Method of forming a connection between two sealed conduits using radiant energy

Abstract

A connection may be formed between sealed conduits in which each conduit carries an opaque, thermoplastic wall portion preferably having a melting range above essentially 200° C., preferably with the opaque thermoplastic wall portions being carried on the conduit about their periphery by transparent wall portions of the conduit. The opaque wall portions of the conduits are brought together into facing contact, and then exposed to sufficient .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy to cause the opaque wall portions to fuse together, and to open an aperture through the fused wall portions. This provides sealed communication between the interiors of the conduits.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. The method of forming a connection between sealed conduits, each conduit carrying an opaque, thermoplastic wall portion, which method comprises: bringing said opaque wall portions of said conduits together into facing contact, and .[.exposing said opaque wall portions to sufficient.]. .Iadd.applying sufficient electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy to cause said opaque wall portions to fuse together and to open an aperture through said fused wall portions, providing sealed communication between the interiors of said conduits.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 in which said opaque, thermoplastic wall portions are carried about their peripheries on said conduits by transparent, rigid housing portions of said conduits. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 in which the interiors of said conduits are sterile. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3 in which the melting temperature of said thermoplastic wall portion is at least 200 degrees C. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4 in which said housing portion defines means for generally permanent connection with an identical housing portion in a position to bring the respective opaque wall portions of said housing portions together into facing contact, to protect the fused, opaque wall portions from mechanical stress. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5 in which said .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy is infrared radiation. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 6 in which .[.the opaque, thermoplastic wall portions are exposed to.]. said infrared radiation .Iadd.is applied .Iaddend.for ten to twenty seconds. 
     
     
       8. A connector member for providing sealed sterile connection between containers, which connector member comprises a hollow, transparent housing adapted for connection to a first container, the hollow interior of said housing member being sealed from the exterior by housing walls, some of said housing wall comprising an opaque wall portion separating the hollow housing interior from the exterior, said opaque wall portion being sealed to the remainder of the transparent housing, said opaque wall portion being made of a thermoplastic material, and means for connecting said housing to a corresponding second, hollow, transparent, sealed housing which carries, as a part of .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.second housing.[.,.]. walls separating the second housing interior from the exterior, .Iadd.a .Iaddend.second opaque wall portion, said connection between the respective housings being adapted to bring the respective opaque wall portions together into facing contact, said opaque wall portions being adapted to facilitate the opening of an aperture upon heating said wall portions to the melting temperature by .[.means.]. .Iadd.the application .Iaddend.of .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy. 
     
     
       9. The sterile connection member of claim 8 in which said transparent housing defines an asymmetrically positioned bayonet member and an asymmetrically positioned slot member, said bayonet member being adapted to pass into a corresponding slot member of said second housing and said slot member being proportioned to receive a corresponding bayonet member from said second housing, to provide generally permanent connection between said housings. 
     
     
       10. The connector member of claim 9 in which said bayonet member carries a barb on one side thereof, and a reinforcement member is provided to restrict the movement of said bayonet member in the direction away from said one side. 
     
     
       11. The connector member of claim 10 in which said opaque, thermoplastic wall portion is made of material having a melting temperature of at least 200 degress C. 
     
     
       12. The connector member of claim 11 in which said transparent housing is in sealing communication with the end of flexible tubing for connection to a medical liquid container. 
     
     
       13. A blood bag which carries the connector member of claim 12. 
     
     
       14. A connector member which comprises first and second hollow, transparent, generally rigid housings connected in sealed, communicating relation with the ends of hollow, flexible tubing, the walls of said housings sealing the hollow interiors thereof from the exterior except through said flexible tube, a portion of each of the housing member walls comprising .Iadd.an .Iaddend.opaque wall .[.portions.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.sealed to the remainder of said transparent .[.housings.]. and in abutting contact with each other, said opaque wall .[.portions.]. .Iadd.portionof said first housing .Iaddend.being adapted to be brought into abutting relation with .[.an.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.opaque wall portion of .[.a similar connector member.]. .Iadd.said second housing .Iaddend.and adapted to facilitate the opening of an aperture through said abutting opaque wall portions upon heating said wall portions to the melting temperature by .[.means.]. .Iadd.the application .Iaddend.of .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy. 
     
