Rotatable medical valve closure

Claim 2

A closure device to which a cooperative component is attachable for communication therebetween, said closure device comprising: a rotatable body portion including a connector for connection to and disconnection from a mating connector of the cooperative component by relative rotation between said rotatable body portion and the cooperative component, and a relatively stationary body portion of said closure device, said rotatable body portion being rotatable relative to said stationary body portion between an open position in which a passage is defined through said closure device and a closed position in which said passage is closed, said body portions being constructed and arranged such that the direction of relative rotation of said connectors for connection of said rotatable body portion to said cooperative component corresponds to the direction of rotation of said rotatable portion relative to said stationary body portion toward said open position to also open said passage and the direction of relative rotation of said connectors that disconnects said rotatable body portion from said cooperative component corresponds to the direction of rotation of said rotatable body portion relative to said stationary body portion toward said closed position to also close said passage.

Claim 3

The closure device of claim 1 further comprising: a resilient member having an axis at least partially defining said through-passage; said rotatable body portion including an internal cam having a cam surface oriented about and spaced from the axis of said passage, said cam having a first surface portion disposed relatively closer to said axis than a circumferentially spaced second surface portion, a radially movable compression member disposed between and in such contact with said cam surface and the exterior of said resilient member that said rotation for connecting said component to said closure device causes said cam surface to adjust the radial compression of said resilient member further from said axis to open said passage, and said rotation for disconnecting said component from said closure device causes said cam surface to adjust the radial compression of said resilient member closer to said axis to close said passage.

Claim 4

The closure device of claim 2 wherein said resilient member comprises a resilient section of tubing.

Claim 5

The closure device of claim 3 wherein said relatively stationary body portion fixes the position of said tubing.

Claim 6

The closure device of claim 2 wherein said combination is constructed so that rotational force required to rotate said body portion rotatable to effect change in the compression of said resilient member to open and close said passage is less than the rotational force needed, respectively, to complete the connection and disconnection of said cooperative component relative to said device.

Claim 7

The closure device of claim 5 wherein said rotatable body portion is threadably attached about said axis to a said relatively stationary body portion, the threads thereof being opposite to the direction of rotation that enables said device to be rotatably connected to said cooperative component, whereby rotation to connect said cooperative component to said device causes said body portions to move apart.

Claim 8

The closure device of claim 6 wherein a stop surface is defined at an end of said second cam surface portion, said stop surface being arranged to engage said compression member and stop relative motion apart of said body portions when said compression member reaches passage-opening position preventing disassembly of said body portion by blocking further rotation and said rotatable and relatively stationary body portions are constructed to engage each other and stop threaded-together motion when said compression member reaches a passage-closing position.

Claim 9

The closure device of claim 2 or 5 wherein said closure device is adapted for use as a medical closure device, said passage being dimensioned to pass a pressurized fluid or a medical device into or out of a living body and the proximal end of said device is constructed to be connected to said cooperative catheter or a syringe.

Claim 10

The closure device of claim 8 wherein the distal end of said closure device is constructed to be connected to a catheter.

Claim 11

The closure device of claim 2 wherein said first surface portion of said cam positions said compression member radially to completely close in fluid-tight manner said through-passage and said second surface portion positions said compression member to fully open said through-passage.

Claim 12

The closure device of claim 10 wherein said cam defines a smooth spiral-form surface.

Claim 13

The closure device of claim 11 wherein said compression member is a single ball-form member.

Claim 14

The device of claim 7 further comprising a screw thread on said rotatable body portion, said screw thread configured to engage a screw thread on said cooperative component, and said cam defines a spiral-form surface with an abrupt transition from the end of said second cam surface portion, furthest from the axis, to a portion of said rotatable body portion closer to the axis in a manner interacting with said compression member, said manner of interacting permitting continual rotation during assembly of said rotatable body portion in a screw-on direction in which the compression member is gradually progressively compressed against said resilient member to the maximum at which state it remains until further rotation causes the second portion of the cam surface to reach said compression member permitting said compression member to spring outwardly to permit continued rotation of said rotatable body portion, whereas opposite rotation of said rotatable body portion along said threads is limited by stopping of said compression member against said abrupt transition of said rotatable body portion.

Claim 15

The closure device of claim 7 wherein said compression member is held axially fixed, relative to said resilient member.

Claim 16

The closure device of claim 14 wherein said relatively stationary body portion fixes the position of said resilient member and defines a radially extending aperture in which said compression member is axially confined, and permitted to move radially against said resilient member.

Claim 17

The closure device of claim 3 wherein said tubing is compressed axially and confined radially for sealing engagement of surfaces at its proximal and distal ends.

Claim 18

The closure device of claim 2 wherein said body portions and said passage are sized for passage therethrough of a device and providing, when said closure device is closed upon said device, means for gripping and torquing said device.

Claim 19

The closure device of claim 2 wherein said body is attachable at its proximal and distal ends to tubing members for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough.

Claim 20

The closure device of claim 2 wherein said rotatable body portion has an external surface exposed for engagement and rotatable operation by the hand of a user.

Claim 21

The closure device of claim 2 constructed so that said rotation of said rotatable body portion to open and close said through-passage is substantially one-half turn.

Claim 22

The closure device of claim 3 for control of a fluid at a pressure selected from over a wide pressure range wherein the thickness and character of the material of said resilient tubing member is selected to withstand said selected pressure.

