Medical infusion set

Claim 2

A medical infusion set comprising in combination: a cannula having a sharpened front end and a rear end; a hub integrally connected to said cannula rearwardly of said sharpened front end; a flexible tube having one end portion connected to the rear end of said cannula for communicating liquid to and from said cannula for removing air during cannula-administration and for forming at least one flexible loop when packaged; said flexible tube having the other end portion opposite that connected to the rear end of said cannula for securement adjacent the sharpened end of said cannula when packaged; a tubular adapter connected to the other end portion of said flexible tube; and a tubular protector sleeve removably, telescopically connected to said tubular adapter and being substantially greater in cross section than said cannula, said protector sleeve projecting axially from said adapter and circumposed about said cannula, the terminal end of said sleeve circumposed about said cannula and said hub integral with said cannula being integrally connected by a manually frangible, thinned wall section whereby rupture thereof indicates sterile integrity of the infusion set, said medical infusion set including vent passage means for sterilizing the interior of said cannula, flexible tube and adapter.

Claim 3

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said hub has handle means connected thereto and said protector sleeve is optionally removable from said adapter for flushing liquid therethrough to remove residual air while the sleeve is still connected to said hub and protects said cannula subsequent to manual rupture of the thinned wall section, or alternatively manually separable from said hub whereby the cannula can be immediately administered so that the patient''s blood will flush residual air from the set prior to administration of a liquid to a patient through the set.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which said handle means includes normally generally diametrically opposed, flexible wings integral with the hub and foldable into juxtaposed relation to form a temporary, radially extending handle for facilitating administration of the cannula or rupture of said thinned wall section between said hub and protector sleeve, said wings being flexible for generally overlying the portion of a patient into which the cannula has been emplaced for securement to the patient and stabilizing the implanted cannula.

Claim 5

The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which said wings included interlockable structural portions interengageable when adjacent surfaces of the wings are manually juxtaposed for preventing relative movement therebetween when implanting the cannula or rupturing the protector sleeve and hub.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 4 in which the sharpened end of said cannula comprises an angular bevel defining a thin transverse sharpened edge relative to the direction toward which said cannula extends, said wings extending generally diametrically from said hub substantially parallel to the transverse direction of said angular bevel whereby the formation of the temporary radial handle orients the sharpened edge of the cannula in an optimum position for implantation.

Claim 7

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said cannula includes a collar permanently secured in abutting relation to a rear end portion of said hub for preventing the cannula from being accidentally pulled out of the hub, said flexible tube being telescoped over said collar and said hub and being permanently secured thereto.

Claim 8

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said flexible tube comprises at least one continuous loop portion internally sterilized, and a packaging band circumposed about said loop transversely to said loop for facilitating manipulation of the infusion set during administration.

Claim 9

The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said vent passage means comprises a tortuous sterilizing gas vent formed by cooperating portions between said protector sleeve and said adapter for internally sterilizing the infusion set while said set is formed as a continuous loop.

Claim 10

For use in a medical infusion set, a cannula having a sharpened end; a hub integrally joined to the cannula in spaced relation from said sharpened end, said hub including diametrically opposed wings integrally and flexibly connected thereto, said wings having a permanent set normally disposing them in generally coplanar relation for flexible engagement on a patient''s body for securement thereto after the cannula has been implanted, said wings being pivotal about the hub on an axis substantially parallel to said needle for forming juxtaposed, radially extending portions forming a temporary radial handle to assist in implanting the cannula in a patient, the improvement wherein said wings include portions forming mechanically interengageable portions for preventing relative movement between the wings when the wings are manually juxtaposed to form the temporary radial handle, said wings returning to generally diametrical opposed relation after no longer being manually juxtaposed; a flexible tube connected at one end to the cannula at the end opposite said sharpened end, said flexible tube including a tubular element at the end opposite that connected to said cannula; and a tubular protector sleeve having one end telescopically connected to said element and including an extension receiving said cannula therein, the terminal end of said protector sleeve in said hub including a manually rupturable, frangible portion whereby said protector sleeve can be manually separated from the hub to expose said cannula.

