Valved catheter

Claim 1

A CATHETHER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED DRAINAGE TUBE, AN EXPANDABLE CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID DRAINAGE TUBE, A SECOND ELONGATED TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING FLUID INTO SAID CHAMBER AND REMOVING FLUID THEREFROM, SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID TUBULAR MEANS HAVING OPPOSED OPEN ENDS ONE OF WHICH IS FIXED TO AND COMMUNICATES WITH A FREE END OF SAID SECOND TUBE AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS LOCATED BEYOND SAID FREE END OF SAID SECOND TUBE, SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID VALVE-SEAT MEANS FIXED TO SAID SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID TUBULAR MEANS AT SAID OTHER END THEREOF AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OTHER END THEREOF TO PROVIDE A VALVE SEAT AT SAID OTHER END OF SAID SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID TUBULAR MEANS, A FLEXIBLE RESILIENT VALVE MEMBER CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID TUBULAR MEANS AND SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS AND HAVING A CENTRAL VALVE PORTION ENGAGING SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS TO CLOSE SAID SECOND TUBE, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING FORMED BEYOND SAID CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF WITH AT LEAST ONE OPENING PASSING THERETHROUGH SO THAT WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS DISPLACED FROM SAID VALVE-SEAT THE INTERIOR OF SAID SECOND TUBE AND THUS OF SAID EXPANDABLE CHAMBER CAN COMMUNICATE THROUGH SAID OPENING OF SAID VALVE MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID VALVE-SEAT WITH THE SPACE BEYOND SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR FLUID GUIDE SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH SAID VALVE-SEAT, AND HAVING OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS ONE OF WHICH IS ADJACENT SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, THE OTHER DIAMETER OF SAID TUBULAR FLUID GUIDE BEING SMALL ENOUGH TO PERMIT THE LATTER TO PASS THROUGH SAID VALVE-SEAT SO THAT DISPLACEMENT OF SAID FLUID GUIDE AGAINST SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER WILL DISPLACE SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID VALVE-SEAT TO PERMIT FLUID TO ESCAPE FROM OR ENTER INTO SAID SECOND TUBE, AND AT LEAST PARTLY FLEXIBLE MEANS CONNECTING SAID TUBULAR FLUID GUIDE TO SAID VALVESEAT MEANS FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT SO THAT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TUBULAR FLUID GUIDE WILL DISPLACE SAID VALVE MEMBER TOWARD OR AWAY FROM SAID VALVE-SEAT FOR OPENING OR CLOSING SAID SECOND TUBE, SAID TUBULAR GUIDE BEING FORMED AT ITS END WHICH ENGAGES SAID VALVE MEMBER WITH A NOTCH THROUGH WHICH FLUID CAN FLOW AT SAID VALVE-SEAT INTO SAID TUBULAR GUIDE WHEN THE LATTER DISPLACES SAID VALVE MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID VALVE SEAT, SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS WHICH CONNECTS SAID TUBULAR FLUID GUIDE TO SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS BEING IN THE FORM OF A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM CARRYING SAID TUBULAR GUIDE AND FIXED WITH SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEING FIXED TO SAID TUBULAR GUIDE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE LATTER AND SAID TUBULAR GUIDE HAVING AN OUTER ELONGATED EXPOSED PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM, AND EXPOSED BEYOND SAID SECOND TUBE SO AS TO BE FREELY ACCESSIBLE, SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID TUBULAR FLUID GUIDE TO SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS BEING SITUATED IN ITS ENTIRELY AT A SIDE OF SAID DIAPHRAGM WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE LATTER IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID OUTER EXPOSED PORTION OF SAID TUBULAR GUIDE EXTENDS FROM SAID DIAPHRAGM, WHEREBY IN ORDER TO RELEASE FLUID FROM SAID EXPANDABLE CHAMBER IT IS ONLY NECESSARY TO DISPLACE SAID TUBULAR GUIDE AT SAID OUTER ELONGATED EXPOSED PORTION THEREOF INWARDLY TOWARD SAID VALVE-SEAT MEANS TO DISPLACE SAID VALVE MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID VALVE SEAT.