Patent ID: 8328768

Claim:
A valve assembly for vascular access, comprising: a body defining a lumen adapted for flowing blood, the body including a luer housing for connection with a first blood conduit and a barb housing for connection with a barb connector; and a plurality of slitted membranes disposed within the body, each of the slitted membranes generating a partial pressure drop, each of the partial pressure drops being smaller than a total pressure drop through the body portion, wherein each of the plurality of slitted membranes is separated by a space from the other slitted membrane or membranes, and a first cross-sectional area of the lumen within the space between the membranes is substantially constant, and a second and a third cross-sectional areas of the lumen outside of the space between the membranes have a taper on both sides of the membranes, from a maximum near the membranes to a minimum distant from the membranes, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is less than the second and the third cross-sectional areas.