Pressure actuated catheter seal and method for the same

Abstract

A catheter includes a pressure actuated seal within a manifold. A catheter body is coupled with the manifold, and a manifold lumen and catheter lumen are configured to receive pressurized fluids. The pressure actuated seal includes a pressure actuated seal element having a seal element lumen. The seal element lumen is in communication with the manifold and catheter lumens. The pressure actuated seal element is deformable between an open configuration and a sealed configuration. In the sealed configuration, the pressurized fluid in the manifold presses on the pressure actuated seal element along a first seal face. The pressure actuated seal element compresses inwardly around the seal element lumen according to the pressure of the pressurized fluid. In the open configuration, the pressure actuated seal element relaxes in the absence of the pressurized fluid, and the seal element lumen is open and configured to allow passage of an instrument.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pressure actuated seal assembly comprising:
 a manifold including a seal cavity and a manifold lumen extending through the manifold and the seal cavity;   a pressure actuated seal element positioned within the seal cavity, the seal element includes:
 a first seal face in communication with the manifold lumen, 
 a second seal face opposed to the first seal face, and 
 a seal element lumen extending from the first seal face to the second seal face, wherein the seal element lumen is in fluid communication with the manifold lumen, 
 wherein at least the first seal face tapers from an intermediate seal portion toward a distal seal portion, and the first seal face has a greater area than a cross-section of the seal cavity; 
 wherein the pressure actuated seal element is deformable between an open configuration and a sealed configuration, wherein: 
 in the sealed configuration, pressurized fluid in at least the manifold lumen presses on the pressure actuated seal element along the first seal face, and the pressure actuated seal element compresses inwardly around the seal element lumen, and 
 in the open configuration, the pressure actuated seal element relaxes in an absence of the pressurized fluid, and the seal element lumen is open and configured to allow passage of an instrument therethrough. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pressure actuated seal assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second seal face tapers from an intermediate seal portion toward a proximal seal portion, and the seal cavity tapers from near the intermediate seal portion toward the proximal seal portion, and the tapered seal cavity is sized and shaped to receive the tapered pressure actuated seal element. 
     
     
         3 . The pressure actuated seal assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second seal faces are tapered at different angles relative to the seal element lumen. 
     
     
         4 . The pressure actuated seal assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second seal face has a greater area than the first seal face. 
     
     
         5 . The pressure actuated seal assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure actuated seal element includes a first seal portion including the first seal face, a second seal portion including the second seal face and a third seal portion intermediate to the first and second seal portions, and one or more of the first, second and third seal portions has a hardness different from another of the seal portions. 
     
     
         6 . A catheter assembly comprising:
 a self-sealing manifold including a seal cavity and a manifold lumen extending through the manifold and the seal cavity;   a tapered catheter body coupled with the self-sealing manifold, the tapered catheter body includes a taper over at least a portion of a catheter body length including a catheter distal portion, the tapered catheter body includes a catheter lumen in communication with the manifold lumen, wherein the manifold lumen and the catheter lumen are configured to receive pressurized fluids; and   the self-sealing manifold includes a seal assembly positioned within the seal cavity, the seal assembly sealing the manifold lumen and the catheter lumen near the self-sealing manifold in a presence of the pressurized fluids within at least one of the manifold lumen and the catheter lumen, wherein the seal assembly includes:
 a seal element within the seal cavity, the seal element including first and second seal faces, wherein at least the first seal face tapers from an intermediate seal portion toward a distal seal portion, and the first seal face has a greater area than a cross-section of the seal cavity, and the second seal face is coupled to the first seal face. 
   
     
     
         7 . The catheter assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the second seal face tapers from an intermediate seal portion toward a proximal seal portion, and the seal cavity tapers from near the intermediate seal portion toward the proximal seal portion, and the tapered seal cavity is sized and shaped to receive the tapered pressure actuated seal element. 
     
     
         8 . The seal assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second seal faces are tapered at different angles relative to the manifold lumen. 
     
     
         9 . The seal assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the second seal face has a greater area than the first seal face. 
     
     
         10 . The catheter assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the catheter distal portion includes one or more fluid passages, and a fluid is distributed from the one or more fluid passages when the pressurized fluids are received within the manifold and catheter lumens and the seal assembly seals the manifold lumen and the catheter lumen near the self-sealing manifold. 
     
     
         11 . The catheter assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more fluid passages include a plurality of fluid passages extending through a catheter sidewall. 
     
     
         12 . A catheter assembly comprising:
 a manifold, the manifold includes a manifold lumen having a manifold lumen perimeter, the manifold lumen extends through the manifold;   wherein the manifold includes an elongate seal cavity in communication with the manifold lumen, the elongate seal cavity extends longitudinally from a seal cavity proximal end to a seal cavity distal end, a seal cavity perimeter circumscribes the elongate seal cavity, and the seal cavity perimeter is larger than the manifold lumen perimeter;   a pressure actuated seal element within the elongate seal cavity, the seal element includes:
 a first seal face, 
 a second seal face opposed to the first seal face, and 
 a seal element lumen extending from the first seal face to the second seal face, the seal element lumen is in communication with the manifold lumen; 
   wherein at least the first seal face tapers from an intermediate seal portion toward a distal seal portion, and the first seal face has a greater surface area than a cross-section of the seal cavity.   
     
     
         13 . The catheter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second seal face tapers from an intermediate seal portion toward a proximal seal portion, and the seal cavity tapers from near the intermediate seal portion toward the proximal seal portion, and the tapered seal cavity is sized and shaped to receive the tapered pressure actuated seal element. 
     
     
         14 . The catheter assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second seal faces are tapered at different angles relative to the seal element lumen. 
     
     
         15 . The catheter assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the second seal face has a greater area than the first seal face. 
     
     
         16 . The catheter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure actuated seal element is configured to deform when an instrument is positioned within the seal element lumen and the pressurized fluid is within the manifold lumen, the seal element compresses inwardly and seals around the instrument. 
     
     
         17 . The catheter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein compressing the first seal face toward the second seal face compresses the pressure actuated seal element outwardly into sealing engagement with the seal cavity perimeter. 
     
     
         18 . The catheter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure actuated seal element includes a first seal portion including the first seal face, a second seal portion including the second seal face and a third seal portion intermediate to the first and second seal portions, and one or more of the first, second and third seal portions has a hardness different from another of the seal portions. 
     
     
         19 . The catheter assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the first seal portion includes a first portion hardness greater than a second portion hardness of the second seal portion, and the first portion hardness is greater than a third portion hardness of the first seal portion. 
     
     
         20 . The catheter assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the second portion hardness is greater than the third portion hardness.