-sectional view of the male member.

[0026] Hereinafter, luer connectors according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the luer connectors described below are merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and additions, deletions, or modifications to the configuration may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0027] [Blood Circuit] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a blood circuit 100 including a luer connector 1 according to the present disclosure. This blood circuit 100 is part of a circuit used, for example, in hemodiafiltration (HDF) treatment for a dialysis patient. The blood circuit 100 includes a drip chamber 90 that removes bubbles and the like from blood purified through dialysis and filtration. An upstream end 91u of a flexible tube 91, which constitutes a tubular member, is connected to an outlet port 90a of the drip chamber 90. The blood circuit 100 also includes an indwelling needle 93 for returning the blood from which bubbles and the like have been removed in the drip chamber 90 to the patient. A downstream end 92d of a flexible tube 92, which constitutes another tubular member, is connected to the indwelling needle 93.

[0028] Furthermore, blood circuit 100 includes luer connector 1 according to the present disclosure for connecting the above-described tubes 91 and 92. That is, luer connector 1 is connected to downstream end 91d of tube 91 extending from drip chamber 90 and to upstream end 92u of tube 92 extending from indwelling needle 93, respectively, and connects tubes 91 and 92 so as to communicate with each other.

[0029] [Luer Connector] Fig. 2A is an external perspective view of a luer connector 1, and Fig. 2B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the luer connector 1 of Fig. 2A as viewed in the direction of arrow IIB. As shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, the luer connector 1 includes a female member 2, a male member 3, and a coupler 4. These female member 2, male member 3, and coupler 4 are all cylindrical, and a portion of the male member 3 is fitted into the female member 2 to connect them, and the coupler 4 fits over both the female member 2 and the male member 3 to reinforce this connection. However, the presence of a coupler is not essential for a luer connector according to the present disclosure. That is, the luer connector according to the present disclosure may also be configured using only the female member and the male member, excluding the coupler.

[0030] 2A and 2B show the female member 2 and the male member 3 connected to each other, but the coupler 4 is not shown in FIG. 2A. In this embodiment, the materials constituting each component of the luer connector 1 are not particularly limited. For example, polypropylene or polyethylene can be used, or polycarbonate or vinyl chloride can be used for ease of sterilization and adhesion. Furthermore, all components may be made of the same material, or each component may be made of a different material.

[0031] Hereinafter, the direction in which the female member 2 is positioned relative to the male member 3 will be referred to as the front, and the opposite direction will be referred to as the rear. The left-right and up-down directions, which are perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, are defined as shown in FIG. 2A . For example, in the blood circuit 100 of FIG. 1 , the downstream end 91 d of the tube 91 is connected to the male member 3, and the upstream end 92 u of the tube 92 is connected to the female member 2. Therefore, the above-mentioned "front" corresponds to the downstream direction in the direction of liquid flow when used in the blood circuit 100, and the above-mentioned "rear" corresponds to the upstream direction. Note that these directional concepts are used for convenience in explanation and do not limit the orientation of the configurations disclosed in each disclosure to these directions.

[0032] The configuration of each component of the luer connector 1 will be described in the order of the female component 2, the male component 3, and the coupler 4.

[0033] Figure 3A is an external perspective view of the female member 2, and Figure 3B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female member 2 of Figure 3A as viewed from the direction of arrow IIIB. The female member 2 is generally cylindrical overall, and has a female-side pipe connecting portion 10 at its front end, which is one end in the direction of axis A. The female-side pipe connecting portion 10 is the portion to which the upstream end 92u of the tube 92, which is a tubular member, is connected, and has a cylindrical shape with an outer peripheral surface 11 and an inner peripheral surface 12.

[0034] The outer peripheral surface 11 is a cylindrical surface with a constant outer diameter. The inner peripheral surface 12 is a cylindrical surface with a constant inner diameter and has a shape that matches the outer peripheral shape of the upstream end 92u. This inner peripheral surface 12 forms a front space 13 that opens forward and into which the upstream end 92u fits. That is, the upstream end 92u of the tube 92 is connected to the female pipe connection portion 10 so as to fit within the front space 13. The front end 12a of the inner peripheral surface 12 expands in diameter toward the opening (forward), making it easier to insert the upstream end 92u of the tube 92.