     
       15. The connector member of claim 14 in which said opaque thermoplastic wall portions are made of a material having a melting temperature of at least 200 degrees C. 
     
     
       16. The connector member of claim 15 in which each transparent housing defines an asymmetrically positioned bayonet member and an asymmetrically positioned slot member, each bayonet member passing through the corresponding slot member of the other housing in retaining relationship thereto, to provide generally permanent connection between said housings. 
     
     
       17. The connector member of claim 16 in which each bayonet carries a barb on one side thereof, and a reinforcement member is provided to restrict the movement of said bayonet member in the direction away from said one side. 
     
     
       18. The connector member of claim 17 in which said opaque wall portions are stressed to facilitate the opening of an aperture through said wall portions upon heating said opaque wall portions to the melting temperature by .[.means.]. .Iadd.the application .Iaddend.of .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy. 
     
     
       19. The connector member of claim 8 in which said opaque wall portions are stressed to facilitate the opening of an aperture through said wall portions upon heating said opaque wall portions to the melting temperature by .[.means.]. .Iadd.the application .Iaddend.of .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy. 
     
     
       20. The method of opening a connection between sealed conduits within a transparent housing, said conduits being separated by opaque wall means positioned within said housing, comprising .[.exposing said opaque wall means to a source of.]. .Iadd.applying electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy .Iadd.from a source .Iaddend.positioned outside of said transparent housing of an intensity and duration sufficient to cause said opaque wall means to fuse and to open an aperture therethrough, providing communication between the interiors of said sealed conduits. 
     
     
       21. The method of forming a connection between sealed conduits in which each conduit is positioned within a separate, generally transparent housing which carries an opaque wall portion separing the interior of said housing from the exterior, which method comprises: bringing the opaque wall portions of the housing into facing contact, in which the facing opaque wall portions are surrounded by the respective housings, and .[.exposing said opaque wall portions to sufficient.]. .Iadd.applying sufficient electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy to cause said opaque wall portions to fuse together and to open an aperture through said fused wall portions, providing sealed communication between said conduits.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21 in which said opaque wall portions are made of a thermoplastic material, and are attached about their peripheries to said transparent housings, the .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy being adapted to pass through said transparent housings to said opaque wall portions. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22 in which the melting range of said thermoplastic wall portions includes a temperature of at least 200° C. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23 in which each generally transparent housing defines means for generally permanent connection with an identical housing in a position to bring the respective opaque wall portions of said housings together into said facing contact, to protect the fused opaque wall portions from a mechanical stress. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24 in which said .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy is infrared radiation. 
     
     
       26. A connector member for providing sealed connection between a pair of conduits which comprises transparent housing means enclosing a portion of said pair of conduits, and opaque wall means positioned within said housing means in communication with and to separate the respective conduits, said opaque wall means being adapted to facilitate the opening of an aperture upon heating said opaque wall means to the melting temperature by .[.means.]. .Iadd.the application .Iaddend.of .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy. 
     
     
       27. A connector member for providing sealed, sterile connection, said connector member comprising a pair of hollow, transparent housings, the hollow interiors of each of said housings being sealable from the exterior, some of the walls of each housing comprising an opaque wall portion separating the hollow housing interior from the exterior, said opaque wall portions being sealed to the remainder of said transparent housing, and means for connecting said housings together, said connection between the respective housings being adapted to bring the respective opaque wall portions together into facing contact, the opaque wall portions being adapted to facilitate the opening of an aperture upon heating said opaque wall portions to the melting temperature by .[.means.]. .Iadd.the application .Iaddend.of .Iadd.electromagnetic .Iaddend.radiant energy to fuse said opaque wall portions together to provide a connection between the interiors of the respective housings. 
     
