Inflation valve for catheter retention balloon

Claim 1

In a catheter including a retention balloon and an inflation lumen communicating with said balloon, an inflation valve comprising: a housing including, a sidewall extending peripherally around a chamber in the housing and having a plurality of spaced beads extending longitudinally along the inner surface of the Sidewall, a base portion extending from one end of the sidewall, said base portion having a plurality of inwardly directed support flanges, and a plurality of channels intermediate said flanges extending from adjacent the inner surface of said sidewall and communicating between the chamber and the inflating lumen, a cap secured to the other end of the sidewall and closing said chamber, said cap having a centrally located passageway to receive the tip of a syringe, and a compressible plug received within said chamber and having a lower surface engaging said support flanges, a side surface adjacent to said beads, an upper surface biased by the plug against the lower surface of said cap to prevent passage of fluid from the chamber into the passageway, and a transverse slot in the upper surface of the plug and extending across said passageway, said plug compressing responsive to the insertion of the syringe tip into the passageway to permit passage of fluid into the chamber and inflation lumen.