CA1307212C - Tube assembly with a breakaway plug - Google Patents
Tube assembly with a breakaway plugInfo
- Publication number
- CA1307212C CA1307212C CA000571678A CA571678A CA1307212C CA 1307212 C CA1307212 C CA 1307212C CA 000571678 A CA000571678 A CA 000571678A CA 571678 A CA571678 A CA 571678A CA 1307212 C CA1307212 C CA 1307212C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- plug
- segment
- tubular body
- open end
- branch
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M39/00—Tubes, tube connectors, tube couplings, valves, access sites or the like, specially adapted for medical use
- A61M39/22—Valves or arrangement of valves
- A61M39/221—Frangible or pierceable closures within tubing
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S604/00—Surgery
- Y10S604/905—Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An assembly of a tube having a breakaway plug mounted on one opening thereof is provided. The plug includes a hollow cylindrical segment fixedly secured to the tube, a closing segment, and a frangible annular portion located in the hollow segment apart from the secured portion. The plug is formed of material having a Shore A hardness of 68-76 such that the plug can be torn off at the frangible portion by twisting.
An assembly of a tube having a breakaway plug mounted on one opening thereof is provided. The plug includes a hollow cylindrical segment fixedly secured to the tube, a closing segment, and a frangible annular portion located in the hollow segment apart from the secured portion. The plug is formed of material having a Shore A hardness of 68-76 such that the plug can be torn off at the frangible portion by twisting.
Description
~3~7~
Minagawa et al.
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Tube Assembly with a Breakaway Plug _ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention This invention relates to a tube assembly with a breakaway pluy. More particularly, it relates to a tube assembly having a brea]caway plug which is unlikely to be ruptured or contaminated before use.
Discussion of Prior Art In some branch tubes such as four-way branch tubes for use in combination with blood collection bags, all the branches are not used at the same time, but they are used one by one in succesive steps. To prevent the flow path from being contaminated from a branch which is not in use, the branch not in use should be comple-tely sealed with a plug or a suitable closure. Upon use of the branch which has been sealed with a plug, it is necessary that the plug be readily broken and removed to open the associated branch to allow for connection to another member such as a tube having a puncture needle.
A variety of plugs which can be torn off have been proposed in the prior art. For example, T. Gewecke, U.S.
Patent No. 3,368,560 discloses an outlet fitting wherein a cap portion is united to a tubular portion by means of a relatively thin annular web. A finger tab depending from the cap portion is pulled whereupon a line of severence occurs in the area of the integral web.
This fitting is applicable as a plug on a branch of a four-way branch tube, but has a problem in operation.
When the cap is pulled with a considerable force in an axial direction to cut the cap at the thin web, there occurs an impact of reaction. At the instant of rupture, the operator would probably hit something at her elbow.
~P
~3~
Additionally, the cut edge would be brou~ht in contact with something so that it might be contaminated.
C. Robinson et al, U.S. Patent No. ~,228,835 discloses a breakaway cap comprising a ring having an open end and a closed end with a handle. An annular grooved area is provided as a frangible connection between the open end portion and the closed end of the ring. When the handle is grasped and moved angularly, the ring will break at the frangible section to remove the handle from the ring. The cap is formed of a polyvinyl chloride having a hardness in the range of 85-100 as measured on the Shore A
scale of a durometer.
This cap is also applicable as a plug on a branch of a four-way branch tube and considered as preventing the inadvertent reaction of breakage inevitable with the cap of Gewecke. The cap has a certain degree of hardness so that it is broken at the frangible section by moving the handle angularly. Since the plug or breakaway cap is united with the frangible section and a flexible tube is connected to the ring portion of the cap left after breakage, the ring portion of the cap must be utili~ed as a waist in bending the handle. For this reason, the cap is made of a material having a Shore A hardness of 85-1000 Since the cap of this range of hardness is rather less flexible, it has problems in gas tightness, adherence to the branch or tubular body, and prevention of accidental rupture before it is desired to break the plug to open the flow path of the branch on use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a tube assembly having a breakaway plug which is mounted on a tubular body in an air-tight and intimate contact manner without the risk of being accidentally ruptured or ~3t~ 2 1~
contaminated during manufacture or transportation, but can be readily torn off upon use.
According to the present invention, there is provided a tube assembly comprising a tubular body of a relatively rigid material having at least two open ends, and a plug of a material having a Shore A hardness of from 68 to 76 mounted on one open end of the tubular body, the plug including (a) a hollow mount segment having an open end, a portion of~the mount segment extending from its open end being fixedly secured to the one open end of the tubular body, (b) a closing segmen-t axially connected to the mount segment, and ~c) a frangible portion located axially outside the secured portion whereby the plug is breakable at the frangible portion and removable from the one open end of the tubular body.
Since the plug of relatively flexible material having a Shore A hardness of 68 to 7~ is attached to the tubular body, the gas tightness and intimate contact therebetween are substantially improved to minimize the risk of the plug being accidentally ruptured by an external force when the tubular body is not on use, while maintaining the ability of breakage of the plug when the tubular body is on use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 iS a partially cross-sectional plane view of a four-way branch tube with a breakaway plug according to one embodiment of the present invention;
~3~
FIG. 2a and 2b are cross-sectional views of the plug taken along line A-A and B-B in FIG. 3a, respectively;
FIG. 3a is an exploded crossDsectional view of the tube assembly of the present invention showing a tube branch, a plug and a protector in a disassembled state, FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view of the tube assembly showing a tube branch, a plug and a protector in an assembled state;
FIG. 4a and 4b illustrate a plasmapheresis system having the tube assembly of the invention incorporated therein; and FI~. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a four-way branch tube with a breakaway plug according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE_ PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The tube assembly of the present invention includes a tube body having at least two open ends. Any tubular body having at least two open ends between which a flow path extends may be employed. Although a commonly used four-way branch tube is referred to as a typical example in the following description, the present invention is not limited to the four-way branch tube.
Among various medical tubes, four-way branch tubes are widely used in combination with blood collection bags.
FIG. 1 illustrates a four-way branch tube as one embodiment of the tube assembly of the present invention.
The four-way branch tube with a breakaway plug generally designated at A includes a tubular body 1 having four openings, a plug 2 mounted on one opening of the tubular body 1, and a protector 3 fitted over the plug for protecting the plug. The tubular body 1 has one main tube and two branches connected thereto at an angle in a usual manner. The tubular body l has four openings, a first opening 4, a second opening 5, a third opening 6, and a ycc .
~,.3~.3t~
fourth opening 7. For brevity of description, the first opening 4 is designated a proximal side, and the second, third and fourth openings 5, 6 and 7 are designated distal sides because the first opening ~ is connected to a blood collecting needle as shown in FIG. 4a. The distal end of the main tube or the third opening 6 is provided with a closure member 8 which normally closes the flow path, but is breakable to open the flow path. The feature of the present invention resides in the second branch defining the fourth opening 7 o~ which the plug 2 and the protector 3 are mounted.
