Patent ID: 7104520

Claim:
A connector for controlling the flow of fluid, the connector having an internal fluid passageway by which fluid may flow through the connector, the connector comprising: a housing having a first port and a second port, the first port being adapted to receive a blunt cannula and the second port adapted for fluid communication with a fluid conduit; and a movable element positioned within the housing, the movable element having a first position at which the movable element blocks fluid flow through the housing and a second position at which the movable element permits fluid flow through the housing, the movable element comprising: a head defining a normally-open bore forming a part of the fluid passageway through the connector, the head being configured such that when the movable element is in the second position, the bore self-opens to its normally open configuration to permit fluid flow, the head being further configured such that when the moveable element is in the first position the bore is moved to a closed configuration preventing fluid flow; a compressible section defining an inner conduit forming a part of the fluid passageway through the connector, the inner conduit having a width moveable between a first width and a second width, the compressible section being configured so that when the moveable element is in the second position the compressible section self-expands so that the inner conduit has the second width, the inner conduit being further configured so that when the moveable element is in the first position the inner conduit moves to the first width, wherein the first width is smaller than the second width.