Catheter and valve therefor

Claim 1

AN INFLATABLE BAG CATHETER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE DRAINGAGE TUBE CLOSED AT ITS DISTAL TIP AND OPEN AT ITS PROXIMAL DISCHARGE END, SAID DRAINAGE TUBE AT ITS DISTAL END HAVING AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE DRAINAGE TUBE TO ALLOW FLUID WHICH IS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE BODY CAVITY INTO WHICH THE CATHETER IS INSERTED TO ENTER SAID DRAINAGE TUBE THROUGH SAID OPENING SAID TRAVEL THE LENGTH OF SAID DRAINAGE TUBE AND BE DISCHARGED AT THE PROXIMAL DISCHARGE END OF THE TUBE, SAID DRAINAGE TUBE HAVING AN INFLATABLE ELEMENT ON THE DISTAL END THEREOF INWARDLY OF SAID OPENING IN THE DISTAL END OF SAID DRAINAGE TUBE, A FLEXIBLE INFLATING TUBE HAVING AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER MATERIALLY SMALLER THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID DRAINAGE TUBE, SAID INFLATING TUBE BEING HOUSED WITHIN SAID DRAINAGE TUBE AND OPENING AT ITS ONE END INTO SAID INFLATABLE ELEMENT AND AT ITS OTHER END PASSING THROUGH THE WALL OF THE DRAINAGE TUBE IN THE PROXIMAL END THEREOF AND TERMINATING AS A FLEXIBLE INFLATION ARM LATERALLY OFF-SET FROM THE PROXIMAL END OF SAID DRAINAGE TUBE, SAID INFLATING TUBE PROVIDING A PASSAGE FOR INTRODUCING INFLATING FLUID INTO SAID INFLATABLE ELEMENT AND FOR WITHDRAWING INFLATING FLUID FROM SAID INFLATABLE ELEMENT, AND A VALVE INSERTED IN THE PROXIMAL OPEN END OF SAID INFLATION ARM FOR MAINTAINING THE PROXIMAL END OF THE INFLATION ARM NORMALLY CLOSED, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A HOLLOW RIGID GENERALLY CYLINDRICALSHAPED VALVE BODY WHICH INCLUDES AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AT ITS PROXIMAL END INTENDED FOR ENGAGING IN LOCKING RELATIONSHIP A LOCKING TYPE SYRINGE TIP, THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID VALVE BODY BEING COMPRISED OF AN AXIAL UPPER BORE AND AN AXIAL LOWER BORE, SAID LOWER BORE BEING OF LARGER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID UPPER BORE, A POPPET HOUSED WITHIN SAID VALVE BODY, SAID POPPET BEING COMPRISED OF (1) AN UPPER STEM WHICH HAS A SLOPING UPPER FACE AND (2) A POPPET HEAD ATTACHED TO THE DISTAL END OF SAID UPPER STEM, SAID UPPER STEM BEING SLIDABLY HOUSED WITHIN SAID UPPER BORE OF SAID VALVE BODY WHEN SAID VALVE IS IN A CLOSED CONDITION AND HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA WHICH IS LESS THAN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID UPPER BORE OF SAID VALVE BODY TO ALLOW INFLATING FLUID TO FLOW BETWEEN THE UPPER STEM AND THE INTERIOR WALL OF THE VALVE BODY WHEN THE VALVE IS IN AN OPEN CONDITION, SAID POPPET HEAD BEING SLIDABLY HOUSED WITHIN THE LOWER BORE OF SAID VALVE BODY AND HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA LESS THAN THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF THE LOWER BORE OF SAID VALVE BODY TO ALLOW INFLATING FLUID TO FLOW BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE POPPET HEAD AND THE SIDE WALLS OF THE LOWER BORE OF SAID VALVE BODY WHEN THE VALVE IS IN AN OPEN CONDITION, COMPRESSIBLE MEANS HOUSED WITHIN THE DISTAL END OF THE LOWER BORE OF SAID VALVE BODY FOR URGING THE UPPER FACE OF SAID POPPET HEAD IN SEALING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SHOULDER FORMED AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE UPPER BORE WITH THE LOWER BORE OF THE VALVE BODY, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID POPPET AND SAID COMPRESSIBLE MEANS WITHIN THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID VALVE BODY.