Syringe check valve

Claim 1

A syringe check valve for flexible catheters comprising: a flexible catherer tube, an elastomeric valve member having a base portion and an elongate portion with a bore therein, said elongate portion being disposed in an end of said catheter tube, said base portion being disposed adjacent the end of said tube said base portion having a tapered cylindrical bore extending axially into the outer end face of the base portion, the smaller end of the bore having a valve slot therein extending axially through said base portion and communicating with said elongate bore, said valve slot comprising a generally elongated slit with at least one generally straight side edge in said base portion, means for applying opposing presure on both sides of the slit and prependicular to the generally straight side edge of said slit to close said slit, said means including a pair of shoulders on said base portion extending radially outward from said valve slot in opposing relationship, said shoulders extending only partially around the periphery of the base portion so as to apply pressure only in a direction to maintain said slit closed, and a rigid hollow tubular cap having a first end disposed over and exerting inward radial pressure on said shoulders to close said valve slot and a second, tapered end disposed on the outer surface of said catherer tube to maintain said catheter tube on said elongate portion, said valve slot adapted to be opened by the introduction of a syringe tip into said tapered cylinderical bore.