Medical Valves

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve comprising a body provided with at least three ports and a plug (20). The plug comprises a tubular barrel (21) whose outer surface (22C) of the tubular wall (22) is complementary to the inner space of the body, in which the barrel can be rotated about the central axis (Z21) of the barrel while being placed in a sealing manner. The plug comprises a channel (25) connecting the ports depending on the angular position of the barrel. The channel penetrates the tubular wall from its outer surface to its inner surface (22D) and extends inside the barrel by connecting at least two different openings to each other. These openings are each in the same part of the tubular wall extending over an angle of 180° or less. The tubular wall has an inner thickness on both sides of the axial direction of the channel which is greater in this part than in the other parts of the tubular wall.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to medical valves.

[0002] The present invention relates to medical valves, particularly but not exclusively, for use in interventional radiology. [Background technology]

[0003] The present invention relates to a medical valve with a hollow body, which is provided with at least three ports, and in which a plug is rotatably mounted, which controls the establishment of communication between at least two of the ports of the valve body. The majority of valves of this type currently available on the market are made for applications using pressures of less than 3 bar (300 kPa), for example for perfusion purposes. In any case, in certain applications, the medical valves used are exposed to much higher pressures, which may exceed 50 bar (5000 kPa) or even 100 bar (10000 kPa). This is particularly true for example in imaging-guided treatments for performing superselective hepatic arterial chemoembolization, commonly called cTACE, in which highly viscous mixtures of aqueous solutions and oils are injected as close as possible to the tumor by passing them through small blood vessels using microcatheters. For this purpose, it is necessary to drive these mixtures using pressures that can reach the high values ​​mentioned above. WO 2016 / 166346 discloses an example of a medical valve suitable for such a use context.

[0004] The higher the operating pressure, the greater the risk that a medical valve will leak, especially at the interface between the valve body and plug, which is normally air- and liquid-tight. To improve this sealing, one widely held idea is to increase the contact interference between the body and plug, especially the degree of press fit. However, this approach significantly increases the torque required for the rotational movement of the plug, making the valve somewhat impractical. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 166346 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to propose an improved medical valve which has improved leakage resistance but which does not significantly increase the constraints on the use of the valve, in particular with regard to the torque required for the rotational movement of the plug. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To this end, the subject of the invention is a medical valve as defined in claim 1.

[0008] Contrary to the technical expectation that leakage resistance can only be effectively combated by increasing the contact interference between the valve body and the barrel of the valve plug by increasing the outer diameter of the plug, the inventors have demonstrated that it is more advantageous to maintain the interference and increase the barrel thickness by decreasing the inner diameter of the barrel, rather than increasing the contact interference. In addition, the inventors have also demonstrated that it is much more advantageous to increase the barrel thickness inwardly only at the opening of the tubular wall of the barrel, where the passage inside the plug opens onto the outer surface of the tubular wall, rather than increasing the barrel thickness all around the barrel, so that the inner diameter of the barrel is off-centered with respect to its outer diameter. Thus, the present invention provides a barrel that is thickened internally, and therefore harder only in said part, where the greatest pressure is applied during use of the medical valve, while the opposite part of the barrel is not thickened, thereby distributing the pressure field more uniformly, thereby reducing the risk of leakage outside the interface between the plug and the body of the valve. With the advantages of the invention, the medical valve can withstand high pressures, in particular over 65 bar (6500 kPa), possibly even 80 bar (8000 kPa) or 100 bar (10000 kPa), without leaking, while at the same time remaining easy to operate. In fact, as will be explained in more detail later, the localized inward thickening of the barrel can exhibit various advantageous arrangements and / or can be combined with an increase in the thickness of the passage and a strengthening of the partition holding this passage, in particular to further improve the sealing performance of the medical valve according to the invention.

[0009] Further advantageous features of the medical valve according to the invention are specified in the other claims.