[0035] The female member 2 has a female luer part 15 at its rear end, which is the other end along the axis A. The female luer part 15 is the part to which the male member 3 is connected and is cylindrical with an outer peripheral surface 16 and an inner peripheral surface 17. The outer peripheral surface 16 is a cylindrical surface with a constant outer diameter. On the other hand, the inner peripheral surface 17 is a truncated conical surface whose inner diameter decreases at a constant rate toward the front (rear side). That is, in the cross-sectional shape on a plane including the axis A, the outline representing the inner peripheral surface 17 and the axis A are inclined at a predetermined angle so that the radial distance between them decreases toward the front. This inner peripheral surface 17 forms a rear space 18 that opens rearward and into which the male member 3 is fitted.

[0036] The front space 13 and the rear space 18 are connected to each other. The front end 17a of the inner circumferential surface 17 is configured so that the inner diameter decreases at a greater rate toward the front than the other portions of the inner circumferential surface 17. The rear end 17b of the inner circumferential surface 17 has a stepped diameter that increases, making it easier to insert the male member 3.

[0037] Female member 2 has a male thread portion 20 provided on outer peripheral surface 16 of female luer part 15. Male thread portion 20 forms an engaging portion with coupler 4, and is formed on outer peripheral surface 16 so as to go around axis A. In this embodiment, male thread portion 20 is formed in a region particularly toward the rear of outer peripheral surface 16. Male thread portion 20 is configured such that threads are cut out on the left and right sides of outer peripheral surface 16 around axis A.

[0038] Wing portions 21 are provided on the left and right sides of female member 2. Wing portions 21 are plate-shaped and extend outwardly to the left and right, parallel to axis A. More specifically, base ends 21a of wing portions 21 are connected to outer peripheral surfaces 11, 16 in a range from a position near the front end of female pipe connection portion 10 to the front end of female luer portion 15. Wing portions 21 decrease in size in the front-to-rear direction from base end 21a to lateral ends 21b, which are the outer ends in the left-to-right direction, and form a generally isosceles trapezoidal shape in plan view. Wing portions 21 engage with fingertips or the like when attaching or detaching luer connector 1, thereby contributing to improved operability.

[0039] Fig. 4A is an external perspective view of the male member 3, and Fig. 4B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the male member 3 of Fig. 4A as viewed from the direction of arrow IVB. The male member 3 is generally cylindrical overall and has a flow path space 30 along the axis A. This flow path space 30 is formed over the entire length of the male member 3 and is open at the front and rear ends, with its inner circumferential surface 31 being a cylindrical surface with a constant diameter. Note that the diameter of the rear end 31a of the inner circumferential surface 31 increases as it extends rearward.

[0040] The male member 3 has a male luer part 33 at its front end, which is one end in the direction along the axis A. The male luer part 33 is the part to which the female member 2 is connected, and is cylindrical in shape with the front portion of the inner circumferential surface 31 of the flow path space 30 as its inner circumferential surface. The outer circumferential surface 34 of the male luer part 33 is a truncated cone surface whose outer diameter decreases at a constant rate as it extends forward.

[0041] That is, in the cross-sectional shape on a plane including the axis A, the outline representing outer peripheral surface 34 and axis A are inclined at a predetermined angle so that the radial distance between them decreases toward the front. Here, the rate at which the outer diameter of outer peripheral surface 34 of male luer part 33 decreases is approximately the same as the rate at which the inner diameter of inner peripheral surface 17 of female luer part 15 decreases. Therefore, when male luer part 33 is fitted into female luer part 15, inner peripheral surface 17 of female luer part 15 and outer peripheral surface 34 of male luer part 33 are connected in a liquid-tight manner.

[0042] The male member 3 also has a male-side pipe connecting portion 37 at its rear end. The male-side pipe connecting portion 37 is the portion to which the downstream end 91d of the tube 91, which is a tubular member, is connected, and is cylindrical in shape with the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface 31 of the flow path space 30 as its inner circumferential surface. The outer circumferential surface 38 of the male-side pipe connecting portion 37 is a cylindrical surface with a constant diameter, and is shaped to match the inner circumferential shape of the downstream end 91d of the tube 91. In other words, the downstream end 91d of the tube 91 is connected to the male-side pipe connecting portion 37 by fitting externally onto the outer circumferential surface 38.

[0043] As described above, the rear end 31a of the inner circumferential surface 31 of the flow path space 30 expands in diameter toward the rear, so that the liquid flowing through the tube 91 can smoothly flow into the flow path space 30 from the rear end opening of the male member 3.

