Intravascular valve component with improved valve positioning

摘要

An intravascular valve component broadly includes a valve case and a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve. The valve case includes attached proximal and distal case portions that present respective spaced apart fluid ports and a fluid passageway extending between the ports. The flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve is disposed within the fluid passageway and includes a slitted central valve wall and an annular flange surrounding the central valve wall. The annular flange includes a radially-extending flange wall and a projection extending axially from the flange wall, with the projection engaging one of the case portions to restrict radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case.

主权项

1. A method of seating a valve in an intravascular valve component comprising the steps of:
providing said intravascular valve component including: a valve case having proximal and distal case portions configured to be coupled together, said case portions presenting respective spaced apart fluid ports and a fluid passageway extending between the ports along a valve axis when said case portions are coupled together, wherein one of said case portions has a projection-receiving opening, and said valve, wherein said valve is a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve for axially positioning within the fluid passageway to control fluid flow therethrough, said valve including a dome-shaped valve wall presenting a proximal section, a distal section, a concave surface, a convex surface, and an apex, said apex being positioned at the distal section of the dome-shaped valve wall, said valve including an annular flange at the proximal section of the dome-shaped valve wall and a valve-seating projection extending axially from the annular flange, wherein said valve-seating projection is arcuate and symmetrical along an axis parallel to the valve axis, wherein the projection-receiving opening is complementally shaped to the valve-seating projection, said distal section of the valve wall including a slit to allow the fluid flow through the valve, wherein the valve is configured to selectively open and close dependent on a pressure presented against the respective concave and convex surfaces due to the fluid flow through the valve; positioning the valve within the fluid passageway; interfitting said valve-seating projection of the flange of the valve with said projection-receiving opening of the one of said case portions to thereby substantially restrict radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case and to coaxially align the valve with the one of said case portions to thereby position the valve wall concentrically within the fluid passageway; and attaching said case portions to thereby hold said valve between the attached case portions.