Tubing connector apparatus and method

Claim 1

A tubing connector comprising: a first coupling comprising: a diametrally enlarged, cylindrical first housing having an open end and a closed end; a first stub tube coaxial with the housing, the first stub tube being integral with the housing and providing fluid communication through the closed end of the first housing; and means accommodating attachment of the first coupling to one fluid conduit so as to provide fluid communication between the one fluid conduit and the first stub tubing; a second coupling comprising: a diametrally enlarged, cylindrical second housing having an open end and a closed end, the second housing accommodating matingly at its open end the open end of the first housing to thereby provide a sealed enclosure; a second stub tube coaxial with the second housing, the second stub tube being integral with the second housing and providing fluid communication through the closed end of the second housing; and means accommodating attachment of the second coupling to another fluid conduit so as to provide fluid communication between the other fluid conduit and the second stub tube; and the first housing and first stub tube of the first coupling being dimensionally configurated to telescopically mate with the second housing and second stub tube of the second coupling, respectively, the mated stub tubes providing fluid communication between the first and second tubing ends and the mated first and second housings isolating the mated stub tubes in a sealed, diametrally spaced annular enclosure.

Claim 15

A method for accommodating joinder and separation of first and second conduits while minimizing contamination, comprising the steps of: obtaining first and second conduits, an end of the first conduit being joined in fluid communication with an end of the second conduit through a connector comprising a first and a second coupling; affixing a first coupling to the end of the first conduit and a second coupling to the end of the second conduit, each coupling comprising a diametrally enlarged housing coaxial with a diametrally reduced stub tube; mating the stub tubes to provide fluid communication between the first and second conduits through the mated stub tubes while simultaneously isolating the mated stub tubes in a diametrally spaced enclosure formed by telescopically mating the housings; and tethering a closure to each of the couplings, each closure having a diametrally enlarged cap which is dimensionally configurated to telescopically mate with the other cap, each cap also being dimensionally configurated to telescopically mate with the housing of the coupling to which it is tethered, each closure having a coaxial plug within the cap for sealing the respective stub tube when the closure is mated with the coupling.

Claim 16

A method for accommodating joinder and separation of first and second conduits while minimizing contamination, comprising the steps of: obtaining first and second conduits, an end of the first conduit being joined in fluid communication with an end of the second conduit through a connector comprising a first and a second coupling; affixing a first coupling to the end of the first conduit and a second coupling to the end of the second conduit, each coupling comprising a diametrally enlarged housing coaxial with a diametrally reduced stub tube; mating the stub tubes to provide fluid communication between the first and second conduits through the mated stub tubes while simultaneously isolating the mated stub tubes in a diametrally spaced enclosure formed by telescopically mating the housings; and tethering a closure to each of the couplings, each closure having a diametrally enlarged cap which is dimensionally configurated to telescopically mate with the other cap, each cap also being dimensionally configurated to telescopically mate with the housing of the coupling to which it is tethered, each closure having a coaxial plug within the cap for sealing the respective stub tube when the closure is mated with the coupling.