NZ747353B2 - Valved connector for medical lines - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a valved connector for medical lines, particularly hemodialysis lines. The valved connector comprises a male luer lock valved fitting (1), a female luer lock fitting (2) that can be engaged with the male luer lock fitting (1), and a rotatable ring nut (4) carried by the male luer lock fitting (1) and that can be screwed with the female luer lock fitting (2). The male luer lock valve fitting comprises an inner tubular element (6) axially displaceable between a receded position and an advanced position, and an elastic hollow element (11) interposed between an outer body (3) of the male luer lock fitting and the inner tubular element. The female luer lock fitting has an inner luer cone (15) configured to be axially engaged by friction with the inner tubular element so as to axially push the inner tubular element towards the advanced position such that the inner tubular element is in immediate axial proximity and in front contact with the hollow element even before the rotatable ring nut can engage the outer thread (16) of the female luer lock fitting. The arrangement is such that any gap is eliminated between the hollow element and the inner tubular element so that the opening/closing of flow between the female luer lock fitting and the male luer lock valved fitting are made in an ON/OFF switch-like manner.

Claims (1)

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. Valved connector for medical lines, comprising a male luer lock valved fitting and a female luer lock 5 fitting that can be engaged with the male luer lock fitting, wherein the male luer lock fitting comprises an outer body, an inner tubular element displaceable axially and with respect to the outer body between a receded position and an advanced position, and a hollow 10 element made of elastic material interposed between the outer body and the inner tubular element and having a transversal end wall formed with a pre-cut which, in the receded position of the inner tubular element, is closed to cut off the flow between the female luer lock 15 fitting and the male luer lock fitting; the outer body of the male luer lock fitting being provided with a rotatable ring nut having an inner threading that can be screwed with an outer thread of the female luer lock fitting, and said inner tubular element being 20 displaceable from the receded position towards the advanced position compressing said hollow element made of elastic material and deforming said transversal end wall so as to open said pre-cut, and the female luer lock fitting having an inner luer cone suitable to be 25 axially engaged by friction with said inner tubular element already before the screwing and even after the unscrewing of said rotatable ring nut with respect to said outer thread of the female luer lock fitting, wherein the aforementioned receded position of said 30 inner tubular element of the male luer lock valved fitting is in immediate axial proximity and in front contact with said transversal end wall of the hollow element made of elastic material whereby, when said inner luer cone is engaged by friction with said inner 35 tubular element so as to axially push it towards the advanced position even before said inner threading of the rotatable ring nut can engage said outer thread of the female luer lock fitting, said pre-cut fully opens, and when said ring nut is fully unscrewed from the 5 female luer lock fitting said pre-cut fully recloses instantly.