[0010] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given purely by way of example and made in relation to the drawings in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of a medical valve according to the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane II of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a plug for the medical valve of FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane IV of FIG. [Diagram 5] A set of insets A), B), and C), which correspond to the cross sections at lines A, B, and C in Figure 4, respectively. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a second embodiment of the plug; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] 1 and 2 show a medical valve 1, which can be used in particular, but not exclusively, in imaging-guided therapy, i.e. for performing hepatic arterial chemoembolization, commonly referred to as cTACE, possibly superselectively, performed in particular in the most distal part of the tumor angiogenesis. The medical valve 1 can be used in particular in the context of and according to the methods detailed in WO 2016 / 166346, to which the reader is referred for a detailed description of the corresponding details of the medical valve 1.

[0013] In either case, the medical valve 1 includes a body 10 and a plug 20 .

[0014] The body 10 includes a tubular barrel 11 which defines an interior space V11 as shown in FIG. 2 within which a plug 20 is housed, as will be described in more detail below.

[0015] The body 10 also includes four ports 12, 13, 14, 15, each of which extends from the barrel 11 in the opposite direction to the internal space V11, here uniformly distributed along the circumference of the barrel 11. Each port 12, 13, 14, 15 connects the internal space V11 to the outside of the body 10 via a passageway that runs laterally through the barrel 11 to a corresponding port along its length. Each port 12, 13, 14, 15 forms a connector by which the body 10 can be coupled to suitable medical hardware. In the example envisaged in the figures, the ports 12, 13, 14 respectively form a female connector, each of which is provided with an external thread 16 that can receive, for example, a Luer fitting by screw fastening. The port 15 forms itself a male connector, preferably a Luer connector, which is preferably provided with a locking ring 17. In any event, the details of ports 12-15 are non-limiting with respect to their ability to couple to medical hardware usable with medical valve 1. Similarly, each of ports 12-15 may be used interchangeably as an inlet port or an outlet port depending on the context in which medical valve 1 is used.

[0016] The plug 20, shown in isolation in Figures 3 to 5, includes a barrel 21. As can be clearly seen in Figures 4 and 5, the barrel 21 is tubular and centred on a geometric axis Z21.

[0017] When the medical valve 1 is in the assembled state, the barrel 21 is attached to the body 10 and can be rotated therein relative to the body 10 around the axis Z21 while being at least partially housed in the internal space V11. For this purpose, the barrel 21 comprises a tubular wall 22, which when the medical valve 1 is in the assembled state is completely housed in the internal space V11 and which, in the exemplary embodiment considered in the figures, forms a part of the barrel 21 extending along the axis Z21. In addition, according to an advantageous arrangement, the barrel 21 is provided at one of its two end parts 21A and 21B axially opposite each other along the axis Z21 with a gripping means 23, in this example a lever, which the user can grip by hand and rotate the plug 20 relative to the body 10 around the axis Z21. Moreover, according to a similar advantageous arrangement, the barrel 21, in its end portion 21B opposite to its end portion 21A provided with the gripping means 23, is provided with connecting and retaining means 24, in this example a flange, for holding the barrel 21 in the interior space V11, for example by clipping or heading, and for fixedly connecting the plug 20 and the body 10 to each other along the axis Z21. The tubular wall 22 interconnects the end portions 21A and 21B of the barrel 21 and extends from one axial end 22A of this tubular wall 22 to an axial end 22B of this tubular wall 22 opposite the axial end 22A along the axis Z21. These axial ends 22A and 22B face the end portions 21A and 21B of the barrel 21, respectively.

