Low profile gastrostomy device with one-way cross-slit valve
First Claim
1. A one-way cross-slit valve formed of an elastomeric material and comprising a foreshortened hollow cylindrical body having first and second ends, a body wall, and an axis and a passageway entirely through the body, the passageway being intercepted by and movement of any fluid therethrough controlled by a transversely extending continuous ridge and valley wall structure, there being two ridges extending substantially diametrically and intersecting at about the axis of the cylindrical body, the ridges constituting apices of folds in the ridge and valley wall structure, and the apices being both slit therethrough the wall at the intersection to provide a cross-slit, the ridge and valley wall structure being integrally formed with and circumferentially confined by the cylindrical body wall whereby the cylindrical body wall provides hoop strength confinement for the apices, and wherein said cross-slit is essentially coplanar with said cylindrical body second end.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The one-way cross-slit valve of the invention is made of an elastomeric material and has a hollow cylindrical body with first and second ends and an axis and a passageway through the body, the passageway being entirely intercepted by a ridge and valley wall or web structure integrally joined to the cylindrical body. There are just two ridges in the form of lands that extend diametrically and intersect at a right angle at about the axis of the valve body and are slitted at the intersection to provide duckbill valve action. The ridges constitute the apices of mutually intersecting partially folded wall portions that are V-shaped in section, the V'"'"'s spreading towards the first end where the intersecting walls join and form the valleys and the one-way action of the valve allowing fluid to move only towards the second end. The novel low profile gastrostomy tube combines a conventional dome and tubular shaft with the one-way cross-slit valve of the invention.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A one-way cross-slit valve formed of an elastomeric material and comprising a foreshortened hollow cylindrical body having first and second ends, a body wall, and an axis and a passageway entirely through the body, the passageway being intercepted by and movement of any fluid therethrough controlled by a transversely extending continuous ridge and valley wall structure, there being two ridges extending substantially diametrically and intersecting at about the axis of the cylindrical body, the ridges constituting apices of folds in the ridge and valley wall structure, and the apices being both slit therethrough the wall at the intersection to provide a cross-slit, the ridge and valley wall structure being integrally formed with and circumferentially confined by the cylindrical body wall whereby the cylindrical body wall provides hoop strength confinement for the apices, and wherein said cross-slit is essentially coplanar with said cylindrical body second end.
- 12. A gastrostomy tube comprising a tubular shaft having inner and outer ends and an apertured dome attached at and surrounding the inner end thereof and a one-way cross-slit valve mounted at an end thereof to intercept and control passage of fluid therethrough, the dome having an apex, a bottom wall surrounding the inner end of the tubular shaft and a defining sidewall and being substantially circular in section and the sidewall being substantially uniform in thickness from adjacent the apex to the bottom wall, the one-way cross-slit valve comprising a foreshortened hollow cylindrical body having first and second ends, a body wall and an axis and a passageway entirely through the body, the passageway being intercepted by and movement of any fluid therethrough controlled by a transversely extending continuous ridge and valley wall structure, there being two ridges extending substantially diametrically and intersecting at about the axis of the cylindrical body, the ridges constituting apices of folds in the ridge and valley wall structure, and the apices being both slit therethrough the wall at the intersection to provide a cross-slit, the ridge and valley wall structure being integrally formed with and circumferentially confined by the cylindrical body wall whereby the cylindrical body wall provides hoop strength confinement for the adieus, and, wherein said cross-slit is essentially coplanar with said cylindrical body second end.
Specification