Suction valve with outwardly biased shaft for an endoscope

A suction valve assembly for use in an endoscope having a lumen configured to extend into a patient's body cavity, the suction valve assembly comprising:

• a valve body having a cylindrical valve well with internal walls, an inlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well, and an outlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well;
• a valve member having a valve shaft, the valve shaft having an inlet opening and positioned within the valve well to slide along the internal walls between a closed position where the inlet opening abuts a portion of the internal walls and an open position where the inlet opening is aligned with the inlet channel of the valve body;
• wherein the valve shaft has one or more slits extending through a side surface of the shaft allowing the valve shaft to expand outwards, the valve shaft biased to expand outwards to a diameter greater than an inner diameter defined by the internal walls of the cylindrical valve well;
• and
• a valve skirt having one or more wedge members, the valve skirt configured such that, when the valve shaft is in the closed position, each of the one or more wedge members presses against one of the one or more slits in the valve shaft to bias the valve shaft outwards towards the internal walls of the valve well.

An endoscopic surgical device, comprising:

• an endoscopic probe;
• a suction valve assembly, comprising:
• a valve body having a cylindrical valve well with internal walls, an inlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well, and an outlet channel in fluid communication with the valve well,
• a valve member having a valve shaft, the valve shaft having an inlet opening and positioned within the valve well to slide along the internal walls between a closed position where the inlet opening abuts a portion of the internal walls and an open position where the inlet opening is aligned with the inlet channel of the valve body,
• wherein the valve shaft has one or more slits extending through a side surface of the shaft allowing the valve shaft to expand outwards, the valve shaft biased to expand outwards to a diameter greater than an inner diameter defined by the internal walls of the cylindrical valve well, and
• a valve skirt having one or more wedge members, the valve skirt configured such that, when the valve shaft is in the closed position, each of the one or more wedge members presses against one of the one or more slits in the valve shaft to bias the valve shaft outwards towards the internal walls of the valve well;
• and
• a source of suction in fluid communication with the inlet passage of the suction valve assembly, such that opening the valve provides suction to the endoscopic probe from the inlet channel, through the valve well, and into the outlet channel.