Cap for medical instrument

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cap for a medical instrument, the cap enabling an external member to be easily connected to a discharge port.　A cap 100 for a medical instrument includes: a body 10 that is formed of a first material, that has a first connection part 11 for connecting to a first external member and a second connection part 12 for connecting to a second external member, and that is formed with a flow passage 15 penetrating the first connection part 11 and the second connection part 12; a seal 30 having a cylindrical shape through which the flow passage 15 passes, and formed of a second material which is softer than the first material so as to closely adhere along an inner surface 17 of the second connection part 12; and a lid 20 which is provided to the body 10 in an openable / closable manner and closes an opening 32 of the seal 30 when closed.

Description

Medical Instrument Caps

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap for a medical device that functions as an external opening / closing valve for a medical device that is left in the body, such as a urethral catheter.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a medical instrument cap that functions as an external opening and closing valve for a urinary catheter for the purpose of urination management (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of medical instrument cap is attached to a urinary catheter that is placed in the bladder, and when urinating, urine in the urinary catheter is discharged outside the body simply by opening the lid of the medical instrument cap.

[0003] If a medical device cap is not attached to a urinary catheter, it is necessary to carry a urine bag connected to the urinary catheter at all times to collect excreted urine. In contrast, if a medical device cap with an on-off valve is attached to the urinary outlet of the urinary catheter, urination can be done simply by going to the toilet and opening the lid of the medical device cap when necessary, eliminating the need to carry a urine bag attached to the urinary catheter.

[0004] Furthermore, because urethral catheters are used by users to place them in the bladder and for urination, there has been a demand for urethral catheters and accessory devices that can be easily operated by users who have difficulty operating a urethral catheter due to dexterity issues, such as those with cerebrovascular disorders or spinal cord injuries.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-206370

[0006] However, with the medical instrument caps of the above-mentioned conventional technology, in order to connect a urine bag to a urethral catheter, the medical instrument cap attached to the urethral catheter must be removed and the connector of the urine bag must be inserted into the tube extending from the urethral catheter, making the installation process complicated.

[0007] Another method for connecting a urine bag is to attach an adapter to the connector on the urine bag and then insert the adapter into the urination outlet of the medical device cap, but this is a cumbersome operation because it requires preparing an adapter and connecting the two together.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cap for a medical instrument that overcomes the problems of the conventional techniques described above and allows an external member to be easily connected to the outlet.

[0009] The present invention is a cap for a medical device, characterized in that it comprises: a main body portion formed of a first material and having a first connecting portion for connecting to a first external member and a second connecting portion for connecting to a second external member, with a flow path formed through the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion; a cylindrical sealing portion through which the flow path passes and formed of a second material softer than the first material so as to fit closely along the inner surface of the second connecting portion; and a lid portion that is openably and closably provided on the main body portion and that closes the opening of the sealing portion when closed.

[0010] In this case, the seal portion may have an annular abutment portion formed at the opening that abuts against the lid portion when the lid portion is closed. The lid portion may have a protrusion formed therein that is inserted into and abuts against the opening of the seal portion when closed. The lid portion may abut against the seal portion between the protrusion and an abutment surface surrounding the protrusion when closed. The lid portion may sandwich the seal portion between the protrusion and the main body portion when closed. The seal portion may have a fitting portion formed therein that fits into the main body portion, and the fitting portion may be pressed against the protrusion and toward the main body portion when the lid portion is closed. The protrusion may be formed of a material harder than the second material. The protrusion may be formed of a material having the same hardness as the second material or a material softer than the second material. The lid portion may have a recess formed therein that abuts against the opening of the seal portion so as to cover the opening when closed. The seal portion may be formed to be thicker at a position farther from the first connecting portion. The seal portion may have a flow path cross-section that is smaller at a position closer to the first connecting portion. The sealing portion may have a cylindrical shape. The first material may be a synthetic resin, and the second material may be silicone rubber.

[0011] The present invention can provide a cap for a medical instrument that allows an external member to be easily connected to the outlet.

