Connection assembly for directing a medical liquid

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection assembly for directing a medical liquid that includes a connector through which a medical liquid can be delivered, an attachment part that can be connected to connector and is attachable to a delivery device for delivery of a medical liquid through the connector, and has an opening in which the connector engages with the attachment part, and a sealing element for sealing the transition between the connector and the attachment part. The sealing element can be inserted into the opening of the attachment part in an insertion direction in such a manner that the sealing element is held between the attachment part and the connector with the attachment part attached to the connector.

Claims

1. A connection assembly for directing a medical liquid, the connection assembly comprising: a connector through which a medical liquid can be delivered, an attachment part attachable to a connector that can be connected to a delivery device to deliver a medical liquid through the connector, and a sealing element to seal the transition between the connector and the attachment part such that, when the attachment part is mounted on the connector, the sealing element is held between the attachment part attached to the connector, where the sealing element has a sealing head that, when the attachment part is mounted on the connector, seals off an opening of the attachment part from the passage of liquid and has a body joined to the sealing head that can be arranged in the opening with radial distance from the attachment part, and an interior space of the sealing element is free of any body having a point intended to support the opening of the sealing element, wherein the sealing element comprises: at the transition between the sealing head and the body, a shoulder that projects radially with respect to the insertion direction through the sealing head, which along the insertion direction can be brought into contact with a contact surface inside the opening of the attachment part, a flange projecting radially outward with respect to the body of the sealing element separated from the shoulder along the insertion direction that is held by the attachment part attached to the connector between the attachment part and the connector in such a manner that the flange rests with its lower side on a bearing surface of the connector and its upper side is at least partially exposed, and a foot section which, when viewed in an axial direction along the insertion direction, joins to the body below the flange and engages in the connector on the attachment part attached to the connector in an associated recess.

2. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the sealing element is convex or flat on a side which faces away from the connector when the attachment part is attached to the connector.

3. The connection assembly of claim 2, wherein the sealing head has the convex or flat side.

4. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the flange is located on an end of the body oriented away from the sealing head.

5. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the flange is partially clamped on the attachment part attached to the connector between a contact surface of the connector and a projection that extends radially inward into the opening of the attachment part.

6. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein when viewed axially along the insertion direction, a cylindrical section transitions into the shoulder, which protrudes radially through the section towards the outside, and connects to the sealing head.

7. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein when viewed axially along the insertion direction, a cylindrical body connects to the shoulder, the shoulder protruding radially through the body towards the outside.

8. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the body has a recess on its outer side.

9. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the sealing element has a slot opening which is closed against liquid passage at the attachment part attached to the connector and can be opened via a connection of the delivery device to the attachment part in such a manner that a medical liquid can be delivered through the slot opening.

10. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the connecting part comprises: a first section in which the opening is formed, and a detachable part that in its initial state is connected to the first section and can be removed from the first section to connect a delivery device to the attachment part.

11. The connection assembly of claim 10, wherein the first section is formed so that a threaded connection to the delivery device is created via a connecting section which is configured to be attached to the connector and a threaded portion attached to the connecting section (21), having at least a half thread, wherein the detachable part in its initial state is connected to the threaded portion and is configured to be removed from the threaded portion to connect the delivery device to the attachment part.

12. The connection assembly of claim 11, wherein the threaded portion and the detachable part are formed as one piece, and wherein between the threaded portion and the detachable part, a predetermined breaking point is formed for detaching the detachable part from the threaded portion.

13. The connection assembly of claim 11, wherein the sealing element is inserted in an engagement opening of the threaded portion.

14. The connection assembly of claim 11, wherein the sealing element projects past an upper side of the threaded portion towards the outside or terminates substantially flush with the upper side of the threaded portion when the detachable part is removed from the threaded portion.

15. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector engages with the attachment part attached to the connector with a head in the opening of the attachment part or that arranged on the head is a positive-lock element which runs around the insertion direction and is in a positive-lock engagement with the attachment part when the attachment part is attached to the connector for axially securing the attachment part to the connector.

16. The connection assembly of claim 15, wherein at least one web running parallel to the insertion direction and/or at least one groove running parallel to the insertion direction for rotationally securing the attachment part to the connector is arranged on the head.

17. A sealing element for the connection assembly of claim 1, comprising a sealing head and a body adjoining the sealing head, wherein the sealing element comprises: at the transition between the sealing head and the body, a shoulder projecting radially with respect to the insertion direction through the sealing head that along the insertion direction is configured to be brought into contact with a contact surface inside the opening of the connector, a flange projecting radially outward with respect to the body of the sealing element separated from the shoulder along the insertion direction, where the flange rests with its lower side on a bearing surface of the connector and its upper side is at least partially exposed, and a foot section which, when axially viewed in the insertion direction joins to the body below the flange and engages in the attachment part attached to the connector in an associated recess in the connector.

18. An arrangement comprising the connection assembly of claim 1 and a delivery device comprising a connecting piece for connecting to the attachment part, wherein the connecting piece penetrates the slot opening of the sealing element at the delivery device connected to the attached piece.

Description

(1) The idea underlying the invention is clarified below on the basis of the exemplary embodiment described in the figures. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1 a view of a container in the form of a bag with connectors arranged on it, to which attachment parts are attached;

(3) FIG. 2 an exploded view of the connector and the attachment part with sealing elements arranged between them;

(4) FIG. 3 a separate view of a connector with an attachment part attached;

(5) FIG. 4 a front view of an arrangement according to FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 a sectional view on a cross-sectional plane corresponding to the drawing plane according to FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 a separate view of an attachment part;

(8) FIG. 7 a separate view of a sealing element;

(9) FIG. 8A a front view of the connector;

(10) FIG. 8B a side view of the connector;

(11) FIG. 9 a view of an attachment part on the connector with the detachable part broken off;

(12) FIG. 10 an enlarged view of the attachment part with the detachable part broken off;

(13) FIG. 11 the sectional view according to FIG. 5 with the detachable part broken off;

(14) FIG. 12A a schematic view of a delivery device in the form of a syringe on the connector;

(15) FIG. 12B a cross-sectional view of a delivery device (here in the form of a syringe) connected to the connector;

(16) FIG. 13 a view of a connection assembly in the form of a y-connector; and

(17) FIG. 14 an exploded view of the arrangement according to FIG. 13.

(18) FIG. 1 shows container 1 in the form of a flexible bag, which has a bag body 10 for receiving a medical liquid, for example a medicine, a saline solution or a nutrient solution or the like. A medical liquid can be stored in container 1, wherein liquid can be filled into container 1 or removed from container 1 via connectors 11, 12.

(19) Connectors 11, 12 create access to container 1. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, there is a first connector 11, here designed to allow, together with attachment part 2, connection of delivery device 5 in the form of a syringe (see FIGS. 12A and 12B), so that a liquid component can be delivered into container 1 via connector 11. The second connector 12, however, together with attachment part 3, provides an access by which an infusion set, for example, can be connected to container 1 in order to supply a liquid from container 1 to a patient.

(20) FIG. 2 shows in an exploded view the connection assemblies which are formed by connectors 11, 12, attachment parts 2, 3 and associated sealing elements 4, 6 between connectors 11, 12 and attachment parts 2, 3. Connectors 11, 12 are to be placed between sheets to create container 1 and are welded to the sheets so that connectors 11, 12 are integrally bonded to the sheets. Attachment parts 2, 3 are to be attached to connectors 11, 12 to complete container 1, so that sealing elements 4, 6 are located between attachment parts 2, 3 and connectors 11, 12 and in this manner a transition between attachment parts 2, 3 and connectors 11, 12 is sealed liquid-tight.

