Patent ID: 8365731

Claim:
A pressure reducing valve, comprising: a valve body with a first end, a second end, and a number of exhaust ports therebetween; and a flexible cuff adapted to alternate between a first position in which the number of exhaust ports are substantially closed and a second position in which the number of exhaust ports are substantially open, wherein, when the flexible cuff is in the first position, the pressure reducing valve is structured to fluidly communicate a flow of breathing gas from the first end to the second end, and wherein, when the flexible cuff is in the second position: (i) the flexible cuff is deformed and reversed and folded back and bent over upon itself to comprise overlapping portions, and (ii) the pressure reducing valve is structured to fluidly communicate the flow of breathing gas from the first end to the number of exhaust ports and fluidly communicate a flow of exhaled gas from the second end to the number of exhaust ports.