[0012] 1 shows a front view of a medical instrument cap with the lid closed, a side view of a medical instrument cap with the lid closed, a side view of a medical instrument cap with the lid open, a cross-sectional view of a medical instrument cap with the lid open, and an enlarged cross-sectional view of a medical instrument cap with the lid closed.

[0013] A medical instrument cap according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a front view of the medical instrument cap with the lid portion closed, Fig. 2 shows a side view of the medical instrument cap with the lid portion closed, Fig. 3 shows a side view of the medical instrument cap with the lid portion open, Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the medical instrument cap with the lid portion open, and Fig. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the medical instrument cap with the lid portion closed.

[0014] The medical instrument cap 100 is adapted to be connected to a urinary catheter, a urine bag, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the medical instrument cap 100 has a main body 10 having an elongated cylindrical shape. The main body 10 has a first connecting portion 11, a second connecting portion 12, and a lid portion 20.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, the lid 20 is provided at the open end 14 of the second connection part 12 so as to be openable and closable via a hinge part 21 that swings relative to the second connection part 12. The first connection part 11, the second connection part 12, the lid 20, and the hinge part 21 are integrally formed from a resilient synthetic resin (first material). The resilient hinge part 21 is configured to be biased in the opening or closing direction depending on the position of the lid 20 when the lid 20 is in an intermediate position between open and closed, thereby completely opening or completely closing the lid.

[0016] On the other hand, the lid 20 is provided with a handle 24 on the opposite side of the hinge 21 that the user can grasp with their hand to open or close the lid 20. This handle 24 has a through-hole 25 (see FIG. 1 ) formed therein, and the through-hole 25 engages with the protrusion 13 provided on the main body 10, thereby locking the lid 20 relative to the main body 10 so that it does not open.

[0017] 3, the medical instrument cap 100 is configured so that the opening end 14 in the second connecting portion 12 is exposed when the lid portion 20 is opened. As a result, the first connecting portion 11 of the medical instrument cap 100 is inserted into and fluidly connected to an external member such as a urinary catheter, and the second connecting portion 12 is inserted into and fluidly connected to an external member such as a urine bag.

[0018] The first connecting part 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape with multiple tapered steps formed on its outer surface. The first connecting part 11 is designed so that a silicone rubber tube extending from an external member such as a urethral catheter can expand and contract to fit over the outer periphery of the first connecting part 11.

[0019] The second connection portion 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape that expands conically from the first connection portion 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the second connection portion 12 incorporates a seal portion 30.

[0020] The seal portion 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a material softer than the main body portion 10, i.e., silicone rubber (second material) which is softer than the synthetic resin that is the material of the main body portion 10. The seal portion 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape that closely fits along the inner surface of the second connection portion 12. This prevents fluid from flowing between the seal portion 30 and the second connection portion 12. The seal portion 30 according to this embodiment is formed by integral molding together with the second connection portion 12, which is made of synthetic resin.

[0021] The inner circumferential surface 31 of the seal portion 30 has a circular flow path cross section, and the opening area of ​​the flow path cross section decreases as the position approaches the first connection portion 11. The seal portion 30 is also formed to be thicker as the position moves away from the first connection portion 11, and multiple annular ribs protruding from the inner circumferential surface 31 are provided at intervals. The end of the seal portion 30 is located short of the first connection portion 11, and the seal portion 30 is provided only within the second connection portion 12.

[0022] Connectors for external members such as urine bags are usually made of hard synthetic resin, but the medical device cap 100 has a soft seal part 30 built into the second connecting part 12, so that the connector of the external member fits tightly into the opening 32 of the seal part 30. Therefore, the second connecting part 12 is designed to prevent fluid from leaking between the connector and the seal part 30 even when the connector is directly connected.

[0023] The first connecting portion 11 and the second connecting portion 12 are internally connected, and a flow path 15 is formed that penetrates the first connecting portion 11, the second connecting portion 12, and the seal portion 30. As a result, a flow path such as a tube fitted over the outer peripheral surface 16 of the first connecting portion 11 is connected to the opening 32 of the seal portion 30 through the flow path 15 that penetrates the first connecting portion 11, the second connecting portion 12, and the seal portion 30.

