Flow control valve

Claim 1

A surgically implantable flow control valve for controlling the flow of fluid from one portion of the human body to another, said valve comprising: a substantially rigid polypropylene base of utilized construction including a plate having an inlet surface and an outlet surface, a tubular inlet connector integral with said plate, and a tubular outlet connector integral with said plate; an inlet passageway through said base, said inlet passageway originating at an open end of said inlet connector and terminating at an inlet port situated on said inlet surface of said plate; an outlet passageway through said base, said outlet passageway originating at an outlet port adjacent said outlet surface and terminating at an open end of said outlet connector; a resilient dome substantially overlying said base and said inlet port, said dome having an arch-shape similar to one-half of a sphere, the inner surface of said dome being smooth and forming a seal against an upper surface of said base to create an inlet chamber between said dome and said base, said dome being deformable toward said base by external pressure so that the extent of deformation is limited by contact between said dome and said base; a mounting pad generally underlying said base and interacting with the edges of said dome to substantially encase said base in connection with said dome; an outlet chamber between said outlet surface and said outlet port; a plate passageway permitting fluid communication between said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber; a flow control member including a central support and a resilient membrane, said central support being securely attached to said base and extending therefrom into said outlet chamber to support said membrane, said membrane being generally arch-shaped and resiliently biased to normally contact said outlet surface generally along the outer edges of said membrane in a manner surrounding said plate passageway and forming a releasable seal between said outlet surface and the outer edges of said membrane, said outlet surface being sufficiently rigid to maintain a proper valve seat for the outer edges of said membrane despite pressure applied to said inlet surface caused by contact of said dome with said inlet surface when said dome is fully deformed, said membrane being formed of an elastomer material to prevent sticking with said polypropylene base; means for occluding said inlet port in a manner permitting deformation of said dome to cause fluid contained in said inlet chamber to pass through said plate passageway into said outlet chamber and finally through said outlet passageway, said inlet port occluding means useful for flushing said valve in a distal direction; means for occluding said plate passageway in a manner permitting deformation of said dome to cause fluid contained in said inlet chamber to pass through said inlet port into said inlet passageway, said plate passageway occluding means useful for flushing said valve in a proximal direction; a radiopaque indicator situated on the upper surface of said dome, said indicator being X-ray detectable after implantation of said valve in the body for indicating the proximal-to-distal flow path through said valve; an inlet radiopaque marker generally encircling a portion of said inlet connector; and an outlet radiopaque marker generally encircling a portion of said outlet connector.