(21) Each attachment part 2, 3 has a detachable part 20, 30 which can be broken off to create an access to container 1. Detachable part 20 can be broken off from attachment part 2 to attach delivery device 5 in the form of a syringe to attachment part 2 and, through it, to provide liquid into container 1. Detachable part 30 can be broken off of attachment part 3 in order, for example, to stick an infusion set with a spike through sealing element 6 and take liquid through it from container 1 to supply the liquid to a patient, for example.

(22) Each attachment part 2, 3 also has a connection section 21, 31, which can be brought into engagement with associated connectors 11, 12, so as to create a positive lock connection between respective attachment pieces 2, 3 and associated connectors 2, 3.

(23) The connector provided by first connector 11 and attachment part 2 attached thereto is explained below.

(24) FIGS. 3 to 11 show an exemplary embodiment of a connector including connector 11 and attachment part 2. Connector 11 is here, as previously described, bonded to sheets of container 1 and is thus incorporated in an integral manner between the sheets. Attachment part 2 can be attached to connector 11 so that, in its attached position, attachment part 2 is held in a positive-lock manner on connector 11.

(25) The attachment part 2 has a first section comprising connection section 21 and threaded portion 22, which connects to it, and detachable part 20. Attachment part 2 is formed in one piece as a plastic molded part and associated in its initial state with detachable part 20 attached to threaded portion 22.

(26) Connector 11 has flow opening 111, which is closed to the outside by attachment part 2 when attachment part 2 is attached to connector 11, so that no liquid can get out of container 1 or into container 1. As is visible from the sectional view according to FIG. 5, when attachment part 2 is attached, connector 11 then engages with head 110 into opening 210 of connection section 21 and, axially via a circumferential positive-lock element in the form of annular projection 115, and via positive-lock elements 116, 117 in the form of axially extending webs and grooves is connected in a rotationally stable manner to attachment part 2. Within opening 210 of connection section 21 of attachment part 2, complementary positive-lock elements in the form of, for example, annular recesses are thus formed to engage with circumferential positive-lock element 115 and in the form of axially extending webs and/or grooves to engage with webs 116 and grooves 117.

(27) When attachment part 2 is attached to connector 11, sealing element 4 is between attachment part 2 and connector 11 and is held in a clamping manner between attachment part 2 and connector 11. Sealing element 4 can be inserted in insertion direction E into opening 210 inside attachment part 2 (see FIG. 6). Sealing element 4, as shown in FIG. 7, is formed as a rotationally symmetrical body and has a sealing head 40, which is in engagement opening 221 of threaded portion 22 and protrudes with convexly curved or flat side 400 out past threaded portion 22 in the direction of detachable part 20. Side 400 can also, however, be flush with the upper side of threaded portion 22.

(28) Cylindrical section 41, which merges into shoulder 410, connects to sealing head 40, which rests on circumferential conical support surface 212 in the inner transition between connection section 21 and threaded portion 22 of attachment part 2 when sealing element 4 is set into opening 210. Cylindrical section 41 here has a larger diameter than sealing head 40.

(29) A cylindrical body 42, which is inserted with a clearance in opening 210 of connection section 21, is connected to shoulder 410, which projects radially outward past section 41 and surrounds sealing element 4. Cylindrical body 42 here has a smaller diameter than shoulder 410. Since body 42 is inserted in opening 210 with a radial distance from the circumferential wall of connection section 21, sealing element 4 can be deformed in an advantageous manner by the attachment of delivery device 5 to create a flow through sealing element 4 between delivery device 5 and container 1.

(30) Body 42 carries a circumferential flange 420 on an end facing away from sealing head 40. Flange 420 rests with its lower side 422 on support surface 114 of connector 11. Its upper side 421 can be completely exposed. Upper side 421 is, in this case, not covered. It is not in contact or engagement with a corresponding component. For example, upper side 421 is not covered with a clamping surface of connector 2. Upper side 421 of flange 420 can also be only partially exposed. In this embodiment, flange 420 can be between annular projection 211 of connection section 21 and contact surface 114 on head 110 of connector 11 and thus be partially held in a clamping manner between annular projection 211 and contact surface 114 when attached part 2 is attached to connector 11. A radially outer section of flange 420 is held in a clamping manner.

