Intravascular valve component with improved valve positioning

A method of seating a valve in an intravascular valve component comprising the steps of:

• providing said intravascular valve component including—
• a valve case including attached proximal and distal case portions, wherein one of said case portions includes a groove,
• said case portions presenting respective spaced apart fluid ports and a fluid passageway extending between the ports when said case portions are coupled together, and
• said valve, wherein said valve is a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve for positioning along the fluid passageway to control fluid flow therethrough,
• said valve including a generally arcuate-shaped central valve wall having an upper end, a lower end, a slit generally at said upper end, and a flange surrounding the central valve wall at said lower end,
• said flange including an outermost edge and a valve-seating projection extending axially from the flange and spaced outwardly from said valve wall and between said outermost edge and the valve wall to permit said slit to flex between open infusion and aspiration configurations;
• positioning the flange against at least one flange-receiving surface of at least one of said case portions;
• interfitting said projection with said groove so as to engage said projection in said groove to thereby substantially restrict radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case and to coaxially align the valve with the one of said case portions presenting said groove to thereby position the valve wall concentrically within the fluid passageway;
• and
• attaching said case portions to thereby engagingly receive said flange between the attached case portions.