A pressure actuated flow control valve for an infusion catheter permits gravity flow of a liquid through the catheter and into a patient while resisting back flow of blood from the patient and into the catheter. The valve has a hemispherical body with an outstanding circumferential flange and a norm
A pressure actuated flow control valve for an infusion catheter permits gravity flow of a liquid through the catheter and into a patient while resisting back flow of blood from the patient and into the catheter. The valve has a hemispherical body with an outstanding circumferential flange and a normally closed, diametric slit. The slit is longer on the convex outer surface than on the concave inner surface. Dome thickness diminishes in the area adjacent the slit, reducing total apical deflection upon collapse of the slit toward the concave surface. An inner orthogonal rib biases the slit closed. Upon application of a predetermined pressure, the slit opens toward the concave surface to permit forward fluid flow. At lower pressures, the slit closes to check fluid flow. Greater reverse pressure is required to collapse the slit toward the concave surface to permit reverse fluid flow.
대표청구항▼
1. A method of controlling fluid flow in opposite infusion and aspiration directions through an intravascular device including a catheter, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a pressure-actuated valve component for use in IV therapy, said valve component comprising: a housing including spa
1. A method of controlling fluid flow in opposite infusion and aspiration directions through an intravascular device including a catheter, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a pressure-actuated valve component for use in IV therapy, said valve component comprising: a housing including spaced apart intravenous fluid ports operable to be fluidly coupled to the catheter, with a fluid passageway extending between the ports to present a passageway axis, anda valve body being disposed within the fluid passageway and including a flexible arcuate wall that presents a convex surface and an opposite concave surface, with the convex surface facing the infusion direction and the concave surface facing the aspiration direction,said arcuate wall including a slit extending between the surfaces,said arcuate wall flexing to open the slit in response to an infusion fluid pressure differential across the wall, wherein the pressure against the concave surface is greater than the pressure against the convex surface,said arcuate wall flexing to open the slit in response to an aspiration fluid pressure differential across the wall, wherein the pressure against the convex surface is greater than the pressure against the concave surface,said valve body including a rib projecting from the concave surface in a generally orthogonally extending relationship to the slit;fluidly coupling the valve component with the catheter;introducing a forward fluid flow through the valve component to create said infusion fluid pressure differential across the arcuate wall, such that upon a pressure against the concave surface of the arcuate wall being approximately greater than a predetermined fluid cracking pressure of the arcuate wall, said slit flexing distally to open; andterminating the forward fluid flow through the valve component, such that upon the pressure against the concave surface dropping below the predetermined fluid cracking pressure, the rib serves to bias the slit proximally into a closed, flow-blocking position. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluidly coupling the valve component with the catheter is done by a method comprising: grasping the valve component;aligning said fluid ports of the valve component with the catheter; androtating the valve component while pushing the valve component into a portion of the catheter until the valve component is frictionally engaged to an interior portion of the catheter; andwherein the manipulating the intravascular device to introduce a forward fluid flow through the valve component is done by a method comprising:connecting a fluid source to the valve component; andinitiating a fluid flow from the fluid source into the valve component by a method selected from the group consisting of removing a stopcock, removing a clamp, and actuating a pump,wherein said fluid flow exerts a pressure against the concave surface of the valve. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: introducing a rearward fluid flow through the valve component to create said aspiration fluid pressure differential across the arcuate wall, such that upon a pressure against the convex surface of the arcuate wall being approximately greater than a predetermined fluid collapsing pressure of the arcuate wall, said slit flexing proximally to open,wherein upon the slit flexing proximally to open, a limited portion of the arcuate wall flexes proximally, and the entire arcuate wall does not invert proximally,wherein the rib serves to bias the slit distally into said closed, flow-blocking position,wherein the introducing is done via method comprising: inserting a distal end of a needle portion of a syringe into a portion of the valve component; andwithdrawing a portion of a plunger from within the syringe, wherein the withdrawing creates a negative pressure within the valve component; andterminating the rearward fluid flow through the valve component, such that upon the pressure against the convex surface dropping below the predetermined fluid cracking pressure, the rib serves to bias the slit proximally into a closed, flow-blocking position. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said rib includes a pair of ends convergent with the concave surface of the arcuate wall,wherein said rib has a depth that diminishes as the ends are approached,wherein said rib further includes a pair of sides, and said depth of the rib diminishes as the sides are approached. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the infusion fluid pressure differential is approximately the pressure provided by the force of gravity from an elevated fluid reservoir,wherein the aspiration fluid pressure differential is greater than the infusion fluid pressure differential. 6. The method of claim 1, said arcuate wall presenting a general apex and a lower edge generally opposite said apex, wherein said thickness of the arcuate wall increases as the lower edge is approached, such that said arcuate wall has a thickness that diminishes apically,wherein the apically diminishing thickness of the arcuate wall serves to prevent the entire arcuate wall inverting proximally upon rearward fluid flow through the valve component. 7. The method of claim 6, said slit intersecting said convex surface to form a convex arc having a convex arc length, said slit intersecting said concave surface to form a concave arc having a concave arc length, said convex arc length being greater than said concave arc length, with the slit presenting termination ends that are each at an oblique angle relative to the passageway axis, said slit intersecting the rib and extending along the arcuate wall radially outwardly from the rib relative to the axis so that the slit termination ends are spaced from the rib. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the apically diminishing thickness of the arcuate wall and the convex arc length being greater than the concave arc length serve to bias the slit proximally upon termination of the forward fluid flow through the valve component. 