Selectively sealable male needleless connectors and associated methods

摘要

The various embodiments include a tubular member having an outlet. A sealing member provides a selective seal over the outlet. When the male connector is connected to a female connector, the tubular member establishes fluid communication between the connectors. In certain embodiments, fluid communication between the connectors may be interrupted even while the connectors are still connected. When the male connector is disconnected from the female connector, the sealing member reestablishes a seal over the outlet.

主权项

1. A male needleless connector, comprising:
a body defining a first portion of a fluid pathway; a tubular member extending in a distal direction away from the first portion and defining a second portion of the fluid pathway that when used with a female needleless connector is closer to the female needleless connector than the first portion, the tubular member including a fluid opening at its distal end; a collar at least partially surrounding the tubular member, the collar having internal threads to threadably engage with external threads of the female needleless connector and having external threads to threadably engage with internal threads of the body; and a sealing member at least partially surrounding the tubular member and being translatable relative to the tubular member; wherein the connector includes a closed configuration and an open configuration, the open configuration defined by rotation of the external threads of the collar relative to the internal threads of the body in a first direction and the closed configuration defined by rotation of the external threads of the collar relative to the internal threads of the body in a second direction, which is opposite the first direction, and in the closed configuration the sealing member covers the fluid opening and in the open configuration the sealing member permits fluid flow through the fluid opening.