Patent ID: 7445611

Claim:
A medical instrument comprising: a housing member having a passage through which a catheter including an outer profile is received; a cap having a recess formed therein and in fluid communication with the passage, the recess being defined by a first height dimension and a first width dimension, both dimensions across the center of the recess; and a valve body to be received in the recess and abut the housing member at an end of the passage to seal the passage, the valve body having first and second faces and a peripheral edge separating the faces, the peripheral edge being non-circular when the valve body is unstressed, the valve body further having a first slit formed on one of the faces and a second slit formed on the other face, each slit formed through a portion of the valve body and intersecting with the other slit within the valve body, the valve body conforming to the outer profile of the catheter when the catheter is disposed through the first and second slits to maintain a fluid tight seal between the valve body and the catheter, the valve body having a second height dimension and a second width dimension, both dimensions across the center of the valve body, the second width dimension being less than the second height dimension when the valve body is unstressed, the second height dimension being greater than the first height dimension of the recess and the second width dimension being less than the first width dimension of the recess, the second height and the second width dimensions defining a plane parallel to the first and second faces and perpendicular to the slits, the valve body configured to be compressed only along the entire peripheral edge parallel to the second height dimension when the valve body is received by the recess, defining a generally circular shape.