[0024] 5 , a plurality of ribs (fitting portions) 34 are formed on the outer peripheral surface 33 of the seal portion 30 near the opening 32. The seal portion 30 according to this embodiment has two ribs 34 formed in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface 33. The two ribs 34 of the seal portion 30 fit into two recesses 18 formed on the inner peripheral surface (inner surface) 17 of the second connection portion 12, thereby preventing the seal portion 30 from slipping out of the second connection portion 12 in the direction along the flow path 15.

[0025] On the other hand, an abutment portion 35 is formed at the opening 32 of the seal portion 30, protruding from the opening 32 along the flow path 15. This abutment portion 35 is formed in an annular shape surrounding the entire circumference of the opening 32, with its top formed as a flat annular surface and its inner peripheral surface formed as a surface continuous with the inner peripheral surface 31 of the opening 32.

[0026] The lid 20 has a cylindrical protrusion 22 that rises from the center of the inner surface. The protrusion 22 is formed integrally with the main body 10 from a material harder than the seal 30, i.e., a synthetic resin harder than the silicone rubber that is the material of the seal 30.

[0027] When the lid portion 20 is closed, the convex portion 22 is inserted into the opening 32 of the seal portion 30. When the lid portion 20 is closed, the outer periphery of the convex portion 22 expands and abuts against the inner circumferential surface 31 of the opening 32 of the seal portion 30, closing the opening 32 and sealing the flow path 15. At this time, the rib 34 of the seal portion 30 is pressed by the convex portion 22 and pressed against the concave portion 18 of the second connecting portion 12. When the lid portion 20 is closed, the hard convex portion 22 and the hard second connecting portion 12 of the main body 10 sandwich the soft seal portion 30, applying stress, thereby correcting deformation of the seal portion 30 caused by use of the medical instrument cap 100 to its original shape.

[0028] The lid portion 20 is also formed with an annular abutment surface 23 that surrounds the protrusion 22. When the lid portion 20 is closed, the abutment surface 23 abuts against the abutment portion 35 of the seal portion 30 to close the opening 32 and seal the flow path 15. That is, the second connection portion 12 is configured to close and seal the opening 32 of the seal portion 30 at two locations: between the inner circumferential surface 31 of the seal portion 30 and the protrusion 22 of the lid portion 20, and between the abutment portion 35 of the seal portion 30 and the abutment surface 23 of the lid portion 20.

[0029] The medical device cap 100 according to this embodiment includes a main body 10 made of synthetic resin and having a first connecting portion 11 for connecting to a first external member and a second connecting portion 12 for connecting to a second external member, with a flow path 15 formed through the first connecting portion 11 and the second connecting portion 12, a cylindrical seal portion 30 made of silicone rubber, which is softer than synthetic resin, through which the flow path 15 passes and which fits closely along an inner circumferential surface 17 of the second connecting portion 12, and a lid portion 20 openably and closably provided on the main body 10 and which closes an opening 32 of the seal portion 30 when closed. This allows the medical device cap 100 to fluidly connect an external member such as a urine bag directly to the second connecting portion 12 without using a connector, making it easy to connect an external member to the opening 32, which is a discharge port.

[0030] Furthermore, while conventional medical instrument caps such as those disclosed in JP 9-206370 A have a gasket on the lid portion, the medical instrument cap 100 according to the present embodiment has a seal portion 30, which eliminates the need for a gasket on the lid portion.

[0031] Furthermore, when the lid portion 20 of the medical instrument cap 100 is closed, the convex portion 22 and the abutment surface 23 surrounding the convex portion 22 abut against the seal portion 30. Due to the lack of a unified standard for urine drainage bag connectors, sizes vary depending on the manufacturer, and it is conceivable that inserting a thicker connector would cause the seal portion 30, made of silicone rubber, of the medical instrument cap 100 to expand, preventing the seal portion 30 from returning to its original shape after being deformed over time. However, when the lid portion 20 of the medical instrument cap 100 is closed, the convex portion 22 is inserted into the seal portion 30, thereby appropriately adjusting the shape of the seal portion 30, and the abutment surface 35 of the adjusted seal portion 30 abuts appropriately against the abutment surface 23 of the lid portion 20, providing a seal at two points, thereby preventing leakage of fluids such as urine.