     
       28. The connector member of claim 8 in which said thermoplastic material from which the opaque wall portions is made is a filled organic plastic formulation. .Iadd. 
     
     
       29.  A member comprising body means attachable to the end portion of a conduit, said body means being made of a material which is generally transparent to the passage of electromagnetic radiant energy, and means defining a meltable wall sealingly disposed on said body means and being made of a material which is generally opaque to the passage of electromagnetic radiant energy for normally sealing the conduit from communication with the atmosphere and for forming, in response to the application of electromagnetic radiant energy to melt said wall, an opening in said wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. A member according to claim 29 and further including means for bringing said meltable wall into facing contact with a corresponding meltable wall of a second member as defined by claim 29, and   wherein said opening in each of said meltable walls which is formed in response to said application of eletromagnetic radiant energy is disposed generally along the point of facing contact between said meltable walls. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. A member comprising body means attachable to the end portion of a conduit and being made of a material which is generally transparent to the passage of infrared radiation, and means defining a meltable wall sealingly disposed on said body means and being made of a material which is generally opaque to the passage of infrared radiation for normally sealing the conduit from communication with the atmosphere and for forming, in response to the application of infrared radiation to   
     
     
        melt said wall, an opening in said wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32.  A member according to claim 31 wherein the opaque material of said meltable wall is black in color. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. A member according to claim 31   and further including means for bringing said meltable wall into facing contact with a corresponding meltable wall of a second member as defined in claim 32, and   wherein said opening in each of said meltable walls which is formed in response to said application of infrared radiation is disposed generally along the point of facing contact between said meltable walls. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. A member according to claim 30 or 33   wherein said meltable wall includes at said point of facing contact a generally outwardly bowed portion to facilitate said facing contact. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. A member according to claim 29 or 31   wherein said body means includes body wall means defining a hollow interior adapted for communication with the conduit end portion, and   wherein said meltable wall extends in said hollow interior and is operative for normally sealing said hollow interior, and thus said conduit end   
     
     
        portion, from communication with the atmosphere. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36.  A member according to claim 35 wherein said body means includes passage means communicating with said hollow interior and adapted for attachment to the end portion of the conduit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. A member according to claim 35   wherein said meltable wall includes a disc-shaped member having a center portion which is thinner than its peripheral portions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. A member according to claim 37   wherein said meltable wall is sealed about said peripheral portions to said body wall means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.39. A member according to claim 29 or 31 wherein said meltable wall is made of material having a melting temperature of at least 200°C. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. A member according to claim 39 wherein said meltable wall is made of thermoplastic   
     
     
        material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41.  A member comprising body means being made of a material which is generally transparent to the passage of electromagnetic radiant energy and which defines a fluid passage attachable to a conduit for normally sealing the conduit from communication with the atmosphere and including means for forming on said body means a meltable surface made of a material which is generally opaque to the passage of electromagnetic radiant energy, said means being further operative for creating in response to the application of electromagnetic radiant energy to melt said surface, an opening in said body means through said surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.42. A member comprising body means being made of a material which is generally transparent to the passage of infrared radiation and defining a fluid passage attachable to a conduit for normally sealing the conduit from communication with the atmosphere and including means for forming on said body means a meltable surface being made of a material which is generally opaque to the passage of infrared radiation, said means being further operative for creating in response to the application of infrared radiation to melt said surface, an opening in said body means through said surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.43. A member according to claim 42 wherein the material of said meltable surface is black in color. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.44.  A member according to claim 41 or 42 wherein said wall means includes means for forming in said fluid passage a closed end portion, and   wherein said meltable surface is disposed generally adjacent to said closed end portion of said fluid passage. .Iaddend. .Iadd.45. An assembly for sealing and connecting the end portions of a pair of conduits, said assembly comprising   housing means having walls enclosing a hollow interior, said walls being made of a material having a first rate of absorption of electromagnetic radiant energy, said housing means further including spaced first and second passage means each communicating with said hollow interior and each adapted for communicating with a respective conduit end portion; and   meltable wall means extending across said hollow interior in the interval between said spaced first and second passage means, said meltable walls being made of a material having a second rate of absorption of electromagnetic radiant energy greater than said first rate and being operative for normally blocking flow communication between said first and second passage means through said hollow interior and for forming, in response to the application of electromagnetic radiant energy through said housing means walls to melt said meltable wall means, an opening establishing flow communication between said first and second passage   
     
