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Publication Number
US-12239812-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
A one-piece medical connector has a unitary body. The unitary body includes a rigid portion that forms a housing. The unitary body also includes a resilient portion located at least partially within the housing. At least a movable portion of the resilient portion is configured to move relative to the rigid portion. Movement of the resilient portion selectively permits fluid flow through the connector. The rigid portion and the resilient portion form a one-piece unitary connector.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to producing a one-piece medical connector as a unitary body using additive manufacturing. The produced connector includes a rigid portion forming a housing and a resilient portion located at least partially within the housing, where the rigid portion and the resilient portion form a single piece. At least a movable portion of the resilient portion is configured to move relative to the rigid portion to selectively permit fluid flow through the medical connector.
A key aspect is that additive manufacturing deposits a first material and at least a second material to form the unitary body with rigid material properties, resilient material properties, and semi-rigid material properties. In some embodiments, a transition zone is formed between the rigid portion and the resilient portion, and the transition zone is made from a material blend of at least the first and second materials. The transition zone has material properties that differ from those of the rigid and resilient portions and is at least semi-rigid.
The invention further includes forming the unitary body by depositing layers during additive manufacturing, including first layers of a first material, at least one transition layer formed of a material blend of the first material and the second material, and second layers of the second material. The disclosed material-blend approaches include homogeneous material blend, a ratio transition blend, and an instantaneous transition blend.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent method claims. Across the independent claims, there are three main inventive elements: forming a one-piece medical connector via additive manufacturing with rigid and resilient material properties, configuring a movable resilient portion to selectively permit fluid flow relative to a rigid housing portion, and forming unitary structures that include transition behavior via blended material layers or a transition zone.
Additive manufacturing to form a unitary body with rigid, resilient, and semi-rigid material properties
Depositing a first material and at least a second material through additive manufacturing to form a unitary body having rigid material properties, resilient material properties, and semi-rigid material properties.
Single-piece medical connector with movable resilient portion
The medical connector comprising a rigid portion forming a housing, and a resilient portion located at least partially within the housing, where at least a movable portion of the resilient portion is configured to move relative to the rigid portion to selectively permit fluid flow, and the rigid portion and the resilient portion forming a single piece.
Transition zone formed from a material blend
A transition zone between a rigid portion and a resilient portion, where the transition zone is made from a blend of at least the first and second materials and has material properties different from those of the rigid and resilient portions.
Layered deposition with transition layer material blend
Depositing, using an additive manufacturing process, a plurality of first layers of a first material, depositing at least one transition layer formed of a material blend of at least the first material and a second material, and depositing a plurality of second layers of the second material, where the plurality of first layers, the at least one transition layer, and the plurality of second layers form a unitary body of the one-piece medical connector.
Additive manufacturing using specified techniques
Additive manufacturing is performed using at least one specified additive manufacturing technique selected from the listed group including Fused Deposition Modeling, stereolithography, powder bed and inkjet head 3D printing, selective laser melting, selective heat sintering, selective laser sintering, and direct metal laser sintering.
The independent claims cover producing a one-piece medical connector with a rigid housing portion and an internal resilient portion configured so a movable portion selectively permits fluid flow. The production is based on additive manufacturing that creates unitary structures with rigid and resilient material properties, optionally including a transition zone or transition layer formed from a blended material with distinct properties and at least semi-rigid behavior.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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