Claim 11

For use in a medical infusion set, a cannula having a sharpened end; a hub integrally joined to the cannula in spaced relation from said sharpened end, said hub including diametrically opposed wings integrally and flexibly connected thereto, said wings having a permanent set normally disposing them in generally coplanar relation for flexible engagement on a patient''s body for securement thereto after the cannula has been implanted, said wings being pivotal about the hub on an axis substantially parallel to said needle for forming juxtaposed, radially extending portions forming a temporary radial handle to assist in implanting the cannula in a patient, the improvement wherein said wings include portions forming mechanically interengageable portions for preventing relative movement between the wings when the wings are manually juxtaposed to form the temporary radial handle, said wings returning to generally diametrical opposed relation after no longer being manually juxtaposed; a flexible tube connected at one end to the cannula at the end opposite said sharpened end, said flexible tube including a tubular element at the end opposite that connected to said cannula; and a tubular protector sleeve having one end telescopically connected to said element and including an extension receiving said cannula therein, the terminal end of said protector sleeve in said hub including a manually rupturable, frangible portion whereby said protector sleeve can be manually separated from the hub to expose said cannula.

Claim 12

The structure as claimed in claim 9 including portions forming a tortuous vent passage communicating between the interior and exterior of said protector sleeve whereby the cannula, flexible tube and tubular element can be interiorally sterilized with a gaseous medium or the like and will so remain until the frangible portion is ruptured.

Claim 13

A medical infusion set comprising: a metal cannula with a passage extending betweEn a sharpened front end and a rear end; a thermoplastic hub injection molded around and forming a firm joint with the cannula behind its sharpened end and presenting a rearwardly facing shoulder spaced forward of the cannula''s rear end; a pair of flexible thermoplastic wings integrally molded with the hub and extending outwardly from opposite sides of the hub and adapted to be pinched together to form a handle; these wings having opposed faces with a series of upstanding ribs that are approximately parallel to the cannula and are formed in at least three rows approximately perpendicular to the cannula, the middle row of ribs being offset from the two adjoining rows of ribs, so the ribs can interlock when pinched together to prevent sliding of the wings relative to each other in either their longitudinal or lateral directions; a separate metal safety collar permanently swaged to the cannula''s outer surface adjacent its rear end; a flexible tube in the form of a loop with one end portion telescoped over the safety collar and bonded to the hub, so the safety collar can abut the hub''s shoulder to prevent the cannula from being pulled out of the hub in a forward direction even if the joint between the cannula and hub should loosen; a rigid hollow adapter connected to an opposite end portion of the flexible tube, with this adapter being of a substantially larger diameter than the cannula and positioned adjacent the sharpened front end of the cannula; a thermoplastic protector sleeve integrally molded with and joined at a frangible groove structure to the hub, the protector sleeve''s end at the groove structure having an internal diameter approximately the same as the cannula''s outer diameter, and the other end of the protector sleeve having a substantially larger opening wedgingly receiving the rigid adapter, there being a tortuous sterilizing gas vent between the protector sleeve and adapter for gas sterilizing internal surfaces of the infusion set while so connected; and the protector sleeve being removable from one of the adapter or cannula portions fitting within it, so such portion can connect to a liquid source to flush air out of the infusion set through the protector sleeve still fitting over the other portion.

Claim 14

A medical infusion set comprising: a metal cannula with a passage extending betweEn a sharpened front end and a rear end; a thermoplastic hub injection molded around and forming a firm joint with the cannula behind its sharpened end and presenting a rearwardly facing shoulder spaced forward of the cannula''s rear end; a pair of flexible thermoplastic wings integrally molded with the hub and extending outwardly from opposite sides of the hub and adapted to be pinched together to form a handle; these wings having opposed faces with a series of upstanding ribs that are approximately parallel to the cannula and are formed in at least three rows approximately perpendicular to the cannula, the middle row of ribs being offset from the two adjoining rows of ribs, so the ribs can interlock when pinched together to prevent sliding of the wings relative to each other in either their longitudinal or lateral directions; a separate metal safety collar permanently swaged to the cannula''s outer surface adjacent its rear end; a flexible tube in the form of a loop with one end portion telescoped over the safety collar and bonded to the hub, so the safety collar can abut the hub''s shoulder to prevent the cannula from being pulled out of the hub in a forward direction even if the joint between the cannula and hub should loosen; a rigid hollow adapter connected to an opposite end portion of the flexible tube, with this adapter being of a substantially larger diameter than the cannula and positioned adjacent the sharpened front end of the cannula; a thermoplastic protector sleeve integrally molded with and joined at a frangible groove structure to the hub, the protector sleeve''s end at the groove structure having an internal diameter approximately the same as the cannula''s outer diameter, and the other end of the protector sleeve having a substantially larger opening wedgingly receiving the rigid adapter, there being a tortuous sterilizing gas vent between the protector sleeve and adapter for gas sterilizing internal surfaces of the infusion set while so connected; and the protector sleeve being removable from one of the adapter or cannula portions fitting within it, so such portion can connect to a liquid source to flush air out of the infusion set through the protector sleeve still fitting over the other portion.