Stretch Valve Balloon Catheter and Methods for Producing and Using Same

A safety catheter, comprising:

• a flexible, multi-lumen shaft having an outer diameter, a distal tip, and a proximal catheter end with a drain end, the multi-lumen shaft defining:
• a drain lumen extending through the shaft and shaped to drain fluid adjacent the distal tip therethrough and out the drain end;
• a distal hollow balloon portion defining a balloon interior and having at least one inflation port fluidically connected to the balloon interior, the balloon portion inflating outwardly to a diameter greater than the outer diameter of the shaft when inflated with inflation fluid;
• at least one inflation lumen parallel to the drain lumen and fluidically connected to the balloon interior through the at least one inflation port, the at least one inflation lumen shaped to inflate the balloon interior with the inflation fluid;
• and
• a drainage port fluidically connecting the balloon interior to the drain lumen;
• and
• a hollow stretch valve:
• coaxially disposed in the drain lumen and shaped to permit fluid to pass therethrough;
• having a distal sliding portion slidably disposed within the drain lumen;
• positioned in the drain lumen such that:
• in a steady state, the stretch valve prevents the inflation fluid from passing through the drainage port;
• and
• in a stretched state when the proximal catheter end is stretched, the distal sliding portion slides within the drain lumen to permit the inflation fluid to pass through the drainage port and into the drain lumen.