Patent Application
20080277002
This invention relates to couplers, and, more particularly, to a quick-release coupler particularly adapted to connect a catheter to a collection bag in a bladder management system.
A variety of medical conditions require the use of collection bags to receive bodily fluids, which must be periodically emptied or replaced. For example, following surgery or due to certain medical conditions, many patients are provided with a Foley catheter or other type of indwelling catheter until such time as normal bladder function returns. The catheter is typically connected by tubing, or directly, to a collection bag. It is advantageous for the catheter or tubing to be quickly disconnected from the collection bag, with a minimum of effort and without leakage, in order to empty or replace the bag.
Coupling devices have been proposed for connecting catheters or tubing to collection bags in bladder management systems, and other medical applications in which bodily fluids must be collected, such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,918,899; 6,706,027; 6,471,680; and 6,296,627. Each of these patents discloses a quick-disconnect coupler interposed between a collection bag and a catheter in a fluid collection system, allowing the bag to be removed from the system for emptying or replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,300 to Hirsch et al teaches a bladder management system including a coupler comprising male and female coupling elements each having a valve located within a flow passageway extending through respective coupling elements. When the coupling elements are interconnected, both valves are moved to an open position allowing fluid to flow from the upstream side of the coupler, through the passageways in the coupling elements and then into a collection bag. A seal is created between the two coupling elements when they are connected, but a relatively long flow path exists between the seal and the inlets of the valves. Fluid may collect along this flow path, and leak out, after the coupling elements are separated.
This invention is directed to a coupler which comprises an actuator housing and a plunger housing each formed with a passageway for transmitting fluid entering an indwelling catheter to a collection bag. As the housings are connected together, a plunger located in the passageway of the plunger housing is moved from a closed position to an open position by an actuator mounted in the actuator housing in such a way that a seal is continuously maintained in the plunger housing to prevent the escape of fluids from its passageway. A quick-release locking mechanism maintains the two housings in a locked position when the plunger is in the open position, and may be easily activated to permit separation of the housings from one another when it is desired to empty or replace the collection bag.
In the presently preferred embodiment, fluid from the catheter enters the inlet end of the passageway formed in the plunger housing. With the plunger in a closed position, a seal is created at the outlet end of the passageway to prevent leakage of fluid from the plunger housing. A second seal is mounted near the outlet end of the passageway which extends outwardly from the exterior surface of the plunger housing.
The actuator housing is movable relative to the plunger housing.
An inner section of the actuator housing slides along the exterior surface of the plunger housing and engages the second seal protruding from the exterior surface of the plunger housing. A seal is created at that interface throughout substantially the entire period of contact between the two housings. The actuator is located downstream within the passageway of the actuator housing such that it does not contact the leading end of the plunger until after a seal is formed between the inner section of the actuator housing and the exterior surface of the plunger housing. Consequently, when the actuator does move the plunger to an open position, unseated from the outlet end of the passageway in the plunger housing, the two housings are sealed together preventing the escape of any fluids from the plunger housing except into the passageway of the actuator housing.
The locking mechanism is coupled to the exterior surface of the plunger housing and is effective to maintain the two housings connected to one another while the plunger is in the open position. A release button of the locking mechanism allows the two housings to be separated from one another so that the collection bag may be emptied or replaced. In the course of separating the two housings from one another, the plunger moves to the closed position prior to disengagement of the inner section of the actuator housing from the seal on the exterior surface of the plunger housing. This ensures that any fluid within the plunger housing is captured and maintained within its passageway before the two housings are separated from one another, thus preventing dripping of fluid from the plunger housing when the two housings are connected to one another or separated.
The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, the coupler 10 of this invention includes an actuator housing 12 and a plunger housing 14 which may be releasably connected to one another preferably to interconnect a catheter with a collection bag in a bladder management system (not shown). For purposes of the present discussion, the terms “inner” and “outer” refer to an orientation in the longitudinal direction as depicted in
The actuator housing 12 comprises an inner section 16, a longitudinally spaced outer section 18 and a tapered section 20 between the inner and outer sections 16, 18. The outer section 18 includes a number of longitudinally spaced, protruding barbs 21 which engage tubing or the like to secure one side of the coupler 10 in place. The actuator housing 12 is formed with a passageway 22 having an inlet 24 at the inner section 16. The passageway 22 defines a generally cylindrical-shaped wall 26 with an interior surface 28 and an exterior surface 30. An annular recess 31 is formed in the inner section 16 which extends inwardly from the exterior surface 30 of the wall 26 toward the interior surface 28. The passageway 22 reduces in diameter through a transition area 32 along the tapered section 20 of actuator housing 12 to the outer section 18 where it terminates at an outlet 34. A disc 36 extends radially inwardly into the passageway 22 from the area where the inner and tapered sections 16, 20 meet. A plunger actuator 38 is mounted to the center of the disc 36, extending in a direction toward the inlet 24 of the passageway 22, and a number of bores 40 are formed in the disc 36 encircling the actuator 38. It should be noted, for purposes to become apparent below, that the actuator 38 is longitudinally spaced from the inlet 24 of the passageway 22 and the innermost edge 39 of the inner section 16 of the actuator housing 12.
