Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to connectors for use in body
liquid drainage or irrigation systems, and re particularly to
an adapter which facilitates the communication of a catheter with `
one or more items employed in conjunction with the catheter. ~ -
In various medical and surgical procedures the distal
end of a catheter is introduced into a body cavity or fluid path-
way (e.g., the urinary ureter) and the proximal end of the cathe-
ter is to be connected to one or more items (e.g., a receptacle ~-
for collecting the liquid, a syringe or other fluid delivery
means for accomplishing irrigation or applying medication, etc.).
It is a principle object of the present invention to
provide an improved adapter in which various catheters may be
retained in a firm, leak-proof engagement and which provides a
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convenient communication with other items. Additionally, it is
an object to provide such an adapter which achieves a substanti- --
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` ally leak proof communication between the catheter proximal end
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and an irrigation fluid delivery means so that it is not neces-
sary to insert a portion of the delivery means into the catheter
itself (and thus a smaller diameter catheter may be employed in
various procedures).
i~ To achieve these and other objects as shall further
appear, the invention features a catheter adapter for establish-
ing communication between a catheter and another item, the adap-
` ter comprising a body member having a fir~t recess for receiving
; a catheter, said recess being defined at least in part by a plur-
ality of coaxial cylindrical surfaces of diameters corresponding
to a plurality of different standard catheter outer diameters.
! A second member, formed from a resilient material, engages the
body member and has an opening therethrough for admitting a cath-
eter to the first recess, the opening being coaxial with the
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above mentioned cylindrical surfaces and having a diameter, when
the resilient material is unstressed, which is no greater than
the diameter of the smallest of the cylindrical surfaces in the
first recess. Those cylindrical surfaces are arranged according
to size with the largest diameter cylindrical surface being dis-
posed closest to the opening in the second member.
Preferably, the body member is formed from a rigid
material and the first recess includes an additional cylindrical
surface adjacent an end of the adapter, the second member com-
prising an elastomeric plug member which engages that additional
cylindrical surface; the plug member is formed from an elastic
material and the opening therein is counter-sunk to facilitate
insertion of a catheter therethrough; a second recess is provided
coaxial with the cylindrical surfaces of the first recess; a
third recess is provided which links the second recess with the
exterior of the adapter, the third recess having an axis which
makes an acute angle with the axis of the second recess; one of
the second and third recesses is tapered to accommodate a stand-
ard syringe luer; the body member is formed from a transparent
plastic material; and the plug member includes an integral web
to which is secured a secondary plug for blocking said second
recess when not in use.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention
will appear from the following description of particular preferred
embodiments taken together with the accompanying drawings. In
the drawings:
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a catheter adapter;
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the adapter
interconnecting a catheter and a drainage tube;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with a syringe
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luer also being received in the adapter for injecting a fluid ~.
into the catheter;
Figures 4 and 5 are views, similar to Figures 2 and 3,
of an alternative adapter embodiment; and
Figures 6 and 7 are partially broken away side eleva- -
tions of still other alternative adapter embodiments.
Referring to Figure 1, the adapter comprises a trans-
i parent plastic rigid body member 10 and a second resilient mem-
; ber 12 in the form of a rubber plug insertable into a first
recess 14 within the body member 10. The recess 14 is defined, ~ .
in part, by a series of coaxial adjacent cylindrical surfaces 16,
which define axis 18, and perpendicular step surfaces 17. . ~ .
A larger cylindrical surface 20 adjacent an open end
. 22 of the body member 10 receives a central portion 24 of plug
; 12. Integral circumferential ridges 26 of the central portion
24 are sized to provide for a snug leak-proof engagement with
the surface 20. The plug also includes an integral outer annu-
lar portion 28 disposed exterior of the body member 10 and ~.
engageable with integral beads 30 on the exterior surface of the
body member 10 adjacent the end 22 to further assure a snug fit
and leak-proof seal of the plug 12 with the body member 10. An
opening 32, having a counter-sunk portion 34, is provided in the
central portion 24 of plug 12 and is aligned with the axis 18.
.~: Also integral with the plug 12 are web 36 and secondary plug 38, ~;
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the purpose of which is further discussed below. ~:
l: The rigid body member 10 also includes a second recess
; 40 which is coaxial with axis 18 and which tapers from a larger -~
i diameter adjacent end 42 of the member 10 to a smaller diameter
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adjacent the first recess 14. A stop surface 44 is disposed
generally perpendicular to the axis 18 at the end of recess 40
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adjacent recess 14. The size and taper of recess 40 and the
size of surface 44 are chosen to accommodate the size and shape
of a stahdard syringe luer, as further discussed below.
A third recess 46 is provided in the body member 10
which communicates with the second recess 40. The recess 46 has
an axis 48 which intersects the axis 18 in an acute angle A. A
connector portion 50 is provided at the exterior end of recess
46.
The operation of this adapter may be described with
reference to Figures 2 and 3. As shown in Figure 2, a standard
ureteral catheter 52 whose distal end (not shown) has been
inserted into the patient's ureter has its proximal end 54 passed
through t~e opening 32 in plug 12 and positioned within the
recess 14 being engaged by the appropriately sized surfaces 16
and 17. The catheter is thus supported firmly at two locations.
The various pairs of surfaces 16 and 17 are sized to accommodate
the various standard French catheter sizes which typically differ ~ -
by mere thousandths of an inch in outer diameter. (The diameter
increments between adjacent surfaces 16 have been exaggerated in
the drawing for clarity.) The opening 32 is sized to receive the
smallest French size catheter in a leak-proof fit but is expand-
able, owing to the resilient nature of the material of plug 12,
to accommodate the larger sizes for which the adapter is intended.
With the secondary plug 38 engaging the end 42 of body
member 10 to block the second recess 40, fluid delivered from
the catheter 52 will pass through third recess 46 to a conven-
tional drainage line 55 which may be secured to the connector por-
tion 50. When it is required to irrigate the catheter, or force
liquid through the catheter to alleviate a blocked condition in
the catheter, or to apply medication or a radio-opaque dye to
the body cavity through the catheter, the secondary plug 38 may
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be removed to expose the second recess 40 and the luer 58 of a
syringe 60 inserted therein. The end surface 56 of the luer will
abut the stop surface 44 and the tapering side wall of the luer
will block the recess 46 thereby eliminating the need for a sepa-
rate plug for the recess 46, or clamping of the drain line 55.
The fluid 62 may then be forced from the syringe and into the
catheter 52. Because of the relatively snug fit of the luer 58
ir, the recess 40 and against surface 44 and the catheter end 54
in the appropriate surfaces 16, 17, there will be little, if any,
leakage of fluid, or loss of pressure, as fluid is forced from
the syringe 60 and into the catheter 52. Upon completion of the
introduction of fluid to the catheter 52, the syringe 60 may be
removed and the secondary plug 38 replaced in its original posi- -
tion.
In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 the second recess
40 provides communication with the drainage line 55 and the third,
angled, recess 46 receives the syringe luer 58. When irrigation
, is being done (Figure 5), a clamp 64 is placed on the drainage
line 55. A plug 66 blocks recess 46 when that recess is not in
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use (Figure 4).
For various medical and surgical procedures certain
features of the adapter described above would not be required
and of course could be omitted. Thus, for example, in retrograde
pyelography where typically a small urine sample is to be col- :
lected followed by an injection of radio-opaque dye, the recess
46 and secondary plug 38 would become superfluous since, as .
shown in Figure 6, a vial 68 for collecting the urine sample is ::
to be connected directly to the open end 42 of the adapter and ~ :
can be supported by the bead 43. Upon collection of the sample,
the vial would be immediately replaced by a syringe for injection
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of dye, the syringe being received in recess 40 as has been
shown in Figure 3.
Where drainage alone is required, the adapter may take
the form illustrated in Figure 7 where the connector 50 for drain-
age line 55 surrounds an extension 70 of recess 40. .
While particular preferred embodiments of the inven- :
tion have been illustrated in the accompanying drawing and des- :~
cribed in detail herein, other embodiments are, of course, within
. the scope of the invention and the following claims.
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