Patent ID: 8454579

Claim:
A medical connector for use in a fluid pathway, the connector comprising: a housing having a proximal female end with a proximal opening and a distal male end with a distal opening; a first valve member positioned substantially within the housing, the first valve member being configured to selectively seal the proximal opening; and a second valve member positioned within the housing, the second valve member being configured to selectively seal within the housing in a distal direction from the first valve member, wherein: the second valve member automatically opens or remains open, independent of connecting or disconnecting the medical connector at the distal end, to permit fluid flow in a first direction when the pressure in a proximal region within the connector is greater than the pressure in a distal region within the connector by a first threshold value, the first direction being from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion; the second valve member automatically opens or remains open, independent of connecting or disconnecting the medical connector at the distal end, to permit fluid flow in a second direction when the pressure in the distal region within the connector is greater than the pressure in the proximal region within the connector by a second threshold value, the second direction being from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, and the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value; and a dynamic regulator comprising a flexible material, the dynamic regulator being configured to buckle, flex, or move so as to reduce the internal volume from a first internal volume to a second internal volume when the first valve member is open and the second valve member is closed, and a pressure change occurs at the proximal end, thereby diminishing the pressure change within the proximal region of the connector.