Patent ID: 11865296
Assignee: DIGNITY HEALTH
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A catheter system configured for draining a bodily fluid from a fluid source in a body of a subject, the catheter system comprising:
a catheter tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate portion between the proximal end and the distal end, the catheter tube including a drainage lumen extending from a proximal end opening in the proximal end to a distal end opening in the distal end; and
a one way check valve having an open position in which the bodily fluid can flow in a downstream direction from the proximal end toward the distal end, the check valve having a closed position in which the bodily fluid cannot flow in an upstream direction from the distal end toward the proximal end,
the check valve being positioned in the drainage lumen at the intermediate portion of the catheter tube such that the check valve is configured to be outside of and adjacent to the body of the subject when the proximal end opening is located in the fluid source in the body of the subject, the check valve being a ball valve comprising a valve body having a valve seat, a stop, and a ball positioned between the valve seat and the stop, the ball sealing against the valve seat when the check valve is in the closed position, the stop restricting movement of the ball toward the distal end opening,
wherein the stop extends across a diameter of the catheter tube at a height smaller than a height of the ball,
wherein the valve seat extends through the valve body and has a tapered shape that, in the downstream direction, reduces in diameter to a minimum diameter and thereafter increases in diameter, the minimum diameter being smaller than the height of the ball;
wherein the valve body includes a proximal opening, a distal opening, and a port located between the proximal opening and the distal opening and has a tapered external shape surrounding the valve seat that gradually increases in diameter in the downstream direction.