Patent ID: 7988128

Claim:
A connector for being secured to a catheter that extends into a venous opening of a patient, comprising: a body having a proximal end, a distal end adapted to be secured to a proximal end of a catheter lumen, and a single axially extending passage extending therethrough between the proximal end and the distal end, fluidly connecting the proximal end and the distal end, wherein the proximal end includes a fitting for releasably connecting the connector to an external device, the body further having a valve body containing a cylinder-receiving passage extending transversely with respect to the axially extending passage to first and second valve body ends; a cylinder rotatably disposed within the cylinder-receiving passage of the valve body and being rotatable between a first position and a second position, wherein the cylinder includes an opening extending generally diametrically therethrough, and further includes first and second cylinder ends at least one of which includes a manually grippable actuating section integrally formed with the at least one cylinder end, and each said at least one actuating section extends beyond the lateral ends of the valve body to be engaged for rotation by the practitioner or technician and is free of projections extending orthogonally therefrom beyond the valve body, thereby reducing its exposure and minimizing snagging thereof by foreign objects, wherein the valve body further comprises a stop extending from the valve body a selected distance parallel to the cylinder-receiving passage, and the at least one actuating section comprises a tab engageable with the stop to limit rotation of the cylinder, the tab and actuating section co-extending outwardly from the valve body a distance equal to the selected distance such that the stop, the tab and the actuating section together reduce their exposure and minimize snagging by foreign objects; and at least one seal is disposed about the cylinder and within the passage on each side of the opening, wherein when the cylinder is in the first position, the proximal end of the body is in fluid communication with the distal end of the body and wherein, when the cylinder is in the second position, the proximal end of the body is not in fluid communication with the distal end of the body.