(31) Above flange 420 or on a transition to flange 420, cylindrical body 42 has a recess 423 in is outer side. With this, the deformation of sealing element 4 can be supported when delivery device 5 is attached. Recess 423 is formed by a step in the outer side. In cross section, recess 423 has an essentially flat bottom. Recess 423, for example, has a box-like cross section. The base and the radial opening of recess 423 can have essentially the same dimensions (as viewed in insertion direction E).

(32) Foot section 43 connects to flange 420, which engages in recess 113 on head 110 of connector 11.

(33) In the attached position, attachment part 2 rests at the front on outer flange 112 of connector 11.

(34) Since sealing element 4 is supported on one side by shoulder 410 on attachment part 2 and on connector 11 by flange 420 and foot section 113 on the other, a defined, secured placement of sealing element 4 within opening 210 of attachment part 2 can be guaranteed. Through a cylindrical inner opening 44, which extends through body 42 and cylindrical section 41 of sealing element 4 starting from foot section 43 through to sealing head 40 and connects to tapered flow section 118 of connector 111, a higher flow between delivery device 5 and container 1 can be achieved when delivery device 5 is attached to attachment part 2. The inner opening 44 preferably has a diameter in a range of from 1 mm to 5 mm, preferably from 2 mm to 4 mm.

(35) In an initial state, represented in FIG. 5, attachment part 2 is attached together with sealing element 4 to connector 11, so that connector 11 is closed toward the outside. Sealing element 4 in this initial state is not accessible from the outside because upper side 400 of sealing head 40 in opening 221 of threaded portion 22 is covered towards the outside by detachable part 20.

(36) Detachable part 20 is connected via predetermined breaking point 200 in the form of a notch-like circumferential recess to threaded portion 22. In order to attach delivery device 5, in the form of a syringe for example, to attachment part 2 and in this manner create an access to container 1 for filling it with a liquid, a user can break detachable part 20 off of threaded portion 22 by gripping handle element 201 of detachable part 20 with his fingers and releasing detachable part 20 from threaded section 22, as is described in FIG. 9. When detachable part 20 is removed, attachment part 2 thus exists without detachable part 20, as is described in FIG. 10.

(37) After breaking off detachable part 20, sealing element 4 has its, for example, outward-facing side 400 on sealing head 40 exposed so that this outward-facing side 400 can be accessed from the outside. In one embodiment in which side 400 is formed convexly and projects over upper side 222 of threaded portion 22 in a curved manner, side 400 of sealing element 4 can be wiped or dabbed off in an efficient manner in order to clean and disinfect sealing element 4 in accordance with any legal requirements that may be present. Flat side 400 can also be appropriately wiped or dabbed off.

(38) Then delivery device 5 in the form of a syringe can, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, be attached to threaded portion 22 by bringing connection element 50, in the form of a nut or union nut of delivery device 5, into contact with threads 220 via threads 500 on threaded portion 22 in a screw-like manner. Connecting piece 51 of delivery device 5 is inserted through this into engagement opening 221 on threaded portion 22, so that connecting piece 51 presses on sealing head 40 of sealing element 4, first presses this downward and then opens it at slot opening 45 (see FIG. 11). Connecting piece 51 thus penetrates sealing head 40 at slot opening 45 and enters into liquid communication with cylindrical opening 44 so that a flow is provided between delivery device 5 and flow opening 111 of connector 11.

