ICU Medical has filed a patent for a catheter hub assembly that includes a septum and septum retainer to prevent rotation. The patent also includes a claim for a vent cap that can be shifted between a storage position and a venting position. The vent cap includes a nose, a push plate with a vent aperture, and resilient engagement arms to grip the housing of a needleless connector. GlobalData’s report on ICU Medical gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on ICU Medical, wearable infusion devices was a key innovation area identified from patents. ICU Medical's grant share as of September 2023 was 54%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A catheter hub assembly with a vent cap
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230310801A1) describes a vent cap that can be attached to a needleless connector. The vent cap is designed to shift between a storage position and a venting position. It includes a nose that can be inserted into the housing of the needleless connector when in the venting position. The vent cap also has a push plate with a vent aperture and resilient engagement arms that grip the housing of the needleless connector, biasing the vent cap to the storage position.
In the storage position, the distal end of the nose is in contact with a flexible compressible seal that covers an internal conduit in the housing of the needleless connector. When the vent cap is shifted to the venting position, the distal end of the nose compresses the seal, exposing the internal conduit and allowing fluid to pass from the conduit to the vent path.
Shifting the vent cap from the storage position to the venting position is achieved by actively depressing the push plate in the distal direction relative to the needleless connector, causing the nose to be partially inserted into the housing and purging trapped air from the vent cap. The resilient engagement arms are forced apart during this process and return to their original shape when the push plate is released, biasing the vent cap back to the storage position.
The vent cap can be removed from the needleless connector after use. The nose of the vent cap includes an internal wall that defines a vent path, which extends from the distal end to the vent aperture on the push plate. An air permeable barrier is positioned in the vent path to allow gas to vent out of the vent aperture as fluid fills the vent path.
The wall of the vent path is constructed of a transparent or translucent material, providing a flashback indication as fluid flows into the vent path. Additionally, the vent cap includes an eyelet on the vent path wall, which allows for the venting of air between the vent path and the exterior of the vent path wall.
The patent also describes a closed system catheter assembly that includes the catheter hub, a needleless connector, and the vent cap. The vent cap operates in the same manner as described above, allowing for the venting of air and fluid flow within the catheter assembly.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies
