Patent ID: 7637893

Claim:
An apparatus for insertion of a medical device into a body, comprising: a sheath comprising a sheath body and a handle, the handle including one or more receiving sections; a valve comprising a slit through a central portion thereof and one or more anchoring members configured for insertion into a respective handle receiving section, the anchoring member being positioned along an edge of the valve; the valve including a valve material wherein upon insertion of an instrument through the valve, the material of the instrument stretches the valve material inward, and wherein upon following removal of the instrument from the valve, a portion of the material is prevented from returning to its original position between the cap and the handle, resulting in a bunching effect that causes the valve material to have a substantially different shape compared to a shape of the valve material prior to insertion of the instrument; and a cap attached to the handle, at least a portion of the valve being compressed therebetween.