Positive flow valve

• US 20060200090A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alison D. Brummett, Bruce M. Hubrecht, David C. Arnold, Dennis M. Bui, George A. Lopez, Thomas F. Fangrow Jr, Thomas J. Gustus
• Original Assignee: Alison D. Brummett, Bruce M. Hubrecht, David C. Arnold, Dennis M. Bui, George A. Lopez, Thomas F. Fangrow Jr, Thomas J. Gustus
• Inventors: Brummett, Alison D., Fangrow, Thomas F. Jr., Lopez, George A., Arnold, David C., Hubrecht, Bruce M., Bui, Dennis M., Gustus, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US11/417,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200090A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/246
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/0072 Means for increasing tightness of the septum, e.g. compression rings, special materials, special constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/263 where the fluid space within the valve is decreasing upon disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/266 where the valve comprises venting channels, e.g. to insure better connection, to help decreasing the fluid space upon disconnection, or to help the fluid space to remain the same during disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/267 having a sealing sleeve around a tubular or solid stem portion of the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/045 pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/26 Valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof check valves A61M39/24

Abstract

A closed system, spikeless, positive-flow valve device includes a body defining an internal cavity. At the proximal end of the body is an opening which is preferably sufficiently large to receive an ANSI standard tip of a medical implement. The valve includes a plastic, resilient silicon seal which fills the upper cavity and opening with an oval seal cap having a slit. The opening presses the oval seal cap to keep the slit closed in the decompressed state. The slit opens as the nose of the medical implement compresses the seal into the cavity and the seal cap is free from the opening. The housing also includes a fluid space which facilitates fluid flow between the medical implement and a catheter tip. The fluid space within the valve automatically and reversibly increases upon insertion of the medical implement into the cavity and decreases upon withdrawal of the medical implement, such that a positive flow from the valve toward the catheter tip is effected upon withdrawal of the medical implement, thereby preventing a flow of blood from a patient into the catheter when the medical implement is removed from the valve.

Claims

1. A positive flow medical valve comprising a body including a wall structure defining an internal cavity having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end having an opening sufficiently large to receive a delivery end of a medical implement which is configured to transfer fluid through the delivery end;

a resilient seal element which is adapted to be moved into a second position upon insertion of a delivery end of a medical implement into said opening and returns to a first position upon removal of the delivery end, the seal element in the first position having a section which fills essentially completely a portion of the cavity adjacent the opening, with the seal element section bearing against the wall structure near the opening to impede fluid flow through the opening, and in the second position the seal element section being pushed by the delivery end of the medical implement away from the opening and into the cavity, the seal having a hollow interior and including an orifice in the seal element section, the orifice configured to be substantially open in the first position and substantially closed in the second position;

a fluid space including at least a portion of the hollow interior and disposed at least partially in the cavity; and

a flow control member which reversibly contracts the fluid space when the seal element is in the first position and expands the fluid space when the seal element is in the second position.