[0044] In the male member 3, an intermediate section 40 is provided between the male luer part 33 and the male pipe connecting part 37. The intermediate section 40 is cylindrical, with the intermediate part of the inner peripheral surface 31 of the flow path space 30 as its inner peripheral surface. The intermediate section 40 has a cylindrical section 41 and an engaged section 43 on the rear side of the cylindrical section 41. The cylindrical section 41 is connected to the rear end of the male luer part 33, and its outer peripheral surface 42 is a cylindrical surface with an outer diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rear end of the male luer part 33.

[0045] On the other hand, the engaged portion 43 is a portion that is urged forward along the axis A by engaging with an engaging portion (engagement surface 71: see below) of the coupler 4. The engaged portion 43 according to this embodiment has an outer circumferential surface 44 that is a generally cylindrical surface with a portion recessed. Specifically, the outer circumferential surface 44 of the engaged portion 43 has a front outer circumferential surface and a rear outer circumferential surface. The rear outer circumferential surface forms a cylindrical surface having an outer surface at a fixed distance L1 from the axis A over the entire circumference around the axis A, and forms the third portion 53 according to the present disclosure.

[0046] This third portion 53 has an outer diameter dimension larger than both the male luer part 33 and the male pipe connecting portion 37. An engaged surface 45 is provided between the third portion 53 and the outer peripheral surface 38 of the male pipe connecting portion 37. This engaged surface 45 is a surface that intersects (e.g., is perpendicular to) the axis A, and connects the rear end of the third portion 53 and the front end of the outer peripheral surface 38 of the male pipe connecting portion 37. The third portion 53 is the portion of the male member 3 that has the largest diameter dimension. In other words, when the male member 3 is viewed along the axis A, the outline of the third portion 53 coincides with the outline of the male member 3.

[0047] The front outer peripheral surface has a first portion 51 and a second portion 52 arranged side by side in the circumferential direction around the axis A. Of these, the first portion 51 forms a cylindrical peripheral surface with an outer surface located at a position that is the same distance L1 as that of the third portion 53 from the axis A. In this way, the first portion 51 and the third portion 53 are surfaces that are the same distance L from the axis A. The third portion 53 is adjacent to the rear side of the first portion 51. Therefore, the first portion 51 and the third portion 53 form a flush outer surface in the front-to-rear direction.

[0048] The second portion 52 has an outer surface at a position closer to the axis A than the first portion 51 (specifically, at a position a distance L2 (<L1) from the axis A). Specifically, the second portion 52 forms a concave circumferential surface that is recessed toward the axis A relative to the first portion 51, which forms a cylindrical circumferential surface. As an example, the second portion 52 according to this embodiment forms a plane parallel to the axis A. Furthermore, the second portions 52 are provided at positions opposing each other across the axis A on the outer peripheral surface 44 of the engaged portion 43. As an example, in this embodiment, the second portions 52 are provided at two locations opposing each other across the axis A. Therefore, as can be seen from FIG. 4A , the first portions 51 are provided on the left and right portions of the outer peripheral surface 44, and the second portions 52 are provided on the top and bottom portions of the outer peripheral surface 44.

[0049] The second portion 52, which forms a plane, has a central position 52a in the left-right direction that is closest to the axis A at a distance L2, and this central position 52a is flush with the outer peripheral surface 42 of the cylindrical portion 41. The second portion 52 has a roughly rectangular region, and in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4A, the second portion 52 has a rectangular shape in which the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the axis A is greater than the dimension in the direction along the axis A.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ranges of the central angles occupied by the first portion 51 and the second portion 52 are configured to be approximately equal when viewed along the axis A. That is, the left and right first portions 51 are each provided within a range of a central angle of approximately 90 degrees about the axis A, and the upper and lower second portions 52 are each provided within a range of a central angle of approximately 90 degrees about the axis A.

[0051] An inclined surface 54 is provided between the second portion 52 and the third portion 53 behind it. That is, when comparing the second portion 52 and the third portion 53, the second portion 52 is closer to the axis A than the third portion 53. In other words, there is a difference in height between the second portion 52 and the third portion 53 behind it, with the axis A being the reference point. The inclined surface 54 is provided between the front end of the third portion 53 and the rear end of the second portion 52 to fill this difference in height.