The components are described in detail in FIG. ~h~, which is a cross-sectional view of the branch defining the fourth opening 7, the plug 2, and the protector 3 in an exploded state. A full assembly of these components is shown in FIG. ~ . The branch of the four-way branch tube has a flow path-defining bore 7 terminating at an open end and includes a distal wall portion 9 having a smaller outside diameter than the remaining. A step 10 is formed between the distal wall portion 9 and the remaining. The outside wall of the branch is stepped to form the smaller outside diameter wall portion 9 for mountin~ the plug 2 thereon. The bore 7 of the branch is Luer tapered at 7a.
The tubular body 1 is formed of a relatively rigid material such as polycarbonate. Since the breakable closure member 8 is integrally formed with the tubular body within the third opening 6, Eormation of the tubular body and the closure member from a rigid material makes it easy to tear off the closure member. The use of a rigid material is also useful to connect a male Luer connector to the branch from which the plug 2 has been torn off for cell return purpose. If the tubular body were formed of a flexible material other than polycarbonate, it would be deformed during autoclave sterilization so that the Luer taper 7a might diminish.
:~3~7Z~
The plug 2 includes a hollow mount segment providing an open end 11 at one end and a closing segment axially connected to the mount segment and providing a closing end 12 at another end. The hollow mount segment includes a first wall portion 13 with a relatively srnaller inner diameter extending from the open end 11 and a second wall portion 14 with a relatively larger inner diameter extending from the first wall portion 13 to the closing segment. The first wall portion 13 is fixedly secured to the distal wall por~io~ 9 of the branch defining the bore 7 as shown in FIG. ~. The closing segment may be either a solid segment (not shown) or a hollow segment as shown in FIG.-~ as long as it provides a closing end to the bore of the hollow mount segment. The sum of axial length of the first and second wall portions 13 and 14 of the plug 2 is at least equal to, preferahly greater than the axial length of the distal wall portion 9 of thP branch defining the bore 7 to ensure firm attachement between the branch and the plug and allow easy tearing of the plug at a frangible portion.
The plug 2 is provided with a frangible portion in the form of a circumferential notch 15 in the outer surface wherey the plug is breakable at the frangible portion and removable from the tubular body or branch.
The frangible portion 15 is located such that when the plug 2 is engaged and secured to the distal wall portion 13 of the branch defining the fourth opening 7, the frangible portion is spaced apart from the secured portion~ Namely, the frangible portion 15 is located in the second wall portion 14 having a larger inner diameter.
In other words, the distal wall portion 9 of the branch axially extends beyond the frangible portion 15 of the plug 2 toward the closing segment. Then the open end of the distal wall portion 9 of the branch is exposed when the plug 2 is torn off. It is then very easy to connect :~l}72 ~ ~
another member having a needle to the protruding open end 9 of the branch. The protruding end of the branch minimizes the possibility of the other member contacting the cut edge of the plug kept attached on the dis-tal wall portion 9 which migh-t be contaminated, avoiding contamination of the flow path of the tubular body 1.
According to the present invention, the material of which the plug 2 is made has a Shore A hardness in the range between 68 and 76, preferably between 74 and 76.
Shore A hardness used herein is one scale of durometer hardness applied to represent the hardness of relatively flexible plastics as prescribed by the American National Standard, ASTM D2240-75.
As previously described, the tubular body 1 is made of a relatively rigid material such as polycarbonate.
Then the portion of the plug 2 which is attached to the hard tubular body 1 serves as a support so that a tearing force applied to the plug by fingers does not disperse, but concentrates at the frangible portion 15 to facilitate breakage thereof. Nevertheless, an external force other than the carefully applied folding force by fingers is absorbed by the plug 2 which itself is of flexible material and not directly applied to the frangible portion, minimizing the risk of the plug being accidentally broken at the frangible portion~
The plug 2 having a Shore A hardness of less than 68 is too soft so that it can be bent, but is difficult to break.
Experimental data are shown below. Test pieces having the same structure as the plug disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,368,560 were prepared from materials having varying hardness and measured for tensile strength and flexural strength at rupture. The results are shown in Table 1. Tensile strength and flexural strength were measured at a pulling rate o 10 mm/min. and 20 mm/min.
~3~7~
and reported as an average of ten and five measurements, respectively.
Table 1 Sample Shore A Tensile strenqth Flexural strenqth 1 64-68 3.9 kg unmeasurable 2 68-70 ~.0 kg unmeasurable 3 74-76 4.9 kg unmeasurable 4 90-92 ~9.7 kg 2.5 kg 98-100 16.4 kg 6.8 kg It is seen from Table 1 that those test pieces of material having a Shore A hardness of from 64 to 76 cannot be ruptured by bending.
Test pieces of the plug according to the present invention as shown in FIG. ~ were prepared from materials having varying hardness and measured for tensile strength and flexural strength at rupture. The results are shown in Table 2. Tensile strength and flexural strength were measured at a pulling rate of 20 mm/min. and 50 mm/min.
and reported as an average of ten and five measurements, respectively.
Table 2 Sample _ore A Tensile strenqth Flexural strenqth 6 68-70 4.7 kg 3.9 kg 7 74-76 7.0 kg 3.8 kg 8 87-92 10.2 kg 5.7 kg It is seen from Table 2 that plugs having a Shore A
hardness of 68 to 76 can be more easily ruptured by bending than plugs having a Shore A hardness of 87 to 92.
~3~
The plug preferably has a cross sectional shape other than a circle on a distal siderwith respect to the frangible portion 15. FIGS. ~ and ~ are cross sections taken along lines A-A and B-B in FIG. - ~, respectively.
More particularly, the first wall portion 13 of the plug 2 with a relatively smaller inner diameter which is to be secured to the distal wall portion 9 of the branch defining the bore 7 has substantially a true circular cross section having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter ~f the distal wall portion 9 as shown in FIG. ~ . The remaining portion of the pluy 2, preferably the closing segment has a non-circular cross section in a direction transverse to an axial direction.
For example, the closing s,egment has a square cross section as shown in FIG. ~ . Since the closing segment is a distal segment of the plug which not only closes the bore in the hollow mount segment, but also serves as a handle or lever upon breaking the plug at the frangible portion, the closing segrnent may have a rectangular, ellipsoidal or other cross section which is convenient to manua`lly grip. Also preferably, the closin~ segment is an axially elongated segment as shown in FIG~ ~ for the same reason.
The tube assembly of the present invention also includes the protector 3 to be fitted over the plug 2.
The protector 3 is in close fit with the outside of the plug 2 for protecting the plug. In the example of FIG.
~, the protector 3 is a grip which defines therein a cavity having an open end and a closed end. An inside portion of the cavity mates with the closing segment of the plug 2. The shape of the protector 3 is not limited to that shown in FIG. ~ and the protector may be a tubular sleeve having a portion to be tightly engaged over the closing segment of the plug 2.
13~
In order that the plug 2 be readily torn off by grasping and twisting the protector 3, the protector 3 preferably has a non-circular outer configuration such as a rectanyular, square and ellipsoidal cross section in a direction transverse to an axial direction.
