Luer-receiving medical valve and fluid transfer method

Abstract

A medical valve is provided that includes a housing having a main conduit and a branch extending from the main conduit and in fluid communication with it. The bore of the branch has an elastomeric septum piston disposed therewithin and at least a portion of the elastomeric septum piston is movable by either compression or by a longitudinal advancement along the secondary bore towards the bore of the main conduit. In one embodiment, the septum piston is cylindrical and includes a centrally positioned slit. The bore of the branch includes two opposing projecting members along a distal portion of the bore which effectively narrow the diameter of the bore. When the elastomeric member is pushed from a proximal position to a distal position, it is transversely compressed by the projecting members to open the slit and allow fluid passage. After removal of the longitudinal displacement force the septum piston retracts away from the distal portion back to the proximal portion.

I claim:  
     
       1. A medical valve for selectively providing fluid communication between a primary fluid system and a secondary fluid system, the valve being selectively activated by a male luer having a distal end and an opening therethrough, the valve comprising: 
       a. a tubular housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end and a bore extending from said proximal end to said distal end, the bore defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal portion defined by cylindrical walls for receiving a male luer and a distal portion, the distal portion including at least one region having a narrower transverse width than said proximal portion,  
       b. an elastomeric septum piston defining a longitudinal axis and disposed within said bore, said septum piston having a perforation extending along the longitudinal axis of said septum piston, said perforation being closed when said septum piston is free from external compressive force, at least a portion of said septum piston being displaceable along the longitudinal axis of said bore from a first proximal position wherein said perforation is closed to a second distal position wherein said perforation is open, said septum piston being displaced by a distal end of a male luer when a male luer is inserted into said proximal portion, said septum piston in said second distal position being compressed by said region to open said perforation through said septum piston, and thereby to provide fluid communication from said opening, through said septum piston and into a primary fluid system.  
     
     
       2. The valve of claim  1  wherein said perforation is a slit. 
     
     
       3. The medical valve of claim  2  wherein said slit defines a long, transverse axis and wherein said region is defined by at least one projecting member, said member projecting in alignment toward said long transverse axis of said slit so that when at least said portion of said septum piston is longitudinally displaced along said bore and is compressed by said projecting member, said slit being shortened along said transverse axis by said compression so that said slit opens to provide a flow channel through said perforation to provide fluid communication from said open distal luer end through said septum piston. 
     
     
       4. A medical valve for receiving a  male luer having an open distal end and for selectively providing fluid communication, said valve comprising: 
       a. a male luer having a distal end and an opening therethrough;  
       b. a housing having a proximal end and a distal end and a bore, the bore defining a longitudinal axis and extending through said housing from said proximal end to  toward said distal end;  
       c. said housing including a proximal portion for receiving said male luer end and a distal portion;  
       d. a compressing member provided in said housing; 
       de. a an elastomeric  septum piston, formed at least in part from elastomeric material, disposed within said bore, the septum piston being moveable along the longitudinal axis of said housingbore from a proximal position adjacent said proximal portion to a distal position adjacent said distal portion, the septum piston having a sealed perforation extending through said septum piston, said distal regioncompressing member compressing at least one region of said septum piston lateral to said perforation when said septum piston is displaced by the distal end of said male luer from said proximal position into said distal position, said compression of said septum piston inducing an opening of said perforation through said septum piston.  
     
     
       5. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein said septum piston is sized to seal said bore. 
     
     
       6. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein at least a portion of said septum piston is generally cylindrical. 
     
     
       7. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein said compressing portion induces a compressing member,  said compressing member projecting into  projects within said bore. 
     
     
       8. The medical valve of claim  7  wherein said septum piston defines a longitudinal axis and wherein said compressing member compresses said at least one region of said septum piston transverse to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       9. The medical valve of claim  4 , wherein said region  compressing member comprises said bore having a region having variance in maximum dimension transverse to said axis, said septum piston defining a longitudinal axis and a maximum dimension transverse to said axis of said septum and wherein said maximum dimension of said septum piston is greater than the transverse dimension of said bore along said region. 
     
     
       10. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein said region  compressing member comprises said distal portion having a reduced maximum transverse dimension relative to said proximal portion. 
     
