Catheter introducing system

Claim 1

A catheter introducing valve assembly of a catheter introducer including a sheath tube positioning a catheter tube in a blood vessel of a patient, comprising in combination, a valve assembly including a central passage having opposed inlet and outlet ends, said valve assembly for positioning the catheter tube which is introduced into said valve assembly at said inlet end; first valve means bearing sealing lips of flexible, resilient material positioned internally across said passage in said valve assembly for sealing off flow of blood during any time the catheter tube is absent from the catheter introducer, second valve means positioned externally across said passage in said valve assembly and comprising gasket means with an aperture adapted to the diameter of the sheath tube for sealing off flow of blood during the time the catheter tube is positioned in the catheter introducer, holding means connected to said first valve means and adapted to said valve assembly for keeping said first valve means in a sealed position when the catheter tube is absent, connector means mounted to said valve assembly at said outlet end for securing the sheath tube to said valve assembly; said first valve means comprising a first valve body made of a flexible, resilient material, and including a reinforced valve disk having a centrally positioned valve slit extending transversely to said central passage, said valve slit having opposed valve lips; and said holding means being positioned transversely to said valve slit so as to keep said valve lips together when the catheter tube is absent from the catheter introducer and to close said valve lips during withdrawal of the catheter tube; and said valve assembly further including a generally cylindrical assembly body having a generally cylindrical compartment area in axial alignment with a central passage having an inner surface, said compartment area having a first diameter; said reinforced valve disk having a cylindrical disk rim of a second diameter, said second diameter being slightly less than said first diameter, wherein a cylindrical space is defined between said disk rim and said inner surface of said compartment area; and wherein said holding means includes a pair of diametrically opposed peripheral bosses connected to said disk rim and positioned transversely to said valve slit, said bosses having curved ends conforming to the configuration of and in tight contact with said inner surface of said compartment area, whereby even pressure is exerted against said valve lips, the lips are held together in sealing relationship during the absence of the catheter tube from the catheter tube assembly.