     
        means through said hollow interior. .Iaddend. .Iadd.46.  A container comprising wall means defining an interior,   means defining a port communicating with said interior, and   conduit means communicating with said port and including body means being made of a material which is generally transparent to the passage of electromagnetic radiant energy and means defining a meltable wall sealingly disposed on said body means and being made of a material which is generally opaque to the passage of electromagnetic radiant energy for normally sealing said port, and thus said container interior, and for forming, in response to the application for electromagnetic radiant energy melt said wall, an opening in said wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.47. A container according to claim 46   and further including means for bringing said meltable wall into facing contact with a corresponding meltable wall associated with a second container having conduit means as defined by claim 46, and   wherein said opening in each of said meltable walls which is formed in response to said application of electromagnetic radiant energy is disposed generally along the point of facing contact between said meltable walls. .Iaddend. .Iadd.48. A container comprising   wall means defining an interior,   means defining a port communicating with said interior, and   conduit means communicating with said port and including body means being made of a material which is generally transparent to the passage of infrared radiation and means defining a meltable wall sealingly disposed on said body means and being made of a material which is generally opaque to the passage of infrared radiation for normally sealing said ort, and thus said container interior, and for forming in response to the application of infrared radiation to melt said wall, an opening in said   
     
     
        wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.49.  A container according to claim 48 and further including means for bringing said meltable wall into facing contact with a corresponding meltable wall associated with a second container having conduit means as defined by claim 62, and   wherein said opening in each of said meltable walls which is formed in response to said application of infrared radiation is disposed generally along the point of facing contact between said meltable walls. .Iaddend. .Iadd.50. A container according to claim 47 or 49   wherein said meltable wall includes at said point of facing contact a generally outwardly bowed portion to facilitate said facing contact. .Iaddend. .Iadd.51. A container according to claim 46 or 48 wherein said meltable wall is made of material having a melting temperature of at least   
     
     
        200° C. .Iadd.52.  A blood collection system comprising a blood collection subassembly for collecting blood from a donor,   a blood transfer subassembly for receiving a portion of the contents of said blood collection subassembly,   connector means communicating with each of said blood collection and said blood transfer subassemblies, each of said connector means including means defining a meltable wall made of an electromagnetic radiant energy absorbing material for normally sealing said associated subassembly from communication with the atmosphere and for forming, in response to the application of electromagnetic radiant energy to melt said wall, an opening in said wall,   means for coupling said connector means associated with said blood collection subassembly with said connector means associated with said blood transfer subsassembly with said respective meltable walls in facing contact,   said meltable walls being further operative, in response to the application of electromagnetic radiant energy when said connector means are coupled together, for jointly melting to form a common opening defining a fluid path between said blood collection and transfer subassemblies. .Iaddend. .Iadd.53. A blood collection system according to claim 52     wherein the electromagnetic radiant energy applied includes infrared radiation, and   wherein the material of said meltable wall of each said connector means is generally opaque to the passage of infrared radiation. .Iaddend. .Iadd.54. A blood collection system according to claim 52 or 53   wherein said meltable wall of each of said connector means is made of material having a melting temperature of at least 200° C. .Iaddend.