(39) With the pressing of connecting piece 51 into engagement opening 221, sealing head 40 is also pressed into attachment part 2 and, together with the other sections 41, 42, forced aside into the available space radially outside section 42. When connecting piece 51 is fully inserted, connecting piece 51 creates a positive lock connection with engagement opening 221 and reaches through sealing head 40, which creates an efficient flow connection between connecting piece 51 and flow opening 118 on head 110 of connector 11, which is not affected, or only marginally so, by sealing element 4. Delivery device 5 extends itself at the latest when in a fully attached state, here fully tightened for example, with its connecting piece 51 through slot opening 45 of sealing element 4, so that a flow between delivery device 5 and container 1 can take place unhindered, or essentially unhindered, through sealing element 4. The whole cross section of the opening in delivery device 5, through which the liquid transport takes place is preferably exposed, as shown.

(40) Delivery device 5 has a syringe body 52 and a plunger 53, which can be pushed into syringe body 52 in order to convey in this manner a liquid from syringe body 52 into container 1.

(41) Because a, for example, cross-shaped or straight slot opening 45 is provided in sealing head 40 of sealing element 4, a needle-free access is created which can be accessed by using delivery device 5 without an injection needle. When delivery device 5 is attached, connecting piece 51 achieves engagement with slot opening 45 and in this manner opens sealing element 4 so that a flow between delivery device 5 and container 1 is created.

(42) After removing delivery device 5 from attachment part 2, sealing element 4 again closes automatically and seals itself, so that no liquid can escape from container 1.

(43) FIGS. 13 and 14 show a further exemplary embodiment in which a connection assembly comprising connector 11, attachment part 2 arranged on it and sealing element 4 is used.

(44) In this case, the connection assembly is a component of connector 7 in the form of a so-called y-connector. Connector 7 has two connection lines 70, 71 to each of which can be connected a medical line in the form of an infusion tube or the like. Line connections 70, 71 are in a flow connection with connector 11 at connection point 72 so that a medical liquid in a line system connected to line connection 70, 71 can be delivered or taken out of the line system via connector 11.

(45) Attachment part 2 is arranged on connector 11 in this exemplary embodiment. Sealing element 4 is clamped between attachment part 2 and connector 11. As in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 12, threaded portion 22 of attachment part 2 is connected to detachable part 20, which can be broken off to connect a delivery device 5 (see fig, 12) to threaded portion 22 and to further connect delivery device 5 to connector 11. Because sealing element 4 can protrude with its convex side 400 toward the outside over upper side 222 of threaded portion 22 and is thus easily accessed, side 400 of sealing element 4 can easily be wiped off before attaching delivery device 5 in order to disinfect outward-facing side 400 of sealing element 4. Flat side 400 can also be appropriately wiped or dabbed off.

(46) Connector 11 as well as attachment part 2 are identical in form and function to those previously described for the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 12B, so that the previous embodiments should be referenced.

(47) The idea underlying the invention is not confined to the previously described examples of the exemplary embodiment, but can also be accomplished in a completely different way.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(48) 1 Bag 10 Bag body 11, 12 Connector 110, 120 Head 111 Flow opening 112 Flange 113 Recess 114 Bearing surface 115 Positive-lock element (annular projection) 116 Web 117 Notch 118 Flow opening 2 Attachment part 20 Detachable part 200 Predetermined breaking point 201 Handle element 21 Connection section 210 Opening 211 Annular projection 212 Contact surface 22 Threaded section 220 Threads 221 Engagement opening 222 Upper side 3 Attachment part 30 Detachable part 31 Connection section 4 Sealing element 40 Sealing head 400 Convex or flat side 41 Section 410 Shoulder 42 Body 420 Flange 421 Upper side of the flange 422 Bottom of the flange 423 Recess or step in the outside of the sealing element or of body 42 43 Foot section 44 Opening 45 Slot opening 5 Delivery device (syringe) 50 Connection element 500 Threads 51 Connecting pieces (syringe cone) 52 Syringe body 53 Plunger 6 Sealing element 7 Connector (70, 71) Line connection 72 Connection point E Insertion direction