Catheter valve
First Claim
1. An intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:
- a catheter hub having first and second ends and an interior hub chamber which is opened at its first end and is perpherally bounded by a chamber wall;
elongated flow passage means having a near end disposed within said hub chamber and terminating in a remote end beyond said second end of said hub, said near end of said flow passage means being spaced from said chamber wall and having a first pre-determined cross-sectional configuration;
a valve member disposed in said hub chamber about said flow passage means at said near end of said flow passage means for blocking flow between said hub chamber and said near end of said flow passage means, said valve member being made of self-sealing resilient material which permits a needle to be inserted and then withdrawn from a puncture in said valve member from said open end of said hub chamber without destroying the flow blocking capability of said valve member, said valve member having a second pre-determined cross-sectional configuration which is larger than said first pre-determined cross-sectional configuration of said near end of said flow passage means in order to permit the valve member to be forced axially along the outside of said flow passage means with said near end extending through a puncture in said valve member;
bias means for urging said valve member axially toward said open end of said hub;
a needle and needle holding unit adapted to be inserted into said hub chamber from said open end with said needle extending through a puncture in said valve member and through said flow passage means to beyond the remote end of said flow passage means, said needle holding unit including a substantially transparent flashback chamber for receiving blood from said puncture via said needle; and
adaptor means adapted to be inserted into said open end of said hub for delivering fluid through said flow passage means after said needle and needle holder unit has been removed, said adaptor means comprising a supply passage having a cross-sectional configuration which is larger than said first pre-determined cross-sectional configuration but smaller than said second pre-determined cross-sectional configuration, whereby forcing said supply passage over said near end of said flow passage means forces said valve member axially in opposition to said bias means along said flow passage means with the near end of said flow passage means projecting into said supply passage through the puncture in said valve member through which said needle had been extended.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An intravenous catheter assembly includes a valve located in the catheter hub and made of needle-penetrable self-sealing material such as rubber. The valve is biased to a closed position wherein it surrounds an inlet end of a hollow elongated insert disposed in the hub. The insert is in flow communication with a catheter tube and serves as an outer sleeve for an insertion needle which is inserted through a puncture in the valve to pass through the insert and catheter tube. Upon removal of the needle the valve puncture self-seals. The valve is larger than the flow passage opening of a standard Luer tapered male fitting which, when inserted into the hub, axially translates the valve along the insert until the insert projects through the valve puncture and into the Luer male fitting flow passage. The positional bias for the valve is provided by a helical spring disposed about the insert by extending an integral part of the valve as an axially compressible resilient sleeve surrounding the insert.
428 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An intravenous catheter assembly, comprising:
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a catheter hub having first and second ends and an interior hub chamber which is opened at its first end and is perpherally bounded by a chamber wall; elongated flow passage means having a near end disposed within said hub chamber and terminating in a remote end beyond said second end of said hub, said near end of said flow passage means being spaced from said chamber wall and having a first pre-determined cross-sectional configuration; a valve member disposed in said hub chamber about said flow passage means at said near end of said flow passage means for blocking flow between said hub chamber and said near end of said flow passage means, said valve member being made of self-sealing resilient material which permits a needle to be inserted and then withdrawn from a puncture in said valve member from said open end of said hub chamber without destroying the flow blocking capability of said valve member, said valve member having a second pre-determined cross-sectional configuration which is larger than said first pre-determined cross-sectional configuration of said near end of said flow passage means in order to permit the valve member to be forced axially along the outside of said flow passage means with said near end extending through a puncture in said valve member; bias means for urging said valve member axially toward said open end of said hub; a needle and needle holding unit adapted to be inserted into said hub chamber from said open end with said needle extending through a puncture in said valve member and through said flow passage means to beyond the remote end of said flow passage means, said needle holding unit including a substantially transparent flashback chamber for receiving blood from said puncture via said needle; and adaptor means adapted to be inserted into said open end of said hub for delivering fluid through said flow passage means after said needle and needle holder unit has been removed, said adaptor means comprising a supply passage having a cross-sectional configuration which is larger than said first pre-determined cross-sectional configuration but smaller than said second pre-determined cross-sectional configuration, whereby forcing said supply passage over said near end of said flow passage means forces said valve member axially in opposition to said bias means along said flow passage means with the near end of said flow passage means projecting into said supply passage through the puncture in said valve member through which said needle had been extended. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification