A sheath for producing a fully sealed access to the interior of a vessel of an animal or human body comprises a base sheath having a tubular body defining a pass-through channel. The base sheath is adapted to be inserted into the vessel through a vessel aperture. A wall of the tubular body of the base sheath has a through channel. This channel extends in the wall from the distal end towards the proximal end. The channel can be present separately from the pass-through channel of the base sheath or can form a sideways extension of the pass-through channel, at least at the distal end. Such through channel is adapted to conduct blood from the vessel to the proximal end of the sheath when the sheath has been inserted into a vessel.

The invention discloses a trocar seal membrane with concave-channel structure. Said seal membrane comprises a proximal opening, a distal aperture, and a sealing wall from the distal aperture extending to the proximal opening, said sealing wall comprising a proximal surface and a distal surface, said distal aperture formed by a scaling-lip for accommodating the inserted instrument and formed a gas-tight seal, said sealing-lip comprising a longitudinal axis and a transverse plane substantially perpendicular to said axis. In the lip-adjacent area, said sealing wall comprises the main rotary-wall and a plurality of concave-channel each of the concave-channels includes two side sealing-walls, which are defined by both edges and extending laterally outward from the sealing-lip and gradually widening. Said concave-channels have the functions of enlarging hoop circumference, reducing the wrapped area, improving lubrication reliability, increasing the axial tensile stiffness, etc., thereby, greatly reducing the frictional resistance and the stick-slip.

A vascular introducer is disclosed that includes a proximal housing defining an axial passageway, a body portion extending distally from the proximal housing and defining an axial bore in communication with the axial passageway of the proximal housing, and an elongated tubular sheath extending distally from the axial bore of the body portion and defining a central lumen, wherein the axial bore of the body portion and the central lumen of the tubular sheath are adapted and configured to transition between a first inner diameter and a second inner diameter in response to introduction of a dilator having an outer diameter that is greater than the first inner diameter of the axial bore of the body portion and the central lumen of the tubular sheath.

A catheter system may include a catheter adapter and a catheter extending distally from the catheter adapter. The catheter system may include a needle assembly, which may include a plug, an outer housing, and an introducer needle. An outer surface of the plug may include multiple grooves, which may be in fluid communication with the introducer needle and configured to receive blood flashback. The grooves may include a first groove having a first surface-area-to-volume ratio, and a second groove having a second surface-area-to-volume ratio. The first surface-area-to-volume ratio may be less than the second surface-area-to-volume ratio. The first groove may have a greater volume than the second groove. The outer housing may seal a top of the first groove and a top of the second groove to prevent blood from flowing out the top of the first groove and the top of the second groove.

An assembly, comprising a catheter hub defining a hub cavity extending axially between proximal and distal ends of the catheter hub, a female luer connector extending from within the proximal end of the catheter hub, a catheter tube extending from within the distal end of the catheter hub and a pinch valve body axially movable in the hub cavity and defining a valve conduit that fluidly connects the female luer connector and the catheter tube, wherein the pinch valve body has a distal end sheathed over the catheter tube, and a proximal end comprising proximal and distal pinch valves, wherein the female luer connector has internal pinch surfaces configured so that axial movement of the pinch valve body in the hub cavity positively opens and closes the proximal and distal pinch valves in predetermined succession or order as either a needle is proximally withdrawn from the catheter tube, or a male luer connector is distally inserted into, or proximally withdrawn from, the female luer connector.

A surgical access device includes a seal assembly having an outer seal housing, an inner seal housing, and a seal cooperating with the inner seal housing, the outer seal housing defining a central longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal passage for receiving at least one surgical object therethrough. The surgical access device also includes a bellows configured to engage at least a portion of the inner seal housing cooperating with the seal, the bellows dimensioned and adapted to establish a biasing relationship with the seal. The seal is adapted for lateral movement relative to the central longitudinal axis of the outer seal housing and the bellows is configured to be attached to a proximal wall of the outer seal housing.

A urological device includes a valve retained in a urinary catheter. The urinary catheter has a first portion that is insertable into a urethra and a second portion adapted to remain outside of the urethra when the first portion is inserted into the urethra. The valve has a closed configuration adapted to prevent urine from exiting the urinary catheter and an open configuration adapted to allow urine to flow through and exit the urinary catheter. The valve is adapted to move from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to a hydrodynamic pressure of at least 750 mm H2O applied to the valve for at least 5 seconds.

A trocar seal membrane with multi-dimensional pleats. The seal membrane includes a proximal opening, a distal aperture, and a sealing wall from the distal aperture ex-tending to the proximal opening, the sealing wall includes a proximal surface and a distal surface. The distal aperture formed by a sealing lip for accommodating the inserted instrument forms a gas-tight seal. In the lip-adjacent area, the sealing wall simultaneously has a plurality of transverse pleats extending laterally outwardly from the sealing lip and a plurality of tangential pleats uniformly distributed around the sealing lip. The pleated sealing wall can enlarge hoop circumference in the lip-adjacent area, and reduce overall deformation when a large-diameter instrument is inserted, thereby reducing friction and improving sealing reliability.

Hemostasis valves and methods for making and using hemostasis valves are disclosed. An example method for assembling a hemostasis valve may include positioning a plunger along a threaded proximal end region of a main body. The threaded proximal end region may include one or more threads and an axial slot extending through the one or more threads. The method may also include advancing the plunger along the threaded proximal end region to a position where a proximal end of the plunger is disposed distally of at least a portion of the one or more threads and disposing a nut adjacent to the threaded proximal end region. The method may also include aligning an alignment tab of the nut with the axial slot, engaging the nut with the one or more threads while the alignment tab is aligned with the axial slot, and rotating the nut 45-270.

Hemostasis valves and methods for making and using hemostasis valves are disclosed. An example hemostasis valve may include a main body having a distal end region and a proximal end region. A first seal member may be disposed within the proximal end region of the main body. A plunger may be coupled to the proximal end region of the main body. The plunger may be designed to shift between a first position and a second position. A first locking member may be disposed along the proximal end region of the main body. A second locking member may be disposed along the plunger. The second locking member may be designed to engage the first locking member.