     
       11. A medical valve for the transfer of fluid from a fluid receptacle in fluid communication with a connection terminal having an open male end to a tubing system in fluid communication with a patient's blood vessel, the valve comprising: 
       a. an outer region support housing defining a longitudinal axis;  
       b. a lumen extending within said outer region support housing, said lumen having an inlet and an outlet;  
       c. flexible elastomeric occluding member for occluding said inlet, said flexible elastomeric occluding member having an outer face for contact with a male end of a connection terminal and further having a perforation therethrough, said perforation having an upper end adjacent said outer face, at least a portion of said flexible elastomeric occluding member being displaceable along said outer region support housing from a first position wherein said upper end of said perforation is closed to a second position wherein said upper end of said perforation is open;  
       d. at least one portion of said outer region support housing being sized and configured to narrow said lumen, said at least one portion functioning to compress said flexible elastomeric occluding member, displacement of said flexible elastomeric occluding member inducing compression of said perforation to open said perforation and to provide fluid communication between an open male end of a connection terminal and said outlet.  
     
     
       12. The medical valve of claim  11  wherein said flexible elastomeric occluding member has an elongated portion that is elongated in one dimension transverse to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       13. The medical valve of claim  11  wherein said perforation is a slit. 
     
     
       14. The medical valve of claim  11  wherein said outer region support housing includes at least one biasing portion projection from said outer region support housing, said flexible elastomeric occluding member engaging said biasing portion upon displacement of said flexible elastomeric occluding member into said second position to bias said flexible elastomeric occluding member and to thereby open said perforation. 
     
     
       15. A medical valve for selectively providing the communication between a primary fluid system and a secondary fluid system, the valve comprising: 
       a. a tubular housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end and a bore extending from said proximal end to said distal end, the bore defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion including at least one region having a narrower transverse width than said proximal portion,  
       b. an elastomeric septum piston defining a longitudinal axis and disposed within said bore, said septum piston having a perforation extending along the longitudinal axis of said septum piston, said perforation being closed when said septum piston is free from external compressive force, at least a portion of said septum piston being displaceable along the longitudinal axis of said bore from a first proximal position wherein said perforation is closed, to a second distal position wherein said perforation is open, said septum piston in said distal position being compressed by said region to open said perforation through said septum piston, and thereby to provide fluid communication between the primary and secondary fluid systems through said septum piston.  
     
     
       16. The medical valve of claim  15  wherein said perforation is a slit. 
     
     
       17. The medical valve of claim  16  wherein said slit defines a long, transverse axis and wherein said region is defined by at least one projecting member, said at least one projecting member projecting in alignment toward said long transverse axis of said slit so that when at least a portion of said septum piston is longitudinally displaced along said bore and is compressed by said at least one projecting member, said slit is shortened when so compressed so that said slit opens to provide a flow channel through said perforation. 
     
     
       18. The medical valve of claim  15  wherein said septum piston is generally cylindrical. 
     
     
       19. The medical valve of claim  15  wherein said tubular housing has a generally circular cross-section. 
     
     
       20. A medical valve of claim  1  wherein when the septum piston is in said second distal position, said perforation is substantially free from penetrating structure. 
     
     
       21. A medical valve of claim  4  wherein when the septum piston is in said distal position, said perforation is substantially free from penetrating structure. 
     
     
       22. A medical valve of claim  11  wherein when the septum piston is in said second, position said perforation is substantially free from penetrating structure. 
     
     
       23. A medical valve of claim  15  wherein when the septum piston is in said second distal position, said perforation is substantially free from penetrating structure. 
     
     
       24. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein said compressing member defines at least one contact portion for engaging and deflecting at least a portion of said septum piston. 
     
     
       25. The medical valve of claim  24  wherein said contact portion has a surface inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       26. The medical valve of claim  25 , wherein said surface is inclined toward the longitudinal axis of said bore. 
     
     
       27. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein a plurality of compressing members are provided in said housing. 
     
     
       28. The medical valve of claim  27  wherein said compressing members are spaced apart in a plane transverse to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       29. The medical valve of claim  28  wherein at least a portion of said septum piston is forcibly pressed against said compressing member when said septum piston is displaced into said distal position by said male luer. 
     
     
       30. The medical valve of claim  27  wherein there are two diametrically opposed compressing members. 
     
     
       31. The medical valve of claim  4  wherein at least a portion of a wall of said septum piston engages said compressing member when said septum piston is advanced from said proximal position to said distal position, said compressing member and said wall being sized and configured so that said compressing member exerts a pressing force lateral to said longitudinal axis against said wall to displace at least a portion of said wall when said septum piston is advanced from said proximal position to said distal position thereby inducing dilation opening of said perforation. 
     
