Patent ID: 7306197

Claim:
A connection element for tubes for medical use, comprising: a main body defining at least one fluid passage between a first opening and a second opening, said second opening being positioned at a first distance from said first opening, said main body being configured to be attachable to the end of a first tube, and a shut-off element made of an elastically deformable material, said shut-off element being at least partly housed inside the main body, to allow or prevent fluid communication between said first and second openings of the main body, said shut-off element comprising: a fixing portion engaged on the main body; an intermediate portion extending from said fixing portion, said intermediate portion having a longitudinal axis of symmetry and being axially deformable; a sealing portion extending from the intermediate portion and configured to be moved, at least between a first operating condition, in which the sealing portion shuts off the first opening and prevents said fluid communication between the first and second openings, and a second operating condition in which the sealing portion is positioned at a second distance from the first opening to allow fluid communication between said first and second openings; and an outer surface having a transverse end surface and a lateral surface, said transverse end surface and said lateral surface being configured, in said second operating condition, to be swept by a fluid; at least said intermediate portion of the shut-off element being configured to deform symmetrically during the transition from said first operating condition to said second operating condition, said intermediate portion presenting a bellows shape to have constant radial dimension during axial deformation.