Patent ID: 7217251

Claim:
A method of providing pressure relief within a medical catheter system, the method comprising: providing a medical catheter system that comprises: a lumen comprising an interior lumen surface; a flow restrictor located within the lumen, the flow restrictor comprising a restrictor body located within the lumen; a channel located between an outer surface of the restrictor body and the interior lumen surface of the lumen, wherein the channel extends from an upstream end of the restrictor body to a downstream end of the restrictor body; passing fluid through only the channel from the upstream end of the restrictor body to the downstream end of the restrictor body when fluid pressure within the lumen is below a selected pressure; and passing fluid between the outer surface of the restrictor body and the interior lumen surface of the lumen outside of the channel when fluid pressure is above the selected pressure; wherein passing fluid between the outer surface of the restrictor body and the interior lumen surface of the lumen above the selected pressure comprises compressing the restrictor body within the lumen.