Intravascular valve component with improved valve positioning
Inventors
Winsor, Chris • Dikeman, W. Cary • Smith, Larry C.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9352143-B2
Publication Date
2016-05-31
Expiration Date
Abstract
An intravascular valve component broadly includes a valve case and a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve. The valve case includes attached proximal and distal case portions that present respective spaced apart fluid ports and a fluid passageway extending between the ports. The flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve is disposed within the fluid passageway and includes a slitted central valve wall and an annular flange surrounding the central valve wall. The annular flange includes a radially-extending flange wall and a projection extending axially from the flange wall, with the projection engaging one of the case portions to restrict radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an intravascular valve component for catheter infusion/aspiration that mitigates blood reflux and addresses alignment and squirm issues by seating a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve within a valve case. The valve case includes proximal and distal case portions configured to be coupled together and presenting spaced apart fluid ports with a fluid passageway extending between the ports along a valve axis when the case portions are coupled together. The flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve is axially positioned within the fluid passageway to control fluid flow therethrough.
The valve includes a dome-shaped valve wall presenting a proximal section, a distal section, a concave surface, a convex surface, and an apex positioned at the distal section. The dome-shaped valve wall includes a slit to allow fluid flow through the valve, and the valve is configured to selectively open and close dependent on a pressure presented against the respective concave and convex surfaces due to the fluid flow through the valve. The valve further includes an annular flange at the proximal section of the dome-shaped valve wall.
To seat and retain the valve, the annular flange carries an axially-extending, arcuate and symmetrical valve-seating projection along an axis parallel to the valve axis. A projection-receiving opening in one of the case portions is complementally shaped to the valve-seating projection so that interfitting the projection and the opening substantially restricts radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case and coaxially aligns the valve with the case portion to position the valve wall concentrically within the fluid passageway. The case portions are then attached to hold the valve between the attached case portions, with the flange positioned to cooperate with the case portions to maintain the seated alignment and retention.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim clm-00001 is a method of seating a valve in an intravascular valve component. The claim set includes one independent method claim and dependent refinements (clm-00002 through clm-00007) that add additional seating interfaces and geometry/constraint limitations.
Coaxial seating by interfitting a valve-seating projection with a complementally shaped projection-receiving opening
Interfitting the valve-seating projection of the flange of the valve with the projection-receiving opening of the case portion to substantially restrict radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case and to coaxially align the valve with the case portion to thereby position the valve wall concentrically within the fluid passageway.
Flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve with dome-shaped wall and slit
Providing a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve for axially positioning within the fluid passageway to control fluid flow therethrough, where the valve includes a dome-shaped valve wall with a concave surface and convex surface and an apex at the distal section, and where the distal section of the valve wall includes a slit to allow the fluid flow through the valve; the valve selectively opens and closes dependent on a pressure presented against the respective concave and convex surfaces due to the fluid flow through the valve.
Valve retention by attaching proximal and distal case portions
Positioning the valve within the fluid passageway; and attaching the proximal and distal case portions to thereby hold the valve between the attached case portions.
Complementary second valve-seating projection and second projection-receiving opening
Defining a first and a second valve-seating projection and corresponding first and second projection-receiving openings with complementary shapes so the second projection is received and held in the second opening.
Flange compression via opposed generally planar flange-receiving surfaces
Providing generally planar proximal and distal flange-receiving surfaces on the case portions and generally planar proximal and distal flange surfaces so that the flange is received between them and compressed via majority-area contact.
Radial expansion enabled by uncompressed flange diameter less than outermost chamber diameter
Providing an axially-extending annular flange received in a valve chamber such that an uncompressed flange diameter dimension along the edge is less than the outermost chamber diameter dimension, thereby allowing radial expansion as the flange is compressed.
Generally hemispherical valve wall geometry
Defining the valve wall as generally hemispherical in shape.
Endless annular seating projection and opening circumscribing the proximal-most end
Defining the valve-seating projection as an endless annular projection and the projection-receiving opening as an endless annular opening, where the valve-seating projection circumscribes the proximal-most end of the valve wall.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on seating a dome-shaped, slit-based, flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve inside a catheter valve case, with coaxial alignment and restricted radial movement achieved by a complementally shaped axially-extending valve-seating projection and a corresponding projection-receiving opening, followed by attaching the case portions to retain the valve; dependent claims further refine seating interfaces, flange compression behavior, dimensional relationships allowing radial expansion, and valve wall/projection geometry.
Stated Advantages
Mitigates blood reflux.
Addresses alignment and squirm issues by coaxially aligning the valve and substantially restricting radial movement.
Documented Applications
Intravascular valve component for catheter infusion/aspiration.
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