Claim 23

The closure device of claim 3 for control of a fluid at a flow rate selected from over a wide flow range, wherein the inside diameter of said resilient tubing member is selected to accommodate said selected fluid flow rate.

Claim 24

The closure device of claim 1 wherein said body portions, in open position, define a through-passage through which a device can pass.

Claim 25

The closure device of claim 1 or 23 wherein the wall defining said passage is constructed to close and seal or grip a device inserted into said through-passage.

Claim 26

The closure device of claim 9 wherein said catheter connected to the distal end of said closure device is integrally molded with said closure device.

Claim 27

The closure device of claim 8 further including a flexible introducer sheath joined to the distal end of said closure device, and a catheter containing a vena-cava filter and a stabilizer for placement of said filter, said introducer sheath and said closure device defining a passage sized to pass said catheter therethrough, said flexible introducer sheath and said closure device comprising a catheter introducer sheath assembly, and said catheter and said catheter introducer sheath assembly being contained in a catheter introducer kit.

Claim 28

The closure device of claim 26 wherein said passage is of the order of 1/8 inch diameter.

Claim 29

The closure device of claim 26 wherein said rotatable body portion is threadably attached about said axis to a said relatively stationary body portion and said compression member is adjustable by manual manipulation of said rotatable body portion to selected intermediate rotatable positions relative to said relatively stationary body portion to cause said resilient member to lightly engage the sides of said catheter being inserted through said catheter introducer sheath assembly to impede outward blood flow along the sides of said catheter while permitting slidable insertion thereof.

Claim 30

The closure device of claim 26 in combination with a removable elongated dilator disposed in said sheath flexible introducer, said dilator having a tapered distal portion extending distally beyond the sheath flexible introducer.

Claim 31

The closure device of claim 29 wherein said dilator has a small axial passage enabling said dilator, sheath flexible introducer and closure device to be slid over a pre-placed guidewire for guiding the sheath into a predetermined position.

Claim 32

A medical closure device for providing a passage into or out of the body for both pressurized fluids and a medical device, comprising in combination: a resilient member at least partially defining said passage, said passage having an axis and sized to pass a selected medical device and pressurized fluid, said resilient member being of material selected, in response to radial pressure applied to said resilient member, to form a pressure seal upon said medical device when said medical device is present in said passage and upon an opposing surface defining said passage when said medical device is not present; a proximal body portion including first and second members said first member having a pressure fitting in sealing engagement with and mounting said resilient member and said second member disposed about and supporting said resilient member; a distal body portion including an internal cam having a cam surface oriented about and spaced from the axis of said passage with a first surface portion disposed relatively closer to said axis than a circumferentially spaced second surface portion, and a compression member positioned in a radially extending aperture in said proximal body portion and biased radially outwardly by said resilient member to maintain contact with said cam surface, said proximal and distal body portions being connected together in a manner permitting their relative rotation about said axis, and said body portions and said resilient member being sealed together in a manner to withstand, without leakage, fluid under pressure in said passage; said connected body portions cooperatively related, whereby, upon relative rotation of said body portions, said cam surface is moved relative to said compression member to cause radial displacement of said compression member closer to the axis of said passage to cause said resilient member to grip and pressure seal upon the exterior of said medical device, when present in said passage, or upon said opposing surface defining said passage when said medical device is not present.

Claim 33

A medical closure device for providing a passage into or out of the body for both pressurized fluids and a medical device, comprising in combination: a resilient member at least partially defining said passage, said passage having an axis and sized to pass a selected medical device and pressurized fluid, said resilient member being of material selected, in response to radial pressure applied to said resilient member, to form a pressure seal upon said medical device when said medical device is present in said passage and upon an opposing surface defining said passage when said medical device is not present; a proximal body portion including first and second members said first member having a pressure fitting in sealing engagement with and mounting said resilient member and said second member disposed about and supporting said resilient member; a distal body portion including an internal cam having a cam surface oriented about and spaced from the axis of said passage with a first surface portion disposed relatively closer to said axis than a circumferentially spaced second surface portion, and a compression member positioned in a radially extending aperture in said proximal body portion and biased radially outwardly by said resilient member to maintain contact with said cam surface, said proximal and distal body portions being connected together in a manner permitting their relative rotation about said axis, and said body portions and said resilient member being sealed together in a manner to withstand, without leakage, fluid under pressure in said passage; said connected body portions cooperatively related, whereby, upon relative rotation of said body portions, said cam surface is moved relative to said compression member to cause radial displacement of said compression member closer to the axis of said passage to cause said resilient member to grip and pressure seal upon the exterior of said medical device, when present in said passage, or upon said opposing surface defining said passage when said medical device is not present.

Claim 34

The closure device of claim 31 wherein said device further comprises a sealing member mounted on said second part of said proximal body portion to enhance sealing engagement between said distal and said proximal body portions.

Claim 37

The method of claim 33 further comprising the steps of: a) introducing a medical device through said passage; and b) while said device is within said passage, causing relative rotation of said second body portion in the direction that disconnects said component from said closure device to cause said resilient member to grip and pressure seal upon the exterior of said device.

Claim 38

The method of claim 33 wherein said cooperative component is a syringe for supplying pressurized fluids.