Rotary valve especially useful in a medical system including a flow-directed venous catheter

A rotary valve comprising

• a housing having a bore extending partly therethrough that is bounded by a surface of revolution, said housing having a plurality of ports opening into its bore through the side wall of the housing, said ports being disposed in cooperating pairs, each pair being spaced from each other pair, and
• a valve plug movably mounted in said bore for rotary movement therein, and having passageways therein, said passageways being positioned in one orientation of said plug to be in communication with said pairs of ports respectively to place each port in communication with the other, cooperating member of its pair,
• said valve plug also being formed with other passageways therein that are disposed, upon proper orientation of the plug in the housing by relative rotation thereof, each to be in communication with one port of one pair and another port from another pair, respectively, to place said last-named ports in communication with each other,
• wherein said ports are axially spaced relative to said bore, said passageways comprise one passageway for each said pair of ports and are formed to extend transversely through said valve plug respectively, said plug being formed with a surface thereof that confronts and engages the surface of the bore of the housing, said plug being formed in its said surface with a plurality of channels, said channels providing respectively said other passageways that can provide communication between one port of one pair and another port from another pair,
• wherein there are two of said pairs of ports, two of said transversely-extending passageways, and two of said channels,
• and wherein said plug is formed with an outer face and with another passageway that extends partly axially through said plug from said outer face and partly transversely of said plug, said transversely-extending passageway portion being positioned so that upon proper orientation of said plug in the housing by relative rotation thereof, the transversely extending passageway portion is placed in communication with one of said housing ports and the remaining housing ports are sealed closed by the surface of said plug.

A rotary valve comprising

• a generally cup-shaped housing that has a generally cylindrical bore, said housing being formed so that said bore is open at one of its ends and closed at its opposite end, said housing having a pluraity of ports opening into its bore, said ports being disposed in cooperating pairs, each said pair of ports being spaced axially of said bore from each other said pair of ports, and
• a valve plug that is engageable in said bore and that has a generally cylindrical surface that confronts and engages against the surface of the bore in substantially fluid-tight relation, said valve plug being rotatable in said bore,
• said plug being formed with passageways extending transversely thereof and corresponding in number to the number of said pairs of ports, said passageways being spaced from each other axially of said bore by a distance corresponding to the axial distance between the ports in said pairs of ports, said passageways being positioned, in one orientation of said plug, to be in communication with said pairs of ports respectively to place each port in communication with the other, cooperating member of its pair,
• said plug also being formed with means to limit the extent of its insertion into said bore so as to cause the said passageways to be positionable, upon proper orientation of the plug, in alignment with said ports respectively, and
• said valve plug also being formed with other passageways therein that are disposed, upon orientation of the plug in the housing, each to be in communication with one port of one pair and another port from another pair, respectively, to place said last named ports in communication with each other,
• wherein there are two of said pairs of said ports, two of said transversely extending passageways, and two of said channels formed in the surface of said plug,
• wherein the ports of each said pair of ports are diametrically opposed to each other, and said transversely extending passageways are disposed to extend diametrically of said plug,
• wherein said other passageways are channels formed in the generally cylindrical surface of said plug,
• and wherein said plug is formed with an outer face and with an additional passageway that extends partly axially therethrough from said outer face and partly transversely thereof, said transverse portion being positioned so that upon proper orientation of said plug it is placed in communication with one of said housing ports and the remaining housing ports are sealed closed by the surface of said plug.

A rotary valve comprising

• a housing having a bore extending partly therethrough that is bounded by a surface of revolution that is defined by the side wall of the housing, said housing having a plurality of ports opening into its bore through the side wall of the housing, said ports being disposed in cooperating pairs, each pair being spaced from each other pair, and
• a valve plug movably mounted in said bore for rotary movement therein, and having transversely-extending passageways therein, said passageways being positioned in one orientation of said plug to be in communication with said pairs of ports respectively to place each port in communication with the other, cooperating member of its pair,
• said valve plug also being formed with additional passageways therein that each extend partially axially through the plug and partially transversely therethrough respectively, one said transversely extending passageway portion being disposed in axial alignment with one of said pairs of housing ports, and one other said transversely extending passageway portion being disposed in axial alignment with one other of said pairs of housing ports, said transversely-extending passageway portions being positioned respectively so that upon proper orientation of the plug in the housing by relative rotation thereof, a single one of said transversely-extending passageway portions can be placed in communication with one of said housing ports, and the other of said transversely extending passageway portions and the remaining housing ports are sealed closed by the surface of said plug,
• said rotary valve further comprising separate, readily releasable means for sealing closed each said axially-extending passageway at or adjacent said outer face of the valve plug, and
• wherein said valve plug is also formed with other passageways therein that are disposed, upon proper orientation of the plug in the housing by relative rotation thereof, each to be in communication with one port of one of said pairs of ports and another port from another of said pairs of ports, respectively, to place said last-named ports in commumication with each other.