Dispensing systems and devices having anti-clogging spray tips for dispensing two or more fluids that react together

Inventors

Trezza, II, Michael J. • Ghodbane, Salim A. • Guo, Jianxin

Assignees

Ethicon Inc

Abstract

A spray tip for dispensing fluids that react together includes a first lumen for a first fluid, a second lumen for a second fluid, and a dispensing cap located at distal ends of the respective first and second lumens and defining a distal end of the spray tip. The dispensing cap includes a distal end wall defining a closed end of the dispensing cap, a first spray opening formed in the distal end wall that is in fluid communication with the first lumen, a second spray opening formed in the distal end wall that is in fluid communication with the second lumen, and an external dividing wall that projects distally from the distal end wall of the dispensing cap and that extends between the first and second spray opening for forming a barrier between the first and second spray openings.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an anti-clogging dual-fluid medical spray tip for dispensing fluids that react together. It addresses clogging where tissue sealant components coagulate rapidly in conventional spray tips used in minimally invasive surgery, and it delivers a first fluid and a second fluid through separate lumens and separately formed spray orifices so that the fluids are kept separate until after dispensing.

A dispensing cap at the distal ends of the first and second lumens defines two spray orifices formed in a distal end wall. An external dividing wall integrally formed with the distal end wall projects distally and extends between the first and second spray orifices to form a barrier between the spray openings at the outer surface of the distal end wall, and the first and second fluids chemically react together for the first time only after being dispensed from their respective spray orifices and flowing distally beyond the distal end of the external dividing wall.

The dispensing cap further includes an internal dividing wall located inside a cylindrical shaped body to divide an interior region of the dispensing cap into a first chamber and a second chamber. Each chamber is in fluid communication with its corresponding lumen through first and second radial openings, and distinct internal fluid regions or pathways can be formed within the distal end wall, including swirl chambers and flutes configured for fluid rotation prior to dispensing through each spray orifice.

The structural separation can also include raised mounds around each spray orifice that project distally from the outer surface of the distal end wall, and in one configuration each raised mound includes a hydrophobic surface. Optional flow-control can include one-way check valves to prevent backflow that could clog the orifices, and the broader dispensing device includes connector, gasket, tip housing, inner manifold, and dispensing cap components to keep the fluids separated through the device.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims identify a dual-lumen spray tip with an external dividing wall that prevents premature interaction of two reacting fluids, plus a distal dispensing-cap structure that partitions interior regions into first and second chambers. Across the independent claims, the coverage includes five main inventive features: separate lumens with corresponding spray orifices, an external dividing wall barrier, raised mound geometry, an internal dividing wall with first and second chambers, and distinct internal fluid pathway structures.

Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on keeping first and second reacting fluids separated by using first and second lumens and corresponding spray orifices in a dispensing cap with an external dividing wall barrier. The claims further require that chemical reaction occurs only after dispensing and distal flow beyond the external dividing wall, while the dispensing cap internal structure includes an internal dividing wall forming first and second chambers via radial openings. Dependent claim refinements add raised mound features, hydrophobic raised mounds, and distinct internal fluid pathways that can include swirl chambers and flutes for each fluid stream.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications