Importance

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Abstract

A method for securing the connection of a medical tube to a port of a fluid transfer instrument. The method provides connections with superior resistance to unexpected disconnection, and thus is particularly beneficial for joining elastic tubes which are implanted within the body for conducting body fluid from one internal location to another or between the body and an external location. The novel method includes inserting a rigid nipple on the port into the lumen of an elastically deformable tube to be joined to the port, placing an initially loose fitting, nonelastically deformable sleeve around the tube on the nipple, and deforming the sleeve radially toward the nipple to clamp the tube between the sleeve and nipple. The extent of deformation is controlled to prevent damaging the tube. A tool for clamping the sleeve to a controlled extent of deformation is also provided. The invention further provides novel medical tube couplings which include nonelastically deformable sleeves for clamping a tube to a nipple. The novel couplings are incorporated in medical tube connectors for splicing together tubes. The method and articles of this invention are preferably useful in ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedures. A shunt tube connector has been discovered which obviates the need to tie an intradural ligature around a tube joint of a proximal catheter for draining cerebrospinal fluid from a ventricle of the brain. Medical tube couplings of this invention are preferably made of titanium containing metal to provide radio-opacity without interfering with magnetic resonance imaging.

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First Claim