FIG. ~ shows the components in an assembled state.
The plug 2 is mounted on the branch to close its opening 7 and also covered with the protector 3. The first wall portion 13 of the plug is in snug fit over the distal wall portion 9 of the branc~. A space 16 is left between the second wall portion 14 of the plug and the distal wall portion 9 of the branch in a radial direction. The space 16 is sufficient to keep the open end of the branch ~ from obstructing in breaking of the plug 2 at the frangible portion 15. For the same reason, the distal or open end oE the branch 7 is axially spaced apart from the plug 20 The protector 3 must be in snug fit over the plug 2 in order to protect the plug 2 from any accidental external force and to prevent any sliding motion between the protector and the plug when the protector 3 is twisted with a finger grip to tear off the plug 2. The protector is in close fit on the closing segment of the plug 2, but axially extends over the frangible portion 15 with a spacing from the mount segment in a proximal direction. A
space is left between the inside wall of the protector 3 and the outside wall of the plug 2 at least in a region axially located on the proximal side with respect to the frangible portion 15. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
a space is left between the protector 3 and the mount segment of the plug 2, and the protector 3 is in tight engagement with the closing segment of the plug 2. The space between the inside wall of the protector 3 and the outside wall of the plug 2 bridging over the frangible portion 15 is effective in facilitating separation of the plug 2 by tearing it off.
~3~
T'ne ~ourth opening 7 is closed with the plug 2 covered with the protector 3 when the corresponding branch is not in use. When it is desired to connect another member to the fourth opening 7, the plug 2 is removed from the opening by tearing or twisting off the plug 2 at the frangible portion 15. The fourth opening-defining branch with its flow path open is now ready for connection to another member.
The frangible portion 15 may be formed at any location between the open end 11 and the closed end 12 of the plug. Preferably, the frangible portion 15 is provided in the outside wall of the second or larger inner diameter wall portion 14 of the mount segment of the plug 2. Location of the frangible portion 15 in the second wall portion 14 means that the frangible portion 15 is located radially outside the space 16 between the plug 2 and the branch 7. Then it is ver~ easy to tear off the plug 2 by twisting even though the plug is made of a relatively flexible material.
The engagement between the plug 2 and the protector 3 is not particularly limited as long as it ensures cliping-off of the plug by grasping the protector 3 with fingers and turning it with the plug 2 so as to tear off the plug without any sliding motion between the protector and the plug.
In general, medical tubings are made of polycarbonate and flexible vinyl chloride resin. When a plug is secured to such a tube, it is desired not to use an adhesive at the connection between the plug and the tube in order to avoid contamination to fluid to be passed therethrough, typicall~ blood. If a tube and a plug are made of similar types of material, a blocking bond can be achieved between them by utilizing the heat applied for autoclave sterilization. Since the plug is formed of a relatively flexible material such as polyvinyl chloride ~3~3~2:1~
resin, it is difficult to tear off the plug with a click by twisting because the plug as a whole is softly twisted.
The protector 3 is preferably made of a relatively rigid material in order to facilitate breakage of the plug 2. A
choice of the material of the protector 3 is made such that the protector may not be bonded to the branch and the plug through blocking under the inEluence of the heat applied during autoclave sterilization. A typical example of t'ne relatively rigid material is a polypropylene resin.
A preferred combinatio~ of materials meeting the above requirement is a combination of polycarbonate for the branch 7 or tubular body, polyvinyl chloride for the plug 2 and polypropylene for the protector 3. Another preferred combination of materials for the tubular body, plug and protector will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings.
Also, in the present invention, a space 16 may be provided between an inner wall portion of the plug 2 and a reduced diameter portion 9 of the opening 7~ As illustrated in Fig. 5, on the reduced diameter portion 9 of the fourth opening 7 in place of on an inner wall portion 17 of the plug 2 may be provided a second stepped down or smaller diameter portion 18 to make a space 18 therebetween.
~peration The operation of the four-way branch tube having a plug mounted on one branch as shown in FIG. 1 is described by referring to a system for plasmapheresis therapy having the branch tube incorproated therein.
As shown in FIG. 4a, the plasmapheresis system includes four sections of tubing connected to the four-way branch tube 1. A first section of tubing extends from a puncture needle 23 placed in the vein of a donor 27 to the first opening ~ of the branch tube for the purpose of blood collection and has a hemostat 28 thereon. A second section of tubing extends from the second opening 5 of the branch tube to a first blood bag 24a and has a hemostat 26 thereon. A third sec-tion of tubing extends from the third opening 6 of the branch tube to a second blood bag 24b via a closure member in the form of a click tip 8. A fourth section of tubing extends from the fourth opening 7 of the branch tube to a Y set 20. The fourth section of tubing is a trunk line of the Y set which includes a first inlet line extending to a physiological saline bottle 22 through a clamp 21a and a second inlet line 3~ having a clamp 21b.
This is an outline of the system, and all the lines are not connected at the same time. Connection will become apparent from the following description of operation.
While clamps 21a, 21b and 21c on the lines associated with the Y set 20 are closed, a needle connected to the line with clamp 21a is punctured into the saline bottle 22. Then the clamp 21a is opened and the clamp 21b is released to fill the Y set with saline. The claMp 21a is again closed.
During this operation, the plug 2 on the branch 7 of the four-way branch tube is kept normal or unbroken and covered with the protector 3. There is no possibility that the plug is accidentally ruptured to allow contamination of the opening 7 of the branch during manufacture and setting of the brancn tube 1. The first opening ~ of the branch tube 1 is in fluid communication with the needle 23, and the second opening 5 in -fluid communication with the first blood bag 24a. The third opening 6 is connected to the second blood bag 24b although the click tip 8 is also kept normal or unbroken so that the flow path to the second blood bag 24b is closed.
The next step is to connect a connector at the free end of the Y set trunk to the branch (7~ of the branch ~3~
1 a~
tube. The hemostat 26 is fastened on the second section of tubing connected to the first blood bag 24a in order to prevent reverse ~low of medical liquid in the first blood bag 24a. Then the plug 2 is torn off at the fran~ible portion 15 to open the associated branch (7) by manually holding and twisting the protector 30. According to the present invention, the plug 2 is made of rnaterial having a Shore A hardness of 68 to 76 and the tubular body 1 is made of a relatively rigid material such as polycarbonate.
The first wall portion~3 of the plug is fixedly secured to the tubular body 1. Since the tubular body assists in the first wall portion of the plug serving as a rigid support for the plug, a bending force applied to the plug by fingers concentrates at the frangible portion 15. Thus the plug can be readily ruptured at the frangible portion 15 even though the plug is made of material having a relatively low degree of hardness. In addition, the fact that the plug is made of a relatively flexible material provides the advantage that the plug is resistant against rupture by an accidental external force. After rupture of the plug, the fourth opening 7 is protruded and exposed without damage. Then the opening is easy to connect another member thereto and free of contamination. Easier connection is expected when the fourth opening 7 has the Luer taper 7a or an axially outwardly divergent bore.
