Patents by Inventor Kenneth W. Whitley

Kenneth W. Whitley has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9861803
    Abstract: A catheter adapter assembly includes an adapter body and a slider body. The adapter body includes a distal end portion configured to receive a catheter, a coupling disposed on the distal end portion, and a fitting on the proximal end portion. The slider body is disposed about the adapter body and axially slides along the adapter body. The slider body includes a release, a latch disposed at a distal end of the release, and a flexing portion disposed at a proximal end of the release. The slider body also includes compression element that compresses the tubular catheter receiver in response engagement of the latch and the coupling. A catheter adapter system comprising the catheter adapter assembly and a nest that holds the catheter adapter assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20170128667
    Abstract: A valve apparatus includes a body including a first wall and a second wall, a chamber defined within the body, a valve member positioned in the chamber, a first conduit defined within the body to extend through the first wall and configured to be in fluid communication with the chamber and a source of fluid, a second conduit defined within the body to extend through the first wall and configured to be in fluid communication with the chamber and a source of vacuum pressure, and an actuator operatively connected to an end of the valve member extending through the body from the chamber. The actuator may position the valve member within the chamber to selectively form a first flow path with the first conduit that extends through the chamber and the second wall, and a second flow path with the second conduit that extends through chamber and the second wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20150265777
    Abstract: A safety needle device includes a housing with a needle and stylet located therein. The needle includes an elongate needle portion with a distal tip. The stylet includes an elongate stylet portion with a distal tip. The safety needle device also includes a compression spring and a sliding member coupled to the needle. A method of navigating the safety needle device toward a point is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Kenneth W. WHITLEY, Sanjib Das ADHIKARY
  • Publication number: 20150148747
    Abstract: A catheter adapter assembly includes an adapter body and a slider body. The adapter body includes a distal end portion configured to receive a catheter, a coupling disposed on the distal end portion, and a fitting on the proximal end portion. The slider body is disposed about the adapter body and axially slides along the adapter body. The slider body includes a release, a latch disposed at a distal end of the release, and a flexing portion disposed at a proximal end of the release. The slider body also includes compression element that compresses the tubular catheter receiver in response engagement of the latch and the coupling. A catheter adapter system comprising the catheter adapter assembly and a nest that holds the catheter adapter assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Kenneth W. WHITLEY
  • Patent number: 8241268
    Abstract: A self-sealing male Luer connector attaches to any standard female Luer valve to open a flow channel between the two. The self-sealing male Luer connector includes a rigid housing having a distal end with a rigid male Luer connector and a proximal end at which a proximal seal is formed. The distal end of the housing includes a valve seat. Located within the housing is a resilient biasing member that biases an actuator into contact with the valve seat to prevent fluid flow through the male connector. Upon engagement with a female connector, the actuator is moved in the proximal direction to open the distal valve and then the proximal seal. A partial vacuum is formed within the male connector upon disengagement with the female connector that draws any fluids on the external surface of the distal end of the male Luer connector into the male tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Patent number: 7993328
    Abstract: A self-sealing male Luer connector attaches to any standard female Luer valve to open a flow channel between the two. The self-sealing male Luer connector includes a rigid housing having a distal end with a rigid male Luer connector and a proximal end at which a proximal seal is formed. The distal end of the housing includes a valve seat. Located within the housing is a resilient biasing member that biases an actuator into contact with the valve seat to prevent fluid flow through the male connector. Upon engagement with a female connector, the actuator is moved in the proximal direction to open the distal valve and then the proximal seal. A partial vacuum is formed within the male connector upon disengagement with the female connector that draws any fluids on the external surface of the distal end of the male Luer connector into the male tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Patent number: 7900659
    Abstract: A pressure-equalizing vial access device and method providing closed and sealed reconstitution of vial contents. A rigid container with a fixed internal volume is connected with a vent lumen extending into the vial. As pressure in the vial increases, the pressure is equalized with atmospheric pressure by varying the volume of a compartment within the rigid container. The compartment is formed with a volume control device that automatically varies the volume of the compartment in the rigid container to accommodate and equalize the pressure in the vial by increasing or decreasing the volume of the compartment. In one case the volume control device comprises a sliding disk and in another, a bladder that compresses with an increase in volume in the container and expands with a decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Whitley, John C. Phillips
  • Patent number: 7766897
    Abstract: A cap for use in priming a medical connector that has a distal end at which is disposed a distal connection tip with an aperture through which fluid may flow, and the connector having an internal valve. The cap has a reservoir device with an internal volume and a first opening at a proximal end that is connected with the aperture of the connection tip. The reservoir has a second opening at which is disposed an hydrophobic filter for allowing gases to vent to the atmosphere while retaining liquid in the reservoir device. Over the reservoir device is mounted a slidable housing device used to activate the internal valve of the connector to a flow configuration at which fluid flows from the connector into the reservoir device. The user monitors the reservoir device and when gas has been vented so that only liquid remains, the user slides the housing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Carefusion 303, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Ramsey, Kenneth W. Whitley, John C. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20100004634