[0032] While the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the above embodiment, the lid 20 is closed by being biased only by the elastic force of the hinge portion 21, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As long as the lid 20 can be closed, magnets may be incorporated into both the second connection portion 12 and the lid 20 so that they face each other when the lid 20 is closed, and the lid 20 may be closed by the attractive force generated between the magnet in the second connection portion 12 and the magnet in the lid 20.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the seal portion 30 is formed integrally with the second connection portion 12, but this is not limiting. The seal portion 30 may be formed separately from the second connection portion 12 and bonded to the second connection portion 12, as long as the seal portion 30 can be tightly attached to the second connection portion 12 so as to prevent fluid from flowing between the seal portion 30 and the second connection portion 12.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the protrusion 22 is formed of a material harder than the seal portion 30, but this is not limiting. The protrusion 22 may be formed of a material having the same hardness as the seal portion 30 or a material softer than the seal portion 30, as long as it can seal the opening 32 of the seal portion 30.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lid portion 20 has the protrusion 22, but is not limited to this. The lid portion 20 may have a recess formed therein that comes into contact with and covers the opening 32 of the seal portion 30 when closed, so long as the lid portion 20 can seal the opening 32 of the seal portion 30.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the seal portion 30 is made of silicone rubber, but is not limited to this. The seal portion 30 may be made of elastomer or other materials as long as they are rubber-like, stretchable, and capable of adhering.

[0037] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Main body portion 11...First connecting portion 12...Second connecting portion 13...Protrusion portion 14...Opening end 15...Flow path 16...Outer peripheral surface 17...Inner peripheral surface 18...Recessed portion 20...Cover portion 21...Hinge portion 22...Protrusion portion 23...Abutment surface 24...Handle portion 25...Through hole 30...Seal portion 31...Inner peripheral surface 32...Opening 33...Outer peripheral surface 34...Rib 35...Abutment portion 100...Cap for medical device

Claims

1. A cap for medical instruments comprising: a main body portion formed of a first material and having a first connecting portion for connecting to a first external member and a second connecting portion for connecting to a second external member, with a flow path formed therein that penetrates the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion; a cylindrical sealing portion formed of a second material softer than the first material so as to fit closely along the inner surface of the second connecting portion, with the flow path passing through; and a lid portion openably and closably provided on the main body portion and which closes the opening of the sealing portion when closed.

2. A medical instrument cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing portion has an annular abutment portion formed in the opening that abuts against the lid portion when the lid portion is closed.

3. A medical instrument cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid portion is formed with a protrusion that is inserted into and abuts against the opening of the sealing portion when closed.

4. A medical instrument cap according to claim 3, characterized in that when the lid portion is closed, the convex portion and the abutment surface surrounding the convex portion come into contact with the sealing portion.

5. A medical instrument cap according to claim 3, wherein the lid portion sandwiches the sealing portion between the protrusion and the main body portion when closed.

6. A medical instrument cap as described in claim 3, characterized in that the sealing portion is formed with a fitting portion that fits into the main body portion, and when the lid portion is closed, the fitting portion is pressed against the convex portion and forced toward the main body portion.

7. A cap for medical instruments according to claim 3, characterized in that the convex portion is formed of a material harder than the second material.

8. A cap for medical instruments according to claim 3, characterized in that the convex portion is formed from a material having the same hardness as the second material or a material softer than the second material.

9. A medical instrument cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid portion is formed with a recess that contacts and covers the opening of the sealing portion when closed.

10. A medical instrument cap according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is formed so that the thickness increases with increasing distance from the first connecting portion.

11. A medical instrument cap according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion has a flow path cross section that is smaller the closer it is to the first connecting portion.

12. A medical instrument cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing portion has a cylindrical shape.

13. A cap for medical instruments according to claim 1, characterized in that the first material is a synthetic resin and the second material is silicone rubber.

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