Adapters for use with an anesthetic vaporizer

Abstract

Adapters are provided for establishing fluid communication between an anesthetic agent container and an anesthetic vaporizer having a fluid port. The adapter may be mountable on the vaporizer to cooperate with the spout of an anesthetic agent container or may be mountable on an anesthetic agent container to cooperate with the fluid port of an anesthetic vaporizer to provide a sealing and/or retaining relationship therebetween.

1 . An adapter for establishing fluid communication between an anesthetic agent container and an anesthetic vaporizer, the adapter for use with a fluid port having first and second ends, a stem-like post disposed at the first end of the fluid port with a passage therethrough and a plurality of openings disposed about the post, the adapter comprising:
 a conduit having a passage sized to accept the stem-like post of the fluid port, a side wall disposed about the conduit and having an upper edge, and a bottom wall coupling the conduit and the side wall, the bottom wall having a plurality of openings disposed about the conduit to be aligned with the plurality of openings of the fluid port;   a seal disposed on the upper end of the side wall; and   a fastener to be disposed in the passage of the conduit and the passage of the stem-like post of the fluid port, the fastener having a passage therethrough.   
     
     
         2 . The adapter according to  claim 1 , wherein the conduit has a shoulder disposed at an end of the passage, the shoulder and a head of the fastener cooperating to couple the adapter to the fluid port with the fastener disposed in the passage of the stem-like post. 
     
     
         3 . The adapter according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the side wall has a groove defined therein, and at least a part of the seal is disposed in the groove. 
     
     
         4 . The adapter according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least a part of the seal is integrally molded with the upper edge of the side wall. 
     
     
         5 . An adapter for establishing fluid communication between an anesthetic agent container and an anesthetic vaporizer, the adapter comprising:
 a spout having an internal passage therethrough for receiving a stem-like conduit, and an external surface; and   a seal coupled to the external surface,   the seal comprising at least one annular projection integrally formed with and joined to the external surface of the spout, the at least one annular projection being disposed encircling the spout.   
     
     
         6 . The adapter according to  claim 5 , the spout having an open end, and the at least one annular projection disposed about the open end of the spout. 
     
     
         7 . The adapter according to  claim 5 , the at least one annular projection having a first end coupled to the open end of the spout, a second end spaced from the first end, and a wall that is tapered from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         8 . The adapter according to  claim 5 , the spout having an open end, and the at least one annular projection spaced from the open end of the spout. 
     
     
         9 . The adapter according to  claim 5 , the at least one annular projection comprising a plurality of spaced fins, each fin of the plurality of fins having a first end coupled to the external surface of the spout and a second end depending from the external surface of the spout. 
     
     
         10 . An adapter for establishing fluid communication between an anesthetic agent container and an anesthetic vaporizer, the adapter comprising:
 a spout having an internal passage therethrough for receiving a stem-like conduit, and an external surface,   the external surface having a first recess and a second recess formed therein, the first and second recesses spaced from each other; and   a seal comprising a seal wall having a first end and a second end,   the first end of the seal wall disposed in the first recess and the second end of the seal wall disposed in the second recess.   
     
     
         11 . The adapter according to  claim 10 , the wall having an arched shape between the first and second ends. 
     
     
         12 . The adapter according to  claim 10 , the external surface of the spout and the seal wall defining a space therebetween. 
     
     
         13 . The adapter according to  claim 10 , the wall having a convex external surface. 
     
     
         14 . An adapter for establishing fluid communication between an anesthetic agent container and an anesthetic vaporizer, the adapter comprising:
 a spout having an internal passage therethrough for receiving a stem-like conduit, and an external surface,   the spout having a first end and a second end; and   a seal comprising a sleeve, the sleeve having a sleeve internal surface disposed about the external surface of the spout,   the sleeve having a first end and a second end coupled to the external surface of the spout,   the first end depending a first distance longitudinally beyond the first end of the spout in a first, disengaged state, and the first end depending a second distance smaller than the first distance longitudinally beyond the first end of the spout in a second, engaged state, the sleeve internal surface spaced in part from the external surface of the spout in the engaged state.   
     
     
         15 . The adapter according to  claim 14 , the sleeve comprising at least one living hinge, the sleeve bending at the living hinge in the second, engaged state. 
     
     
         16 . The adapter according to  claim 14 , the sleeve having a region of reduced thickness, the sleeve bending at the region of reduced thickness in the second, engaged state. 
     
     
         17 . The adapter according to  claim 16 , the sleeve having at least three regions of reduced thickness, the sleeve bending at the at least three regions of reduced thickness in the second, engaged state. 
     
     
         18 . The adapter according to  claim 14 , wherein the second end of the spout has a recess defined in the external surface and the second end of the sleeve has a ridge depending radially inward, the ridge disposed within the groove to couple the second end of the spout to the second end of the sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . An adapter assembly for a vaporizer fluid port assembly, the vaporizer fluid port assembly having an elongated slot with a first end into which an anesthetic container spout may be advanced or withdrawn and a second end in which the motion of the spout towards or away from the slot is limited and a plate disposed over the slot, the adapter assembly comprising:
 a conduit disposed through the aperture in the plate, the conduit attached to the plate to limit the movement of the adapter assembly relative to the plate; and   a seal attached to the conduit,   the conduit disposed in a fluid port of the vaporizer fluid port assembly to dispose the seal at a particular location within the fluid port.   
     
     
         20 . The adapter assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the adapter assembly includes a tab, the tab attached to the conduit and to the plate to limit the movement of the conduit relative to the plate. 
     
     
         21 . The adapter assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the plate has a curvature and the tab has a curvature similar to the curvature of the plate. 
     
     
         22 . The adapter assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the tab has a tab aperture formed therethrough, the conduit having a first end aligned in the tab aperture and attached to the tab by at least one spacer such that the first end of the conduit is spaced from an inner edge of the tab aperture. 
     
     
         23 . The adapter assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the conduit has a second end, and the seal is attached to the second end of the conduit 
     
     
         24 . The adapter assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the seal is integrally molded with the second end of the conduit.