Positive flow valve

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.

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 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;    a rigid fluid conduit arranged along a axial centerline of the valve; and    a flow control member which is configured to cooperate with the fluid conduit to reversibly expand the fluid space when the seal element is in the second position and contract the fluid space when the seal element is in the first position, such that movement of the seal element from the second position to the first position transfers fluid away from the proximal end of the cavity.