Value Plastics Introduces New Tubing Connectors

Value Plastics has introduced a new line of tubing connectors known as the BPL series. They are offered as an alternative to Luer fittings, a standard tubing connector prevalent in medical devices, largely due to its ease of use and affordability. The common use for Luer fittings pose the risk of tubing misconnections in healthcare environments. In April 2006, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert titled "Tubing misconnections—a persistent and potentially deadly occurrence" that offered strategies for healthcare organizations to reduce risk and called upon manufacturers to redesign products to prevent misconnections. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also recently released a new draft guidance document for manufacturers of Luer and other connector technology. As a result, companies have been searching for new solutions to replace older connection technology.

The BPL series of connectors incorporates a quarter-turn design that is commonly used in blood pressure applications blood pressure cuffs in particular. The line has winged male fittings and a snap-on design, designed to make it easier to know that the tubing is securely in place. The company claims these features are critical in fast-paced critical medical environments that require rapid connections made without hesitation, in dark rooms, and in situations where a physician may have ill-fitting gloves.

According to the company, the BPL series has a true tube stop on the rotating half of the two connectors. This is meant to allow the tubing to be fully assembled onto the barb without its edge pushing against the shroud of the connector. It is this contact that hampers the rotation of the barb, causing the tubing to kink and twist. The connectors also include an O-ring that provides a tight seal, and barb sizes of 1/8 inch (3.2 millimeters) and 5/32 inch (4 millimeters). The medical-grade acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material is designed to withstand bulk sterilization processes and holds up under demanding application conditions.

Value Plastics, a Nordson Corporation Company, manufactures and markets a line of fluid management components designed specifically for flexible tubing. Products include quick connect fittings, Luer fittings, check valves, tube-to-tube fittings, threaded fittings and blood pressure monitoring components. The company is based in Fort Collins, Colo.