Patent ID: 7959614

Claim:
A pressure-actuated valve component for use in IV therapy to control fluid flow through a catheter in opposite infusion and aspiration directions, said valve component comprising: a housing including spaced apart intravenous fluid ports, at least one of which is operable to be fluidly coupled to the catheter, with a fluid passageway extending between the ports to present a passageway axis; and a valve body being disposed within the fluid passageway and including a flexible dome-shaped wall that presents a convex surface and an opposite concave surface, with the convex surface facing the infusion direction and the concave surface facing the aspiration direction, said dome-shaped wall including a normally closed slit extending between the surfaces and intersecting the passageway axis, said dome-shaped wall flexing to open the slit in response to an infusion fluid pressure differential across the wall, wherein the pressure against the concave surface is greater than the pressure against the convex surface, said dome-shaped wall flexing to open the slit in response to an aspiration fluid pressure differential across the wall, wherein the pressure against the convex surface is greater than the pressure against the concave surface, said valve body including a rib projecting from the concave surface in an orthogonally extending relationship to the slit, said dome-shaped wall presenting a general apex and a lower edge generally opposite said apex, wherein said thickness of the dome-shaped wall increases as the lower edge is approached, such that said dome-shaped wall has a thickness that diminishes apically.