Further, in the embodiment wherein the plug 2 is received in the protector 3 of rigid material, the protec-tor in tight engagement over the plug 2 prevents deformation of the plug and assists in tearing off the plug at the frangible portion when the protector 3 is gripped and twisted.
The next step is to collect blood from the donor 27.
The first section of tubing is fastened by the hemostat 28 at a location near the needle 23~ The puncture needle is inserted into the vein of the donor 27. Af-ter entry of ~3~ 2 blood into the blood collecting tube is observed, the hemostats 28 and 26 a~e tak~n o~f to communicate an open continuous flow path to the first blood bag 24a.
Since the flow path to the second blood bag 24b is closed by the click tip 8 at this point, blood flows under gravity from the needle 23 to the first blood bag 24a.
Blood collection is continued until the first blood bag 24a is filled with a predetermined volume of blood. Then the section of tubing to the first blood bag 24a is sealed with a tube sealer or ~ pair o~ aluminum rings (not shown) and cut therebetween to separate the first blood bag 24a.
The whole blood in the ~irst blood bag now removed is centrifugally separated into cell and plasma components.
During the step, saline is transfused dropwise from the bottle 22 to the donor through the Y set 20~ the branch (7) with the plug broken, and the needle 23 as shown in FIG. 4b.
The cells thus separated are return transfused to the donor 27. More particularly, an outlet 29 of the first blood bag 24a is connected to the second inlet tube 30 o~
the Y set 20. Then the cells are returned along with saline to the donor 27 through the Y set 20, the four-way branch tube 1, and the needle 23.
At the end of return transfusion, the branch tube 1 is held in one hand, and the click tip 8 is manually torn off to open the flow path to the second blood bag 24b.
Blood is again collected from the donor 27 to the second blood bag 24b through the needle 23 which has been placed in the vein o~ the donor. Likewise the first blood bag 24a, the blood collected in the second blood bag 24b is centrifugally separated and transfused back to the donor.
In the tube assembly of the present invention, an attachment portion of a plug oE a relati~ely flexible material having a Shore A hardness of 68 to 76 is fixedly ~3~ 2 secured to a relatively rigid tubular body. The connection between the plug and the tubular body is improved in gas tightness and intimate contact so that the plug is firmly bonded to the tubular body. Then the plug maintains the ability of being ready to be ruptured when the associated tubular body is on use. The risk of the plug being accidentally ruptured by an external force when the tubular body is not on use is minimized. Then contamination of the tubular body is prevented when it is not on use.
Minagawa et al.
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Tube Assembly with a Breakaway Plug _ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention This invention relates to a tube assembly with a breakaway pluy. More particularly, it relates to a tube assembly having a brea]caway plug which is unlikely to be ruptured or contaminated before use.
Discussion of Prior Art In some branch tubes such as four-way branch tubes for use in combination with blood collection bags, all the branches are not used at the same time, but they are used one by one in succesive steps. To prevent the flow path from being contaminated from a branch which is not in use, the branch not in use should be comple-tely sealed with a plug or a suitable closure. Upon use of the branch which has been sealed with a plug, it is necessary that the plug be readily broken and removed to open the associated branch to allow for connection to another member such as a tube having a puncture needle.
A variety of plugs which can be torn off have been proposed in the prior art. For example, T. Gewecke, U.S.
Patent No. 3,368,560 discloses an outlet fitting wherein a cap portion is united to a tubular portion by means of a relatively thin annular web. A finger tab depending from the cap portion is pulled whereupon a line of severence occurs in the area of the integral web.
This fitting is applicable as a plug on a branch of a four-way branch tube, but has a problem in operation.
When the cap is pulled with a considerable force in an axial direction to cut the cap at the thin web, there occurs an impact of reaction. At the instant of rupture, the operator would probably hit something at her elbow.
~P
~3~
Additionally, the cut edge would be brou~ht in contact with something so that it might be contaminated.
C. Robinson et al, U.S. Patent No. ~,228,835 discloses a breakaway cap comprising a ring having an open end and a closed end with a handle. An annular grooved area is provided as a frangible connection between the open end portion and the closed end of the ring. When the handle is grasped and moved angularly, the ring will break at the frangible section to remove the handle from the ring. The cap is formed of a polyvinyl chloride having a hardness in the range of 85-100 as measured on the Shore A
scale of a durometer.
This cap is also applicable as a plug on a branch of a four-way branch tube and considered as preventing the inadvertent reaction of breakage inevitable with the cap of Gewecke. The cap has a certain degree of hardness so that it is broken at the frangible section by moving the handle angularly. Since the plug or breakaway cap is united with the frangible section and a flexible tube is connected to the ring portion of the cap left after breakage, the ring portion of the cap must be utili~ed as a waist in bending the handle. For this reason, the cap is made of a material having a Shore A hardness of 85-1000 Since the cap of this range of hardness is rather less flexible, it has problems in gas tightness, adherence to the branch or tubular body, and prevention of accidental rupture before it is desired to break the plug to open the flow path of the branch on use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a tube assembly having a breakaway plug which is mounted on a tubular body in an air-tight and intimate contact manner without the risk of being accidentally ruptured or ~3t~ 2 1~
contaminated during manufacture or transportation, but can be readily torn off upon use.
According to the present invention, there is provided a tube assembly comprising a tubular body of a relatively rigid material having at least two open ends, and a plug of a material having a Shore A hardness of from 68 to 76 mounted on one open end of the tubular body, the plug including (a) a hollow mount segment having an open end, a portion of~the mount segment extending from its open end being fixedly secured to the one open end of the tubular body, (b) a closing segmen-t axially connected to the mount segment, and ~c) a frangible portion located axially outside the secured portion whereby the plug is breakable at the frangible portion and removable from the one open end of the tubular body.
Since the plug of relatively flexible material having a Shore A hardness of 68 to 7~ is attached to the tubular body, the gas tightness and intimate contact therebetween are substantially improved to minimize the risk of the plug being accidentally ruptured by an external force when the tubular body is not on use, while maintaining the ability of breakage of the plug when the tubular body is on use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 iS a partially cross-sectional plane view of a four-way branch tube with a breakaway plug according to one embodiment of the present invention;
~3~
FIG. 2a and 2b are cross-sectional views of the plug taken along line A-A and B-B in FIG. 3a, respectively;
FIG. 3a is an exploded crossDsectional view of the tube assembly of the present invention showing a tube branch, a plug and a protector in a disassembled state, FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view of the tube assembly showing a tube branch, a plug and a protector in an assembled state;
FIG. 4a and 4b illustrate a plasmapheresis system having the tube assembly of the invention incorporated therein; and FI~. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a four-way branch tube with a breakaway plug according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE_ PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The tube assembly of the present invention includes a tube body having at least two open ends. Any tubular body having at least two open ends between which a flow path extends may be employed. Although a commonly used four-way branch tube is referred to as a typical example in the following description, the present invention is not limited to the four-way branch tube.