    Abstract: A self-sealing male Luer connector attaches to any standard female Luer valve to open a flow channel between the two. The self-sealing male Luer connector includes a rigid housing having a distal end with a rigid male Luer connector and a proximal end at which a proximal seal is formed. The distal end of the housing includes a valve seat. Located within the housing is a resilient biasing member that biases an actuator into contact with the valve seat to prevent fluid flow through the male connector. Upon engagement with a female connector, the actuator is moved in the proximal direction to open the distal valve and then the proximal seal. A partial vacuum is formed within the male connector upon disengagement with the female connector that draws any fluids on the external surface of the distal end of the male Luer connector into the male tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: Cardinal Health 303, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Patent number: 7449331
    Abstract: The invention provides a roller bottle for cell growth culturing including a plurality of axial pleats therearound for increasing cell growth surface area and further including circumferential ribs integrally formed therewith for reinforcing the pleated wall structure. These circumferential ribs prevent the bottle walls from bowing outward when the inside of the bottle becomes pressurized during cell growth culturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20080142388
    Abstract: A pressure-equalizing vial access device and method providing closed and sealed reconstitution of vial contents. A rigid container with a fixed internal volume is connected with a vent lumen extending into the vial. As pressure in the vial increases, the pressure is equalized with atmospheric pressure by varying the volume of a compartment within the rigid container. The compartment is formed with a volume control device that automatically varies the volume of the compartment in the rigid container to accommodate and equalize the pressure in the vial by increasing or decreasing the volume of the compartment. In one case the volume control device comprises a sliding disk and in another, a bladder that compresses with an increase in volume in the container and expands with a decrease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Whitley, John C. Phillips
  • Patent number: 7247471
    Abstract: A roller bottle is provided with a bottom wall, a top wall and a cylindrical side wall extending between the bottom and top walls. The top wall includes an opening to provide access to the interior of the roller bottle. The cylindrical side wall of the roller bottle is formed with at least one spiral pleat extending substantially from the bottom to the top for increasing cell growth surface area and for facilitating the flow of liquid to all interior surface areas of the bottle as the bottle is rolled about its longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventors: Anne M. Kadar, Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Patent number: 7163115
    Abstract: A two-piece cap assembly for closing an opening in a neck portion of the container is provided that includes a cap body having a top wall and a depending annular skirt for screw attachment to the neck portion of the container. A plug seal is attachable to the underside of the top wall of the cap body. The plug seal and the cap body are relatively rotatably coupled for independent rotation of the cap body with respect to the plug seal upon attachment and detachment of the cap to the neck portion of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Patent number: 6939516
    Abstract: A multi-well plate cover and assembly comprises a lid and a gasket. The lid is formed of a resilient material and configured to apply a compressive spring force to the surface of the gasket to seal the wells in a multi-well plate when the cover is secured to the multi-well plate. The lid has members for mechanical manipulation and for attachment to the multi-well plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventors: John P. Hall, Andrew P. Muser, Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20040241836
    Abstract: A roller bottle is provided with a bottom wall, a top wall and a cylindrical side wall extending between the bottom and top walls. The top wall includes an opening to provide access to the interior of the roller bottle. The cylindrical side wall of the roller bottle is formed with at least one spiral pleat extending substantially from the bottom to the top for increasing cell growth surface area and for facilitating the flow of liquid to all interior surface areas of the bottle as the bottle is rolled about its longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Anne M. Kadar, Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20040211747
    Abstract: A roller bottle is provided with a bottom wall, a top wall and a cylindrical side wall extending between the bottom and top walls. The top wall includes an is opening to provide access to the interior of the roller bottle. The cylindrical side wall of the roller bottle is formed with a helical pleat extending substantially from the bottom to the top for increasing cell growth surface area and for facilitating the flow of liquid to all interior surface areas of the bottle as the bottle is rolled about the axis of the side wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20040191895
    Abstract: The invention provides a roller bottle for cell growth culturing including a plurality of axial pleats therearound for increasing cell growth surface area and further including circumferential ribs integrally formed therewith for reinforcing the pleated wall structure. These circumferential ribs prevent the bottle walls from bowing outward when the inside of the bottle becomes pressurized during cell growth culturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20040101955
    Abstract: A container for cell growth culturing is provided that includes at its bottom end a neck-receiving recess having a planar wall with projecting ribs extending therefrom to space the planar wall from the neck of an adjacently stacked similar container. The ribs of the inventive container allow gas exchange with the inside of an adjacently-stacked similar container provided with a gas-permeable membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Publication number: 20040099629
    Abstract: A two-piece cap assembly for closing an opening in a neck portion of the container is provided that includes a cap body having a top wall and a depending annular skirt for screw attachment to the neck portion of the container. A plug seal is attachable to the underside of the top wall of the cap body. The plug seal and the cap body are relatively rotatably coupled for independent rotation of the cap body with respect to the plug seal upon attachment and detachment of the cap to the neck portion of the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley
  • Patent number: D482795
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Whitley