Valve means for enteral therapy administration set

Claim 1

In a pump administration set for enteral feeding of therapeutic fluids, the set including at least a tubing segment connecting a source of therapeutic fluids with a nasogastric feeding tube, the tubing segment having a portion being compressible by a peristaltic pump, and a male connector on a distal end of the tubing segment for coupling with a female connector on a proximal end of the nasogastric feeding tube, the improvement to the set comprising: one way valve means carried within the male connector, the valve means being responsive to fluid backflow pressure to arrest retrograde fluid movement from the feeding tube through the tubing segment of the administration set; the one way valve means including a valve housing interposed along the tubing segment, the housing having a fluid inlet on one end joined to the tubing segment to receive fluid from the source and a fluid outlet on an other end joined to the tubing segment to transmit fluid to the feeding tube, the housing having an internal axial bore connecting the fluid inlet with the fluid outlet; a valve chamber positioned along and coaxial with the bore, one side of the chamber opening to the fluid inlet and defining a valve seat thereon, an other side of the chamber opening to the fluid outlet; and, a valve member disposed within the valve chamber, the valve member being movably responsive to fluid pressure from the fluid outlet; such that the valve member is urged against the valve seat by the fluid pressure thereby preventing fluid access to the fluid inlet and to arrest retrograde movement of fluid within the tubing segment.