9. The method of claim 8, said slit having first and second ends each terminating at an end wall having a thickness and sidewalls extending circumferentially about said concave and convex surfaces of the wall of said valve, said sidewalls each having a circumferential and axial length,wherein when said slit is at a rest or neutral state, said first and seconds ends are each non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the passageway axis and said sidewalls are in contact with each other at a majority of points along their respective circumferential and axial lengths,said slit intersecting the rib and extending along the arcuate wall radially outwardly from the rib relative to the passageway axis so that the slit termination ends are spaced from the rib. 10. A method of controlling fluid flow in opposite infusion and aspiration directions through an intravascular device including a catheter, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a pressure-actuated valve component for use in IV therapy, said valve component comprising: a housing including spaced apart intravenous fluid ports, at least one of which is operable to be fluidly coupled to the catheter, with a fluid passageway extending between the ports to present a passageway axis; anda valve body disposed within the fluid passageway,said valve body having opposing proximal and distal sections, wherein said proximal section is oriented towards an aspiration direction, and said distal section is oriented towards an infusion direction,said distal section of the valve body being generally arcuate, such that a generally convex surface of said arcuate distal section faces the infusion direction, and a generally concave surface of said arcuate distal section faces the aspiration direction,said arcuate distal section of the valve body having a general proximal end and a general distal end,said arcuate distal section of the valve body including at least one slit at the general distal end and extending between the convex and concave surfaces for the flow of fluid through said slit,said slit opening in response to an infusion fluid pressure differential between the concave and convex surfaces of the distal section of the valve body, wherein the pressure against the concave surface is greater than the pressure against the convex surface,said slit opening in response to an aspiration fluid pressure differential between the concave and convex surfaces of the distal section of the valve body, wherein the pressure against the convex surface is greater than the pressure against the concave surface,said arcuate distal section of the valve body having a thickness between the convex and concave surfaces,said thickness of the arcuate distal section of the valve body increasing from the general distal end of said distal section of the valve body and towards the general proximal end of said distal section of the valve body;fluidly coupling the valve component with the catheter;introducing a forward fluid flow through the valve component to create said infusion fluid pressure differential across the arcuate wall, such that upon a pressure against the concave surface of the arcuate wall being approximately greater than a predetermined fluid cracking pressure of the arcuate wall, said slit flexing distally to open; andterminating the forward fluid flow through the valve component, such that upon the pressure against the concave surface dropping below the predetermined fluid cracking pressure, the rib serves to bias the slit proximally into a closed, flow-blocking position. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said fluidly coupling the valve component with the catheter is done by a method comprising: grasping the valve component;aligning said fluid ports of the valve component with the catheter; androtating the valve component while pushing the valve component into a portion of the catheter until the valve component is frictionally engaged to an interior portion of the catheter; andwherein the introducing a forward fluid flow through the valve component is done by a method comprising: connecting a fluid source to the valve component; andinitiating a fluid flow from the fluid source into the valve component by a method selected from the group consisting of removing a stopcock, removing a clamp, and actuating a pump,wherein said fluid flow exerts a pressure against the concave surface of the valve. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of: introducing a rearward fluid flow through the valve component to create said aspiration fluid pressure differential across the arcuate wall, such that upon a pressure against the convex surface of the arcuate wall being approximately greater than a predetermined fluid collapsing pressure of the arcuate wall, said slit flexing proximally to open,wherein upon the slit flexing proximally to open, a limited portion of the arcuate wall flexes proximally, and the entire arcuate wall does not invert proximally,wherein the rib serves to bias the slit distally into said closed, flow-blocking position,wherein the introducing is done via method comprising: inserting a distal end of a needle portion of a syringe into a portion of the valve component; andwithdrawing a portion of a plunger from within the syringe, wherein the withdrawing creates a negative pressure within the valve component; andterminating the rearward fluid flow through the valve component, such that upon the pressure against the convex surface dropping below the predetermined fluid cracking pressure, the rib serves to bias the slit proximally into a closed, flow-blocking position. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein said rib includes a pair of ends convergent with the concave surface of the arcuate wall,wherein said rib has a depth that diminishes as the ends are approached,wherein said rib further includes a pair of sides, and said depth of the rib diminishes as the sides are approached. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the infusion fluid pressure differential is approximately the pressure provided by the force of gravity from an elevated fluid reservoir,wherein the aspiration fluid pressure differential is greater than the infusion fluid pressure differential. 15. The method of claim 10, said arcuate wall presenting a general apex and a lower edge generally opposite said apex, wherein said thickness of the arcuate wall increases as the lower edge is approached, such that said arcuate wall has a thickness that diminishes apically, wherein the apically diminishing thickness of the arcuate wall serves to prevent the entire arcuate wall inverting proximally upon rearward fluid flow through the valve component. 16. The method of claim 15, said slit intersecting said convex surface to form a convex arc having a convex arc length, said slit intersecting said concave surface to form a concave arc having a concave arc length, said convex arc length being greater than said concave arc length, with the slit presenting termination ends that are each at an oblique angle relative to the passageway axis, said slit intersecting the rib and extending along the arcuate wall radially outwardly from the rib relative to the axis so that the slit termination ends are spaced from the rib. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the apically diminishing thickness of the arcuate wall and the convex arc length being greater than the concave arc length serve to bias the slit proximally upon termination of the forward fluid flow through the valve component. 18. The method of claim 16, said slit having first and second ends each terminating at an end wall having a thickness and sidewalls extending circumferentially about said concave and convex surfaces of the wall of said valve, said sidewalls each having a circumferential and axial length,wherein when said slit is at a rest or neutral state, said first and seconds ends are each non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the passageway axis and said sidewalls are in contact with each other at a majority of points along their respective circumferential and axial lengths,said slit intersecting the rib and extending along the arcuate wall radially outwardly from the rib relative to the passageway axis so that the slit termination ends are spaced from the rib.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (2)
Atkinson Gordon E. (Cedarville OH) Solomon Thomas J. (Centerville OH), Medical coupling site valve body.
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