Among various medical tubes, four-way branch tubes are widely used in combination with blood collection bags.
FIG. 1 illustrates a four-way branch tube as one embodiment of the tube assembly of the present invention.
The four-way branch tube with a breakaway plug generally designated at A includes a tubular body 1 having four openings, a plug 2 mounted on one opening of the tubular body 1, and a protector 3 fitted over the plug for protecting the plug. The tubular body 1 has one main tube and two branches connected thereto at an angle in a usual manner. The tubular body l has four openings, a first opening 4, a second opening 5, a third opening 6, and a ycc .
~,.3~.3t~
fourth opening 7. For brevity of description, the first opening 4 is designated a proximal side, and the second, third and fourth openings 5, 6 and 7 are designated distal sides because the first opening ~ is connected to a blood collecting needle as shown in FIG. 4a. The distal end of the main tube or the third opening 6 is provided with a closure member 8 which normally closes the flow path, but is breakable to open the flow path. The feature of the present invention resides in the second branch defining the fourth opening 7 o~ which the plug 2 and the protector 3 are mounted.
The components are described in detail in FIG. ~h~, which is a cross-sectional view of the branch defining the fourth opening 7, the plug 2, and the protector 3 in an exploded state. A full assembly of these components is shown in FIG. ~ . The branch of the four-way branch tube has a flow path-defining bore 7 terminating at an open end and includes a distal wall portion 9 having a smaller outside diameter than the remaining. A step 10 is formed between the distal wall portion 9 and the remaining. The outside wall of the branch is stepped to form the smaller outside diameter wall portion 9 for mountin~ the plug 2 thereon. The bore 7 of the branch is Luer tapered at 7a.
The tubular body 1 is formed of a relatively rigid material such as polycarbonate. Since the breakable closure member 8 is integrally formed with the tubular body within the third opening 6, Eormation of the tubular body and the closure member from a rigid material makes it easy to tear off the closure member. The use of a rigid material is also useful to connect a male Luer connector to the branch from which the plug 2 has been torn off for cell return purpose. If the tubular body were formed of a flexible material other than polycarbonate, it would be deformed during autoclave sterilization so that the Luer taper 7a might diminish.
:~3~7Z~
The plug 2 includes a hollow mount segment providing an open end 11 at one end and a closing segment axially connected to the mount segment and providing a closing end 12 at another end. The hollow mount segment includes a first wall portion 13 with a relatively srnaller inner diameter extending from the open end 11 and a second wall portion 14 with a relatively larger inner diameter extending from the first wall portion 13 to the closing segment. The first wall portion 13 is fixedly secured to the distal wall por~io~ 9 of the branch defining the bore 7 as shown in FIG. ~. The closing segment may be either a solid segment (not shown) or a hollow segment as shown in FIG.-~ as long as it provides a closing end to the bore of the hollow mount segment. The sum of axial length of the first and second wall portions 13 and 14 of the plug 2 is at least equal to, preferahly greater than the axial length of the distal wall portion 9 of thP branch defining the bore 7 to ensure firm attachement between the branch and the plug and allow easy tearing of the plug at a frangible portion.
The plug 2 is provided with a frangible portion in the form of a circumferential notch 15 in the outer surface wherey the plug is breakable at the frangible portion and removable from the tubular body or branch.
The frangible portion 15 is located such that when the plug 2 is engaged and secured to the distal wall portion 13 of the branch defining the fourth opening 7, the frangible portion is spaced apart from the secured portion~ Namely, the frangible portion 15 is located in the second wall portion 14 having a larger inner diameter.
In other words, the distal wall portion 9 of the branch axially extends beyond the frangible portion 15 of the plug 2 toward the closing segment. Then the open end of the distal wall portion 9 of the branch is exposed when the plug 2 is torn off. It is then very easy to connect :~l}72 ~ ~
another member having a needle to the protruding open end 9 of the branch. The protruding end of the branch minimizes the possibility of the other member contacting the cut edge of the plug kept attached on the dis-tal wall portion 9 which migh-t be contaminated, avoiding contamination of the flow path of the tubular body 1.
According to the present invention, the material of which the plug 2 is made has a Shore A hardness in the range between 68 and 76, preferably between 74 and 76.
Shore A hardness used herein is one scale of durometer hardness applied to represent the hardness of relatively flexible plastics as prescribed by the American National Standard, ASTM D2240-75.
As previously described, the tubular body 1 is made of a relatively rigid material such as polycarbonate.
Then the portion of the plug 2 which is attached to the hard tubular body 1 serves as a support so that a tearing force applied to the plug by fingers does not disperse, but concentrates at the frangible portion 15 to facilitate breakage thereof. Nevertheless, an external force other than the carefully applied folding force by fingers is absorbed by the plug 2 which itself is of flexible material and not directly applied to the frangible portion, minimizing the risk of the plug being accidentally broken at the frangible portion~
The plug 2 having a Shore A hardness of less than 68 is too soft so that it can be bent, but is difficult to break.
Experimental data are shown below. Test pieces having the same structure as the plug disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,368,560 were prepared from materials having varying hardness and measured for tensile strength and flexural strength at rupture. The results are shown in Table 1. Tensile strength and flexural strength were measured at a pulling rate o 10 mm/min. and 20 mm/min.
~3~7~
and reported as an average of ten and five measurements, respectively.
Table 1 Sample Shore A Tensile strenqth Flexural strenqth 1 64-68 3.9 kg unmeasurable 2 68-70 ~.0 kg unmeasurable 3 74-76 4.9 kg unmeasurable 4 90-92 ~9.7 kg 2.5 kg 98-100 16.4 kg 6.8 kg It is seen from Table 1 that those test pieces of material having a Shore A hardness of from 64 to 76 cannot be ruptured by bending.
Test pieces of the plug according to the present invention as shown in FIG. ~ were prepared from materials having varying hardness and measured for tensile strength and flexural strength at rupture. The results are shown in Table 2. Tensile strength and flexural strength were measured at a pulling rate of 20 mm/min. and 50 mm/min.
and reported as an average of ten and five measurements, respectively.
Table 2 Sample _ore A Tensile strenqth Flexural strenqth 6 68-70 4.7 kg 3.9 kg 7 74-76 7.0 kg 3.8 kg 8 87-92 10.2 kg 5.7 kg It is seen from Table 2 that plugs having a Shore A
hardness of 68 to 76 can be more easily ruptured by bending than plugs having a Shore A hardness of 87 to 92.
~3~
The plug preferably has a cross sectional shape other than a circle on a distal siderwith respect to the frangible portion 15. FIGS. ~ and ~ are cross sections taken along lines A-A and B-B in FIG. - ~, respectively.
More particularly, the first wall portion 13 of the plug 2 with a relatively smaller inner diameter which is to be secured to the distal wall portion 9 of the branch defining the bore 7 has substantially a true circular cross section having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter ~f the distal wall portion 9 as shown in FIG. ~ . The remaining portion of the pluy 2, preferably the closing segment has a non-circular cross section in a direction transverse to an axial direction.
For example, the closing s,egment has a square cross section as shown in FIG. ~ . Since the closing segment is a distal segment of the plug which not only closes the bore in the hollow mount segment, but also serves as a handle or lever upon breaking the plug at the frangible portion, the closing segrnent may have a rectangular, ellipsoidal or other cross section which is convenient to manua`lly grip. Also preferably, the closin~ segment is an axially elongated segment as shown in FIG~ ~ for the same reason.
The tube assembly of the present invention also includes the protector 3 to be fitted over the plug 2.
The protector 3 is in close fit with the outside of the plug 2 for protecting the plug. In the example of FIG.
~, the protector 3 is a grip which defines therein a cavity having an open end and a closed end. An inside portion of the cavity mates with the closing segment of the plug 2. The shape of the protector 3 is not limited to that shown in FIG. ~ and the protector may be a tubular sleeve having a portion to be tightly engaged over the closing segment of the plug 2.
13~
In order that the plug 2 be readily torn off by grasping and twisting the protector 3, the protector 3 preferably has a non-circular outer configuration such as a rectanyular, square and ellipsoidal cross section in a direction transverse to an axial direction.
FIG. ~ shows the components in an assembled state.
The plug 2 is mounted on the branch to close its opening 7 and also covered with the protector 3. The first wall portion 13 of the plug is in snug fit over the distal wall portion 9 of the branc~. A space 16 is left between the second wall portion 14 of the plug and the distal wall portion 9 of the branch in a radial direction. The space 16 is sufficient to keep the open end of the branch ~ from obstructing in breaking of the plug 2 at the frangible portion 15. For the same reason, the distal or open end oE the branch 7 is axially spaced apart from the plug 20 The protector 3 must be in snug fit over the plug 2 in order to protect the plug 2 from any accidental external force and to prevent any sliding motion between the protector and the plug when the protector 3 is twisted with a finger grip to tear off the plug 2. The protector is in close fit on the closing segment of the plug 2, but axially extends over the frangible portion 15 with a spacing from the mount segment in a proximal direction. A
space is left between the inside wall of the protector 3 and the outside wall of the plug 2 at least in a region axially located on the proximal side with respect to the frangible portion 15. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
a space is left between the protector 3 and the mount segment of the plug 2, and the protector 3 is in tight engagement with the closing segment of the plug 2. The space between the inside wall of the protector 3 and the outside wall of the plug 2 bridging over the frangible portion 15 is effective in facilitating separation of the plug 2 by tearing it off.
~3~
T'ne ~ourth opening 7 is closed with the plug 2 covered with the protector 3 when the corresponding branch is not in use. When it is desired to connect another member to the fourth opening 7, the plug 2 is removed from the opening by tearing or twisting off the plug 2 at the frangible portion 15. The fourth opening-defining branch with its flow path open is now ready for connection to another member.
The frangible portion 15 may be formed at any location between the open end 11 and the closed end 12 of the plug. Preferably, the frangible portion 15 is provided in the outside wall of the second or larger inner diameter wall portion 14 of the mount segment of the plug 2. Location of the frangible portion 15 in the second wall portion 14 means that the frangible portion 15 is located radially outside the space 16 between the plug 2 and the branch 7. Then it is ver~ easy to tear off the plug 2 by twisting even though the plug is made of a relatively flexible material.
The engagement between the plug 2 and the protector 3 is not particularly limited as long as it ensures cliping-off of the plug by grasping the protector 3 with fingers and turning it with the plug 2 so as to tear off the plug without any sliding motion between the protector and the plug.
In general, medical tubings are made of polycarbonate and flexible vinyl chloride resin. When a plug is secured to such a tube, it is desired not to use an adhesive at the connection between the plug and the tube in order to avoid contamination to fluid to be passed therethrough, typicall~ blood. If a tube and a plug are made of similar types of material, a blocking bond can be achieved between them by utilizing the heat applied for autoclave sterilization. Since the plug is formed of a relatively flexible material such as polyvinyl chloride ~3~3~2:1~
resin, it is difficult to tear off the plug with a click by twisting because the plug as a whole is softly twisted.
The protector 3 is preferably made of a relatively rigid material in order to facilitate breakage of the plug 2. A
choice of the material of the protector 3 is made such that the protector may not be bonded to the branch and the plug through blocking under the inEluence of the heat applied during autoclave sterilization. A typical example of t'ne relatively rigid material is a polypropylene resin.
A preferred combinatio~ of materials meeting the above requirement is a combination of polycarbonate for the branch 7 or tubular body, polyvinyl chloride for the plug 2 and polypropylene for the protector 3. Another preferred combination of materials for the tubular body, plug and protector will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings.
Also, in the present invention, a space 16 may be provided between an inner wall portion of the plug 2 and a reduced diameter portion 9 of the opening 7~ As illustrated in Fig. 5, on the reduced diameter portion 9 of the fourth opening 7 in place of on an inner wall portion 17 of the plug 2 may be provided a second stepped down or smaller diameter portion 18 to make a space 18 therebetween.
~peration The operation of the four-way branch tube having a plug mounted on one branch as shown in FIG. 1 is described by referring to a system for plasmapheresis therapy having the branch tube incorproated therein.
As shown in FIG. 4a, the plasmapheresis system includes four sections of tubing connected to the four-way branch tube 1. A first section of tubing extends from a puncture needle 23 placed in the vein of a donor 27 to the first opening ~ of the branch tube for the purpose of blood collection and has a hemostat 28 thereon. A second section of tubing extends from the second opening 5 of the branch tube to a first blood bag 24a and has a hemostat 26 thereon. A third sec-tion of tubing extends from the third opening 6 of the branch tube to a second blood bag 24b via a closure member in the form of a click tip 8. A fourth section of tubing extends from the fourth opening 7 of the branch tube to a Y set 20. The fourth section of tubing is a trunk line of the Y set which includes a first inlet line extending to a physiological saline bottle 22 through a clamp 21a and a second inlet line 3~ having a clamp 21b.
This is an outline of the system, and all the lines are not connected at the same time. Connection will become apparent from the following description of operation.
While clamps 21a, 21b and 21c on the lines associated with the Y set 20 are closed, a needle connected to the line with clamp 21a is punctured into the saline bottle 22. Then the clamp 21a is opened and the clamp 21b is released to fill the Y set with saline. The claMp 21a is again closed.
During this operation, the plug 2 on the branch 7 of the four-way branch tube is kept normal or unbroken and covered with the protector 3. There is no possibility that the plug is accidentally ruptured to allow contamination of the opening 7 of the branch during manufacture and setting of the brancn tube 1. The first opening ~ of the branch tube 1 is in fluid communication with the needle 23, and the second opening 5 in -fluid communication with the first blood bag 24a. The third opening 6 is connected to the second blood bag 24b although the click tip 8 is also kept normal or unbroken so that the flow path to the second blood bag 24b is closed.
