Patent ID: 8628515

Claim:
A medical connector for use with a first and second medical implement, the medical connector comprising: a housing having a first proximal end and a second distal end; an inner rigid element positioned within the housing and including at least one opening on a side thereof and a substantially hollow interior with a fluid flow path, said at least one opening extending from an outer surface of said inner rigid element to said hollow interior of said inner rigid element; a substantially hollow flexible element positioned within the housing, said flexible element comprising at least one inward projection on an inner wall thereof, at least a portion of said inward projection being shaped to fit within said at least one opening in said inner rigid element when said connector is in a substantially closed position, wherein said portion of said inward projection is positioned within said opening and occupies at least a portion of the fluid flow path of the substantially hollow interior of said inner rigid element in said substantially closed position, and wherein said portion of said inward projection is positioned outside of said opening in a substantially opened position, thereby facilitating a change in an inner fluid volume of said connector when said connector is in said substantially closed position relative to the inner fluid volume of said connector when said connector is in said substantially open position.