The plunger housing 14 generally comprises an inner body 42, an outer body 44 and a plunger 46. A locking mechanism 48 is coupled to the plunger housing 14, as described in detail below. A passageway 50 extends through the plunger housing 14 having an inlet 52 at the outer body 44 and an outlet 54 at the inner body 42. See
As best seen in
The plunger 46 is formed with a pair of longitudinally spaced ribs 74 and 76, and a groove adjacent to its leading end 64. The groove mounts an 0-ring 80, or a similar seal, in position to engage and seal against the seat 62 at the outlet of the inner body 42. With the plunger 46 in the closed position 10 shown in
The plunger housing 14 is assembled by placing the spring 82 over the plunger 46 and then inserting the leading end 64 of the plunger 46 into the outlet end of the inner body 42 so that the 0-ring 80 on the plunger 46 seals against the seat 62 of the inner body 42. The inner and outer bodies 42, 44 are then connected to one another, such as by adhesive or the like, along a joint 86 formed by mating annular surfaces at the ends of the bodies 42, 44.
The locking mechanism 48 comprises a lock collar 88 coupled to the inner body 42, and a release member 90 carried by the lock collar 88. The lock collar 88 extends around the inner body 42 of the plunger housing 14, and includes a radially inwardly projecting arm 92 affixed to the exterior surface 58 of the inner body 42 and the exterior surface 60 of the outer body 44 at the joint 86 between the two. An elongated, annular cavity 93 is formed between the lock collar 88 and exterior surface 58 of the inner body 42 which extends from the inner end of the inner body 42 toward the outer body 44. See
The coupler 10 of this invention operates as follows. The outer body 44 of the plunger housing 14 is inserted into the interior of a catheter, tubing or the like (not shown) so that the barbs 21 on its exterior surface 60 engage the interior thereof. Similarly, the outer section 18 of the actuator housing 12 is coupled directly to a collection bag (not shown) or to tubing connected to such bag. With the actuator housing 12 and plunger housing 14 separated from one another, the spring 82 urges the plunger 46 to the closed position in which the O-ring 80 at the leading end 64 of the plunger 46 contacts and seals against the seat 62 formed in the inner body 42 at the outlet 54 of the passageway 50. Consequently, any fluid which may be present in the tubing or catheter to which the plunger housing 14 is connected will not leak from the plunger housing 14.
In order to connect the two housings 12, 14 to one another, and move the plunger 46 to an open position, the wall 26 of the inner section 16 of the actuator housing 12 is inserted into the cavity 93 formed between the locking mechanism 48 and the exterior surface 58 of the inner body 42 of the plunger housing 14. After a minimum amount of travel along the cavity 93, the interior surface 28 of the wall 26 engages and seals against the 0-ring 70 on the exterior surface 58 of the inner body 42 of the plunger housing 14. It is important to note that the plunger 46 is in the closed and sealed position at the time of contact between the wall 26 and 0-ring 70. Continued longitudinal movement of the actuator housing 12 relative to the plunger housing 14 causes the actuator 38 to engage the leading end 64 of the plunger 46. Such movement overcomes the force exerted by the spring 82 tending to close the plunger 46, and moves the plunger 46 to an open position, spaced from the seat 62, as shown in
As best seen in
When it is desired to disconnect the housings 12 and 14 from one another, the release button 98 is pressed radially inwardly which causes the annular ring 94 to disengage the recess 31 in the wall 26 of the inner section 16 of actuator housing 12, e.g. to move from a locked position to an unlocked position. This allows the inner section 16 of actuator housing 12 to be slid out of the cavity 93. As the actuator housing 12 is moved in a direction away from the plunger housing 14, the plunger 46 is urged in the same direction by the spring 82. As soon as the actuator 38 clears the outlet 54 of the passageway 50 in the plunger housing 14, the plunger 46 assumes its closed position with the O-ring 80 sealed against the seat 62 in the inner body 42 of plunger housing 14. At this juncture, the wall 26 of the inner section 16 of the actuator housing 12 remains sealed to the O-ring 70 on the exterior surface of the inner body 42 because of the longitudinal spacing between the actuator 38 and the innermost edge 39 of the inner section 16. This ensures that any fluid residing within the passageway 50 of the plunger housing 14 cannot escape as the housings 12 and 14 are disconnected from one another. The actuator housing 12 is then completely disengaged from the plunger housing 14 to permit a bag connected to the actuator housing 12 to be emptied or replaced. Fluid which entered the passageway 22 of the actuator housing 12 while the housings 12 and 14 were connected to one another would have already passed into a collection bag, which typically includes a flap valve at the inlet thereof to prevent fluid from exiting the bag at its inlet. After the collection bag is emptied or replaced, the housings 12 and 14 may be re-connected to one another as described above.
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