The next step is to connect a connector at the free end of the Y set trunk to the branch (7~ of the branch ~3~
1 a~
tube. The hemostat 26 is fastened on the second section of tubing connected to the first blood bag 24a in order to prevent reverse ~low of medical liquid in the first blood bag 24a. Then the plug 2 is torn off at the fran~ible portion 15 to open the associated branch (7) by manually holding and twisting the protector 30. According to the present invention, the plug 2 is made of rnaterial having a Shore A hardness of 68 to 76 and the tubular body 1 is made of a relatively rigid material such as polycarbonate.
The first wall portion~3 of the plug is fixedly secured to the tubular body 1. Since the tubular body assists in the first wall portion of the plug serving as a rigid support for the plug, a bending force applied to the plug by fingers concentrates at the frangible portion 15. Thus the plug can be readily ruptured at the frangible portion 15 even though the plug is made of material having a relatively low degree of hardness. In addition, the fact that the plug is made of a relatively flexible material provides the advantage that the plug is resistant against rupture by an accidental external force. After rupture of the plug, the fourth opening 7 is protruded and exposed without damage. Then the opening is easy to connect another member thereto and free of contamination. Easier connection is expected when the fourth opening 7 has the Luer taper 7a or an axially outwardly divergent bore.
Further, in the embodiment wherein the plug 2 is received in the protector 3 of rigid material, the protec-tor in tight engagement over the plug 2 prevents deformation of the plug and assists in tearing off the plug at the frangible portion when the protector 3 is gripped and twisted.
The next step is to collect blood from the donor 27.
The first section of tubing is fastened by the hemostat 28 at a location near the needle 23~ The puncture needle is inserted into the vein of the donor 27. Af-ter entry of ~3~ 2 blood into the blood collecting tube is observed, the hemostats 28 and 26 a~e tak~n o~f to communicate an open continuous flow path to the first blood bag 24a.
Since the flow path to the second blood bag 24b is closed by the click tip 8 at this point, blood flows under gravity from the needle 23 to the first blood bag 24a.
Blood collection is continued until the first blood bag 24a is filled with a predetermined volume of blood. Then the section of tubing to the first blood bag 24a is sealed with a tube sealer or ~ pair o~ aluminum rings (not shown) and cut therebetween to separate the first blood bag 24a.
The whole blood in the ~irst blood bag now removed is centrifugally separated into cell and plasma components.
During the step, saline is transfused dropwise from the bottle 22 to the donor through the Y set 20~ the branch (7) with the plug broken, and the needle 23 as shown in FIG. 4b.
The cells thus separated are return transfused to the donor 27. More particularly, an outlet 29 of the first blood bag 24a is connected to the second inlet tube 30 o~
the Y set 20. Then the cells are returned along with saline to the donor 27 through the Y set 20, the four-way branch tube 1, and the needle 23.
At the end of return transfusion, the branch tube 1 is held in one hand, and the click tip 8 is manually torn off to open the flow path to the second blood bag 24b.
Blood is again collected from the donor 27 to the second blood bag 24b through the needle 23 which has been placed in the vein o~ the donor. Likewise the first blood bag 24a, the blood collected in the second blood bag 24b is centrifugally separated and transfused back to the donor.
In the tube assembly of the present invention, an attachment portion of a plug oE a relati~ely flexible material having a Shore A hardness of 68 to 76 is fixedly ~3~ 2 secured to a relatively rigid tubular body. The connection between the plug and the tubular body is improved in gas tightness and intimate contact so that the plug is firmly bonded to the tubular body. Then the plug maintains the ability of being ready to be ruptured when the associated tubular body is on use. The risk of the plug being accidentally ruptured by an external force when the tubular body is not on use is minimized. Then contamination of the tubular body is prevented when it is not on use.
Claims (7)
1. A tube assembly comprising a tubular body of a relatively rigid material having at least two open ends, and a plug of a material having a Shore A hardness of from 68 to 76 mounted on one open end of said tubular body, said plug including (a) a hollow mount segment having an open end, a portion of the mount segment extending from its open end being fixedly secured to the one open end of said tubular body, (b) a closing segment axially connected to the mount segment, and (c) a frangible portion located axially outside the secured portion whereby said plug is breakable at the frangible portion and removable from the one open end of the tubular body.
2. The tube assembly of claim 1 wherein said mount segment includes a first wall portion with a relatively smaller inner diameter extending from the open end of the mount segment and a second wall portion with a relatively larger inner diameter extending from the first wall portion to the closing segment, wherein said first wall portion is secured to the one open end of said tubular body and said frangible portion is a circumferential notch in the outer surface of said second wall portion.
3. The tube assembly of claim 1 which further comprises a protector fitted over the plug.
4. The tube assembly of claim 3 wherein said protector is in close fit on the closing segment of said plug, but extends over the frangible portion with a spacing from the mount segment.
5. The tube assembly of claim 3 wherein said protector has such a hardness that it may not prevent breakage of the plug at the frangible portion.
6. The tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the open end of said tubular body axially extends beyond the frangible portion of said plug toward the closing segment of said plug.
