Patent ID: 8591497

Claim:
A safety catheter, comprising: a flexible, multi-lumen shaft having an outer diameter, a distal tip, a proximal shaft portion, and a proximal catheter end with a drain end and an inflation end, the multi-lumen shaft defining: a drain lumen extending through the shaft and shaped to drain fluid adjacent the distal tip therethrough and out the drain end; a distal hollow balloon portion defining a balloon interior and having at least one inflation port fluidically connected to the balloon interior, the balloon portion inflating outwardly through the at least one inflation port to a diameter greater than the outer diameter of the shaft; at least one inflation lumen parallel to the drain lumen and fluidically connected to the balloon interior through the at least one inflation port, the at least one inflation lumen shaped to inflate the balloon interior with an inflation fluid; and a drainage port fluidically connecting at least one of the balloon interior and the at least one inflation lumen to the drain lumen; and a hollow stretch valve: coaxially disposed in the drain lumen and shaped to permit fluid to pass therethrough; positioned in the drain lumen to prevent fluid from passing through the drainage port in a steady state; having a distal valve end; and having a sliding portion slidably disposed within the drain lumen at the distal valve end such that, in a stretched state when the proximal catheter end is stretched, the sliding portion slides within the drain lumen to permit the inflation fluid to pass through the drainage port.