[0052] A step surface 46 is provided between the first portion 51 and the second portion 52 and the outer peripheral surface 42 of the cylindrical portion 41. This step surface 46 is a surface that intersects (for example, is perpendicular to) the axis A and connects the front ends of the first portion 51 and the second portion 52 to the rear end of the outer peripheral surface 42 of the cylindrical portion 41. However, as described above, the central portion 52a of the second portion 52 is flush with the outer peripheral surface 42, so there is no step surface 46 between them.

[0053] Fig. 5A is an external perspective view of the coupler 4, and Fig. 5B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coupler 4 of Fig. 5A as seen from the direction of arrow VB. The coupler 4 is generally cylindrical overall, extending along axis A and having an internal space 60 that is open at the front and rear ends. Furthermore, the coupler 4 has a female engaging portion 61 located at the front and a male engaging portion 67 located at the rear.

[0054] The female engagement portion 61 is cylindrical and has an outer peripheral surface 62 and an inner peripheral surface 63. The outer peripheral surface 62 is formed with a gripping portion 64, which is made up of multiple ridges and valleys extending in the front-to-rear direction along the axis A and arranged alternately in the circumferential direction around the axis A. The inner peripheral surface 63 is provided with a female thread portion 65. The female thread portion 65 forms an engagement portion with the male thread portion 20 of the female member 2, and is formed on the inner peripheral surface 63 so as to orbit the axis A.

[0055] The male engagement portion 67 is cylindrical and has an outer peripheral surface 68 and an inner peripheral surface 69. The outer peripheral surface 68 is a cylindrical surface or a truncated cone surface whose diameter decreases toward the rear. The inner peripheral surface 69 has a first cylindrical surface 70 with a substantially constant inner diameter, an engagement surface (engagement portion) 71 located adjacent to the rear of the first cylindrical surface 70 and whose diameter decreases toward the rear, and a second cylindrical surface 72 located adjacent to the rear of the engagement surface 71 and at the rear end of the male engagement portion 67, with a smaller diameter than both the first cylindrical surface 70 and the engagement surface 71. A step is provided between the rear end of the engagement surface 71 and the front end of the second cylindrical surface 72.

[0056] That is, the male side engaging portion 67 is generally cylindrical overall, and has an engaging surface (engaging portion) 71 on an inner peripheral surface 69 at its rear end that protrudes closer to the axis A than other portions except for the second cylindrical surface 72. Here, the inner diameter of the first cylindrical surface 70 of the inner peripheral surface 69 of the male side engaging portion 67 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter (= distance L1) of the third portion 53 of the intermediate portion 40 of the male member 3. Therefore, when the coupler 4 is fitted onto the male member 3, the engaging surface 71 of the coupler 4 faces the engaged surface 45 of the male member 3 in the direction of the axis A and is engageable with it.

[0057] [Operation and Effect] A description will be given of a mode of use of the above-described luer connector 1. First, an example of a mode of connecting the tubes 91, 92 that constitute the blood circuit 100 will be described.

[0058] The upstream end 92u of the downstream tube 92 is fitted internally into the female pipe connecting portion 10 of the female member 2 and connected thereto. Meanwhile, the upstream tube 91 is passed through the internal space 60 of the coupler 4 from the rear end side to the front end side. The downstream end 91d of this tube 91 is then fitted externally into the male pipe connecting portion 37 of the male member 3 and connected thereto. Next, the male luer portion 33 of the male member 3 is fitted internally into the female luer portion 15 of the female member 2 and connected thereto.

[0059] In this state, the coupler 4, which had been retracted upstream along the tube 91, is moved downstream and fitted onto and engaged with the female member 2 and the male member 3. That is, the female thread portion 65 of the coupler 4 that has moved downstream engages with the male thread portion 20 of the female member 2. When the coupler 4 is then rotated in one direction around the axis A relative to the female member 2, the female thread portion 65 and the male thread portion 20 thread together, and the coupler 4 advances further downstream relative to the female member 2. At this time, the engagement surface 71 of the coupler 4 abuts against the engaged portion 43 of the male member 3, urging the male member 3 downstream.

[0060] This brings female member 2 and male member 3 closer together, reducing the distance between them, and liquid-tightly connects female luer part 15 and male luer part 33. That is, coupler 4 is used to reinforce the connection between female member 2 and male member 3. Note that inner peripheral surface 17 of female luer part 15 and outer peripheral surface 34 of male luer part 33 form tapered surfaces that are inclined at a predetermined angle relative to axis A, thereby providing an even stronger and liquid-tight connection to each other.

[0061] The luer connector 1, which connects the tubes 91 and 92 in this manner, allows the liquid to pass without leakage from the tube 91 to the tube 92 during operation of the blood circuit 100. During operation of the blood circuit 100, the coupler 4 may remain fitted over and engaged with the female member 2 and the male member 3, or after firmly connecting the female member 2 and the male member 3 as described above, it may be disengaged from them and retracted to the tube 91 side.

[0062] Next, an example of how the blood circuit 100 is stopped and the tubes 91, 92 are separated will be described. When separating the tubes 91, 92, it is necessary to release the connection between the female member 2 and the male member 3. In the luer connector 1 according to this embodiment, for example, the female side tube connection portion 10 of the female member 2 is grasped with one hand, and the intermediate portion 40 of the male member 3 is grasped with the other hand, and the female member 2 and the male member 3 are rotated in the respective directions around the axis A to form a pair.

[0063] However, as described above, the female member 2 and the male member 3 are firmly connected at the female luer portion 15 and the male luer portion 33. Therefore, in the case of the luer connector 1 according to this embodiment, the following operation is further performed. That is, with one hand gripping the female member 2, the fingers of the hand gripping the female member 2 are hooked on the wing portions 21 as well as the outer peripheral surface 11 of the female pipe connection portion 10. This makes it easier to rotate the female member 2. Furthermore, with the other hand, the second portion 52 of the intermediate section 40 is gripped with an instrument such as forceps. The second portion 52 forms a concave peripheral surface that is recessed more than the other portions (the first portion 51 and the third portion) of the outer peripheral surface 44 of the intermediate section 40, and is located opposite to the second portion 52 across the axis A, so that it can be securely gripped with forceps or the like.

[0064] The male member 3 is rotated relative to the female member 2 that has been grasped in this manner. This allows the female member 2 and the male member 3 to be disconnected. While the above description has been given of an example in which forceps are used to grasp the male member 3, this is not limiting. Other tools may be used, or the male member 3 may be grasped directly with the fingers of a human hand. Furthermore, the female member 2 may also be grasped using an appropriate tool instead of being grasped directly by hand.

[0065] [Modifications] Modifications of the outer shape of the engaged portion 43 of the male member 3 will be described. Fig. 6A is another example of a cross-sectional view of the male member 3, and Fig. 6B is yet another example of a cross-sectional view of the male member 3. Both Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B show the outline shape of the engaged portion 43 when cut along a plane that is perpendicular to the axis A and passes through the front outer peripheral surface of the engaged portion 43.

[0066] The outer peripheral surface of the engaged portion 43 (43A) of the male member 3 shown in Fig. 6A has a plurality of ribs 80 that protrude radially outward and extend toward the axis A. The radially outer end faces 81 of these ribs 80 form a first portion, and the surfaces (bottom surfaces) 82 connecting two adjacent ribs 80 form a second portion. In the example shown in Fig. 6A, eight ribs 80 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, eight ribs 80 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, but they do not have to be equally spaced, and the number does not have to be eight. For example, the ribs may be arranged offset upward from the axis in Fig. 6A, and the number of ribs 80 may be less than or more than eight. Furthermore, the surface (bottom surface) 82 connecting the plurality of ribs 80 and two adjacent ribs 80 may be provided so as to engage with a non-slip surface provided on known forceps.

[0068] Furthermore, a rib extending in the direction of the axis A may be provided on the concave peripheral surface of the intermediate portion 40 of the male member 3. Specifically, in the male member 3 of FIG. 4A, the second portion 52 forming the concave peripheral surface may be provided with at least one rib that protrudes radially outward and extends in the direction of the axis A. In this case, the hand gripping the intermediate portion 40 rests on the rib, making it easier to rotate the male member 3 around the axis A. Alternatively, one or more ribs may be provided that extend not in the direction of the axis A but in a direction perpendicular to or inclined relative to the direction of the axis A. Furthermore, these ribs do not need to be continuous along the direction of their extension, and the ribs may be provided in a dotted line rather than a solid line.