7. The tube assembly of claim 1 wherein the closing segment of said plug has a non-circular cross section.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP62-177900 | 1987-07-16 | ||
| JP62177900A JPS6420858A (en) | 1987-07-16 | 1987-07-16 | Tube body equipped with plug body separable by breakage |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1307212C true CA1307212C (en) | 1992-09-08 |
Family
ID=16039025
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000571678A Expired - Lifetime CA1307212C (en) | 1987-07-16 | 1988-07-11 | Tube assembly with a breakaway plug |
Country Status (9)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US5152755A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0377035B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS6420858A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR890701147A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU1481288A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1307212C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3889664T2 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2009622A6 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1989000433A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (21)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR9103960A (en) * | 1990-10-12 | 1992-05-26 | Jose Calabrese | IMPROVEMENT IN DISPOSABLE DEVICES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF SOLUTIONS, BLOOD OR PLASMA |
| IT228802Y1 (en) * | 1992-02-14 | 1998-05-21 | Diego Giacomelli | CLOSING SYSTEM FOR LUER LOCK ATTACK |
| US5645539A (en) * | 1994-11-14 | 1997-07-08 | Innocare One, Ltd. | Elongated medical channel assembly and method of preventing dislodgement |
| US6467953B1 (en) | 1999-03-30 | 2002-10-22 | Medical Solutions, Inc. | Method and apparatus for monitoring temperature of intravenously delivered fluids and other medical items |
| EP1089784B1 (en) | 1998-06-25 | 2006-08-02 | C.R. Bard, Inc. | Medical device with elastomeric bulb |
| US6322551B1 (en) | 1999-07-09 | 2001-11-27 | Gambro Inc. | Break-apart tubing connectors for use in dialysis blood tubing sets |
| DE19960226C1 (en) * | 1999-12-14 | 2001-05-10 | Fresenius Ag | Connection system, for two or more sterile systems, comprises male and female connectors with threshold breakage points inside the fluid supply system. |
| US7238171B2 (en) | 2001-03-12 | 2007-07-03 | Medical Solutions, Inc. | Method and apparatus for controlling pressurized infusion and temperature of infused liquids |
| FR2836897B1 (en) * | 2002-03-06 | 2004-06-25 | Jacques Gerbron | PACKAGE COMPRISING A PRESSURE DEFORMABLE CONTAINER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD |
| DK174883B1 (en) * | 2003-02-27 | 2004-01-19 | Unomedical As | Disposable urine bag for collecting urine |
| JP3873034B2 (en) | 2003-02-28 | 2007-01-24 | 株式会社河合楽器製作所 | action |
| US7611504B1 (en) | 2004-03-09 | 2009-11-03 | Patented Medical Solutions Llc | Method and apparatus for facilitating injection of medication into an intravenous fluid line while maintaining sterility of infused fluids |
| TWI271149B (en) * | 2005-03-25 | 2007-01-21 | Daiwa Seiko Inc | Spinning reel for fishing |
| US7740611B2 (en) | 2005-10-27 | 2010-06-22 | Patented Medical Solutions, Llc | Method and apparatus to indicate prior use of a medical item |
| US8487738B2 (en) | 2006-03-20 | 2013-07-16 | Medical Solutions, Inc. | Method and apparatus for securely storing medical items within a thermal treatment system |
| US8323251B2 (en) | 2008-01-14 | 2012-12-04 | Fenwal, Inc. | Phlebotomy needle assembly and frangible cover |
| EP2347750A1 (en) * | 2010-01-26 | 2011-07-27 | Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH | Connector for containers containing medical agents |
| US8397730B2 (en) * | 2010-02-16 | 2013-03-19 | Covidien Lp | Tracheal tube adaptor and flaring jig |
| US9211381B2 (en) | 2012-01-20 | 2015-12-15 | Medical Solutions, Inc. | Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of medical liquids |
| WO2014126964A1 (en) | 2013-02-15 | 2014-08-21 | Medical Solutions, Inc. | Plural medical item warming system and method for warming a plurality of medical items to desired temperatures |
| AU2019380640A1 (en) | 2018-11-14 | 2021-04-22 | Onderzoeks- En Ontwikkelingsfonds Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen | Methods for preparing platelet releasate |
Family Cites Families (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3368560A (en) * | 1965-10-07 | 1968-02-13 | Theodore H. Gewecke | Outlet fitting for plastic parenteral solution container |
| US4294247A (en) * | 1977-07-25 | 1981-10-13 | Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc. | Frangible, resealable closure for a flexible tube |
| US4228835A (en) * | 1979-02-23 | 1980-10-21 | Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc. | Breakaway cap for solution containers |
| CH635245A5 (en) * | 1980-04-17 | 1983-03-31 | Vifor Sa | Apparatus intended to introduce a liquid into a human body |
| US4394919A (en) * | 1981-07-23 | 1983-07-26 | Cutter Laboratories, Inc. | Closure for container |
| US4402682A (en) * | 1981-12-02 | 1983-09-06 | Garver Sr Edward B | Tamper-proof cannula support assembly |
| SE456637B (en) * | 1982-04-13 | 1988-10-24 | Gambro Lundia Ab | HEATER RELIABLE CLUTCH |
| US4632267A (en) * | 1984-11-13 | 1986-12-30 | Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc. | Overmolded port closure |
| JPS60185556A (en) * | 1985-01-30 | 1985-09-21 | テルモ株式会社 | Communication apparatus of cylinder |
| JPS63230177A (en) * | 1987-03-19 | 1988-09-26 | テルモ株式会社 | Tube body openable by breakage |
| US4899903A (en) * | 1988-06-27 | 1990-02-13 | Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha | Tube assembly provided with a breakaway plug |
| US4915704A (en) * | 1988-06-27 | 1990-04-10 | Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha | Tube assembly with a breakaway plug |
| US4911696A (en) * | 1988-06-27 | 1990-03-27 | Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha | Branch tube |
-
1987
- 1987-07-16 JP JP62177900A patent/JPS6420858A/en active Granted
-
1988
- 1988-03-15 WO PCT/JP1988/000270 patent/WO1989000433A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1988-03-15 US US07/460,051 patent/US5152755A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-03-15 EP EP88902554A patent/EP0377035B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-03-15 AU AU14812/88A patent/AU1481288A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1988-03-15 KR KR1019890700469A patent/KR890701147A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1988-03-15 DE DE3889664T patent/DE3889664T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-07-11 CA CA000571678A patent/CA1307212C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-07-15 ES ES8802242A patent/ES2009622A6/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE3889664T2 (en) | 1994-09-01 |
| EP0377035A4 (en) | 1990-09-05 |
| JPS6420858A (en) | 1989-01-24 |
| ES2009622A6 (en) | 1989-10-01 |
| US5152755A (en) | 1992-10-06 |
| KR890701147A (en) | 1989-12-19 |
| DE3889664D1 (en) | 1994-06-23 |
| EP0377035B1 (en) | 1994-05-18 |
| JPH0335949B2 (en) | 1991-05-29 |
| EP0377035A1 (en) | 1990-07-11 |
| WO1989000433A1 (en) | 1989-01-26 |
| AU1481288A (en) | 1989-02-13 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| CA1307212C (en) | Tube assembly with a breakaway plug | |
| US4899903A (en) | Tube assembly provided with a breakaway plug | |
| US5582165A (en) | Pre-assembled sealed, sheathed catheters and related valve elements with quick disconnect means for endotracheal suctioning | |
| CA1307211C (en) | Tube assembly breakaway for openness | |
| US3523530A (en) | Needle assembly for parenteral liquid container | |
| US20060111658A1 (en) | Sampling tube holder for blood sampling system | |
| US4585444A (en) | Intravenous needle assembly | |
| JPH02134157A (en) | Blood-collecting device providing covered needle | |
| CA2117066C (en) | Puncture needle device, mainly for a closed system introduction of a catheter into a blood vessel | |
| US4915704A (en) | Tube assembly with a breakaway plug | |
| US11534092B2 (en) | Blood collection tube | |
| JP2002518098A (en) | Membrane port for container | |
| JPH0131905B2 (en) | ||
| JP3904636B2 (en) | Medical needles and tools | |
| CA1312515C (en) | Tube assembly with a breakaway plug | |
| GB1601691A (en) | Surgical devices | |
| KR920003048Y1 (en) | Medical branch pipe equipped with plug member separable upon fracture | |
| JP4351831B2 (en) | Opening member and bag | |
| CA1312516C (en) | Tube assembly provided with a breakaway plug | |
| JPS62186871A (en) | Tube body equipped with plug separable by breaking | |
| JP2513928Y2 (en) | Connector for infusion bag and infusion bag with connector | |
| JPH0242509B2 (en) | ||
| CA1083456A (en) | Catheter placement assembly | |
| CA1071491A (en) | Catheter placement assembly | |
| CN113100762A (en) | Safe venous blood taking needle capable of preventing blood from splashing and convenient to fix |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |