Patent ID: 8057439

Claim:
A cardiovascular access catheter comprising: (a) an elongated catheter body enclosing a longitudinally disposed fluid flow lumen with a longitudinal axis, said catheter body having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a cylindrical outer wall therebetween of uniform thickness, and having a closed distal end, said catheter body being comprised of a polymeric elastomer material; and (b) a two-way, three-position valve operatively associated with said catheter body, said valve comprising a planar slit formed through said cylindrical outer wall from said outer surface to said inner surface thereof and contained in a slit orientation plane, (i) said slit extending between a proximal slit endpoint and a distal slit endpoint so located on said outer surface of said catheter body as to avoid defining therebetween on said outer surface a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said catheter body, and (ii) said proximal slit endpoint and said distal slit endpoint being so located on said outer surface of said catheter body as to avoid defining therebetween on said outer surface an arc in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said catheter body.