[0069] Furthermore, the ribs need only be configured to protrude radially outward from the second portion 52 forming the concave peripheral surface, and are not limited to extending in a fixed direction. For example, the ribs may be configured with polka-dot-shaped protrusions arranged in a grid pattern, and the protrusions may be arranged regularly or irregularly. Furthermore, the second portion 52 forming the concave peripheral surface may be textured to provide an anti-slip effect.

[0070] The engaged portion 43 (43B) of the male member 3 shown in Fig. 6B has a polygonal cross-sectional outline intersecting the axis A, with corner portions 85 forming a first portion and side portions 86 forming a second portion. In the example shown in Fig. 6B, the cross-sectional outline of the engaged portion 43B forms a regular octagon.

[0071] 6A and 6B , the male member 2 can be securely and stably grasped with fingers or an instrument such as forceps, etc. Therefore, the firmly connected female member 2 and male member 3 can be easily separated.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the central portion 52a of the second portion 52 is configured to be flush with the outer peripheral surface 42 of the cylindrical portion 41, but this is not limited to being flush. For example, the second portion 52 may be provided so that the central portion 52a of the second portion 52 is closer to the axis than the outer peripheral surface 42. In this case, the second portion 52 becomes a valley between the outer peripheral surface 42 of the cylindrical portion 41 and the third portion 53. Therefore, a finger (or forceps, etc.) can fit into the valley, making it possible to more stably grasp the engaged portion and easily apply a large force to the engaged portion.

[0073] The present disclosure can be suitably applied to luer connectors used in medical settings to connect tubes through which liquids such as blood flow.

[0074] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Luer connector 2 Female member 3 Male member 4 Coupler 10 Female pipe connection portion 15 Female luer portion 20 Male thread portion 33 Male luer portion 37 Male pipe connection portion 40 Intermediate portion 43 Engaged portion 43A Engaged portion 43B Engaged portion 51 First portion 52 Second portion 53 Third portion 54 Inclined surface 61 Female engagement portion 65 Male thread portion 67 Male engagement portion A Axis

Claims

1. A lure connector comprising: a female member having a cylindrical shape and a female side pipe connecting portion at one end in an axial direction to which a pipe member is connected; and a male member having a cylindrical shape and a male side pipe connecting portion at the other end in an axial direction to which another pipe member is connected, and connected to the female member, wherein the female member has a female side luer portion having an inner circumferential surface that opens to the other side of the axial direction and the inner diameter decreases toward one side, and the male member has a male side luer portion formed at one end in the axial direction and having an outer circumferential surface that decreases in outer diameter toward one side in the axial direction, and connected to the female side luer portion, and a first portion having an outer surface at a predetermined radial distance from the axis and a second portion having an outer surface at a position closer to the axis than the first portion are provided side by side in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of an intermediate portion between the male side pipe connecting portion and the male side luer portion.

2. A luer connector as described in claim 1, wherein said first portion has a cylindrical circumferential surface centered on said axis, and said second portion has a concave circumferential surface that is concave toward said axis relative to said cylindrical circumferential surface.

3. A luer connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said concave peripheral surface forms a plane parallel to said axis.

4. A luer connector as set forth in claim 2, wherein the concave peripheral surfaces are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate portion at positions opposing each other across the axis.

5. A luer connector as set forth in claim 2, wherein said concave peripheral surface has at least one rib projecting radially outward.

6. A luer connector as described in claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of said intermediate portion has a plurality of ribs that protrude radially outward and extend in said axial direction, the radially outer end faces of said ribs forming said first portion, and a surface connecting two adjacent said ribs forming said second portion.

7. A luer connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outline of a cross section of said intermediate portion intersecting said axis is polygonal having corners which form said first portion and sides which form said second portion.

8. A luer connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a coupler which is cylindrical and has a female threaded portion running around one inner circumferential surface in the axial direction and an engagement portion protruding from the other inner circumferential surface, reinforcing the connection between the female member and the male member, wherein the female member further has a male threaded portion running around the outer circumferential surface and screwing into the female threaded portion of the coupler, and the intermediate portion of the male member is provided with an engaged portion which is provided between the male side luer portion and the male side tube connection portion and is biased in one direction in the axial direction by engagement with the engagement portion of the coupler.

9. A luer connector as described in claim 8, wherein a third portion having an outer surface that is at the same radial distance from the axis as the first portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion, adjacent to the other side in the axial direction of the second portion, and an inclined surface is provided between the second portion and the third portion.

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