Systems and methods are disclosed that include generating a plasma treatment and applying the plasma treatment to end contact surfaces of a first profile and a second profile in a sterile environment, manipulating at least one of the first profile and the second profile to force contact between the end contact surface of the first profile and the end contact surface of the second profile to permanently connect, join, or weld the end contact surfaces of the first profile and the second profile together, thereby forming a sterile connection between the first profile and a second profile.

An intravenous delivery system may have a liquid source containing a liquid, tubing, and an anti-run-dry membrane positioned such that the liquid, flowing form the liquid source to the tubing, passes through the anti-run-dry membrane. The anti-run-dry membrane may be positioned within an exterior wall of a drip unit, and may be secured to a seat of the exterior wall by an attachment component. The attachment component may have various forms, such as a secondary exterior wall that cooperates with the exterior wall to define a drip chamber, a washer positioned such that the anti-run-dry membrane is between the washer and the seat, and an adhesive ring formed of a pressure sensitive adhesive and secured to the anti-run-dry membrane and the seat via compression. Interference features may protrude inward from the exterior wall or outward from the anti-run-dry membrane to help keep the anti-run-dry membrane in place.

A method of forming at least one channel within a substrate includes coupling a fitting to a mold, and securing together the fitting and an insert via threads. A system includes a mold configured to form the substrate. The method also includes inserting a component into an opening of the fitting. Part of the component is disposed outside of the opening of the fitting, and the component is utilized to define the at least one channel within the substrate. The method further includes molding at least one material to the component and the insert to form the substrate. Furthermore, the method includes removing the fitting from the insert while the insert remains molded to the substrate.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mechanically opening a heat-bonded connection site between two hollow, flexible, thermoplastic segments of a medical fluid flow path, the heat-bonded connection site having an axis. The connection site is compressed between two facing surfaces, and the facing surfaces are relatively moved to rotate the connection site about the connection site axis and to apply force to the connection site substantially perpendicular to the connection site axis.

A medical airway device having a cuff is manufactured by loading an injection molding apparatus with a thermosetting elastomeric material and shaping the cuff by injecting the material into an associated injection mold. The injection mold includes a sprue bush having a sprue passage in fluid communication with a mold cavity. The injection molding apparatus includes an injection nozzle that is positioned in contact with, or in close proximity to, the sprue bush. The thermosetting elastomeric material is discharged from the injection nozzle through the sprue passage and into the mold cavity. The cuff is formed by curing the thermosetting elastomeric material within the mold cavity and at the same time preventing premature curing of residual thermosetting elastomeric material within the injection nozzle by applying heat to the material within the mold cavity while cooling the injection nozzle with cooling fluid. The formed cuff is attachable to an airway tube.

This invention relates to a medical tube comprises an elongate conduit having a first opening, a second opening, a longitudinal axis, a lumen extending between the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal axis, and a corrugated wall, formed from an extruded material, extending between the first opening and the second opening and surrounding the lumen. The wall is stiffer in a first length of the conduit adjacent the first opening than in a second length of the conduit adjacent the second opening. The variable stiffness of the tube wall can improve the thermal profile of the tube as well as improve drain-back of condensation into a humidifier providing humidified gas to the tube.

An intravenous delivery system may have a liquid source containing a liquid, tubing, and an anti-run-dry membrane positioned such that the liquid, flowing form the liquid source to the tubing, passes through the anti-run-dry membrane. The anti-run-dry membrane may be positioned within an exterior wall of a drip unit, and may be secured to a seat of the exterior wall by an attachment component. The attachment component may have various forms, such as a secondary exterior wall that cooperates with the exterior wall to define a drip chamber, a washer positioned such that the anti-run-dry membrane is between the washer and the seat, and an adhesive ring formed of a pressure sensitive adhesive and secured to the anti-run-dry membrane and the seat via compression. Interference features may protrude inward from the exterior wall or outward from the anti-run-dry membrane to help keep the anti-run-dry membrane in place.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mechanically opening a heat-bonded connection site between two hollow, flexible, thermoplastic segments of a medical fluid flow path, the heat-bonded connection site having an axis. The connection site is compressed between two facing surfaces, and the facing surfaces are relatively moved to rotate the connection site about the connection site axis and to apply force to the connection site substantially perpendicular to the connection site axis.

Helically winding an extruded web to form a wall of a heated hose about a central axis, extruding a bead of plastics material around a heating wire such that the extruded bead comprises the heating wire at a first location within a cross-section of the extruded bead, helically winding the extruded bead onto the wall of the hose to provide a support helix, and exerting tension on the heating wire to draw down the heating wire toward the central axis such that the heating wire migrates radially inward from the first location to a second location within the cross-section of the extruded bead.

A thin ribbon spirally wound polymer conduit and method of forming, wherein a helical reinforcing bead is interposed adjacent overlapping layers of ribbon. Further, a method of continuously forming spirally wound conduit wherein a sacrificial layer, preferably having a different base polymer to that of the conduit, is first applied to the former before the conduit is formed overtop.