     
       32. The medical valve of claim  4 , wherein said perforation comprises a slit defined between opposing internal walls, said internal walls of said slit contacting each other when said septum piston is in said proximal position and wherein said compressing member and said septum piston are sized and configured such that said internal walls are deflected away from each other by said pressing force when said septum piston is in said distal position. 
     
     
       33. The medical valve of claim  32 , wherein said slit is substantially free from penetrating structure when said septum piston is in said distal position. 
     
     
       34. A medical valve for receiving a male luer end, comprising: 
       
         a. a housing defining proximal end and a distal end and a bore defining a longitudinal axis and extending through said housing from said proximal end toward said distal end,  
       
       
         b. a piston including an elastomeric outer face, said piston being displaceable alone said longitudinal axis from a proximal position to a distal position, said piston in said proximal position being disposed with said face adjacent said proximal end, said piston having a slit extending through said face, said slit defining opposing slit walls, said piston further including at least one elastomeric wall extending generally longitudinally thereof, lateral to said slit walls,  
       
       
         c. at least one rigid member positioned adjacent said elastomeric wall and extending generally longitudinally within said housing, said rigid member and said elastomeric wall being sized and configured so that when said piston is advanced along said bore, said rigid member exerts pressing force against at least one region of said elastomeric wall to displace at least a portion of said elastomeric wall in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of said slit to thereby separate said slit walls to dilate said slit and to provide fluid communication from said male luer end through said valve. 
       
     
     
       35. The method for selectively providing fluid communication through a medical valve, comprising: 
       
         providing a male luer having a distal end and an opening therethrough;  
       
       
         providing a medical valve including:  
       
       
         a housing having a proximal end and a distal end and a bore, the bore defining a longitudinal axis and extending through said housing from said proximal end toward said distal end, said housing including a proximal portion for receiving said male luer end and a distal portion,  
       
       
         a septum piston, formed at least in part from elastomeric material, disposed within said proximal portion of said bore, the septum having a sealed slit extending through said septum piston, and  
       
       
         a plurality of rigid members disposed in said bore of said housing for engaging a corresponding plurality of portions of said septum piston;  
       
       
         contacting a proximal end of said septum piston with said distal end of said male luer;  
       
       
         displacing said male luer so as to displace said septum piston in contact therewith along the longitudinal axis of said bore from a proximal position adjacent said proximal portion to a distal position adjacent said distal portion; and  
       
       
         applying a compressing force against said portions of said septum piston with said rigid members during said displacing step, thereby opening and dilating said slit, and thereby providing fluid communication through said valve. 
       
     
     
       36. The method of claim  35 , wherein said step of providing a medical valve comprises providing a medical valve wherein said rigid members each define at least one wedge portion having a surface inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim  36 , wherein said compressing step includes forcibly wedging at least a portion of said septum piston about said rigid members when said septum piston is displaced into said distal position by said male luer. 
     
     
       38. The medical valve of claim  34  wherein said at least one rigid member and said at least one elastomeric wall are sized and configured such that said compressing force is directed toward said slit when said piston is advanced to said distal position. 
     
     
       39. A medical valve for receiving a male luer end, comprising: 
       
         a. a housing defining a proximal end and a distal end and a bore defining a longitudinal axis and extending through said housing from said proximal end toward said distal end,  
       
       
         b. a piston including an elastomeric outer face, said piston being displaceable along said longitudinal axis from a proximal position to a distal position, said piston in said proximal position being disposed with said face adjacent said proximal end, said piston having a slit extending through said face, said slit defining opposing slit walls, said piston further including at least one elastomeric wall extending generally longitudinally, lateral to said slit walls,  
       
       
         c. a plurality of rigid members provided within said bore and defining inwardly facing ramps, said rigid members and said piston being sized and configured so that when said piston is advanced along said bore, said rigid members exert a pressing force against a plurality of regions of said piston to transversely displace said regions to thereby separate said slit walls to open said slit and to provide fluid communication from said male luer end through said valve. 
       
     
     
       40. The medical valve of claim  39  wherein said rigid members are integrally formed on an inner wall of said housing defining said bore.