[0018] The tubular wall 22 has an outer surface 22C, which is designed complementarily to the internal space V11 so that the mounting of the barrel 21 in the internal space V11 is gas-tight and fluid-tight when the medical valve 1 is in the assembled state. This outer surface 22C extends over 360° around the axis Z21. This outer surface 22C extends along the axis Z21 over the entire axial extent of the tubular wall 22, in other words from one of the two axial ends 22A and 22B to the other. In practice, this outer surface 22C is cylindrical and / or slightly frustoconical and is centered on the axis Z21. The corresponding details of this outer surface 22C are non-limiting, in so far as the cooperation between this outer surface 22C and the internal space V11 through their complementary shapes ensures that the rotatable mounting of the barrel 21 in the internal space V11 is gas-tight and fluid-tight. In particular, the outer surface 22C of the tubular wall 22 advantageously presents a circular contour centered on this axis Z21 in any geometric plane perpendicular to Z21, which can be clearly seen in the insets A), B) and C) of FIG. 5.

[0019] Associated with its tubular shape, the tubular wall 22 is also provided with an inner surface 22D, which, unlike the outer surface 22C, faces radially toward the axis Z21. The inner surface 22D extends 360° around the axis Z21. The inner surface 22D extends along the axis Z21 over the entire axial extent of the tubular wall 22.

[0020] The plug 20 also includes a passage 25. The passage 25 is inseparable from the barrel 21 and establishes communication between at least two of the ports 12-15 of the body 10 depending on the angular position of the barrel 21 about the axis Z21 relative to the body 10. In other words, the passage 25 controls the establishment of communication between the ports 12-15 depending on the angular position of the plug 20 about the axis Z21 relative to the body 10. When the barrel 21 occupies a certain angular position, the passage 25 allows flow between at least two of the ports 12-15 while isolating the remaining ports, if any. When the barrel 21 occupies another certain angular position, the passage 25 allows flow between at least two other of the ports 12-15 while isolating the remaining ports, if any. For example, FIG. 2 clearly shows that in the angular position of barrel 21 considered in FIG. 2, passage 25 establishes communication between ports 12 and 13 and isolates ports 14 and 15.

[0021] The passage 25 passes completely through the tubular wall 22 of the barrel 21, i.e. from the outer surface 22C to the inner surface 22D of the tubular wall 22, and inside the barrel 21 the passage 25 extends in such a way that it is delimited by a passage wall 26 protruding from the inner surface 22D. The passage 25 opens onto the outer surface 22C through at least two different openings, which are interconnected by the passage 25, and which are distributed around the axis Z21 and are all located in the same part 22.1 of the tubular wall 22, which part 22.1 extends around the axis Z21 from one of these openings to another one of these openings over a maximum of about 180°, as is shown diagrammatically in the inset B) of FIG. 5. Depending on the angular position of the barrel 21 around the axis Z21 relative to the body 10, the above-mentioned openings can be aligned with the same number of respective ports among the ports 12-15 of the body 10. In the embodiment considered in figures 1-5, there are two of the abovementioned openings, respectively marked 25A and 25B. By means of them, the passage 25 advantageously allows, depending on the angular position of the barrel 21, to establish communication between only two of the ports 12-15 while isolating the other two ports. In addition, also in the embodiment considered in figures 1-5, the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22 advantageously extends over about 90° around the axis Z21, which is shown diagrammatically in the insets A), B) and C) of figure 5. The passage 25 is then advantageously L-shaped, as can be clearly seen in figure 2 and in the inset B) of figure 5. In all cases, the openings of the passage 25, e.g. openings 25A and 25B, are all positioned along the axis Z21 between and at a distance from the axial ends 22A and 22B of the tubular wall 22, and thus in the embodiment considered in these figures, the openings 25A and 25B are positioned axially midway between the axial ends 22A and 22B.

[0022] The passage wall 26 extends at least partially from the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22, which can be seen clearly in Figures 4 and in the inset B) of Figure 5. In the embodiment considered here, the passage wall 26 extends from the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22 and projects radially with respect to the axis Z21 from the inner surface 22D of the tubular wall 22.

[0023] In order to strengthen the structure formed by the passage wall 26, especially inside the barrel 21, the plug 20 advantageously includes a partition 27 which, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 4, extends perpendicular to the axis Z21 and connects the passage wall 26 with the part 22.2 of the tubular wall diametrically opposite the part 22.1.

[0024] Before describing in more detail the specific dimensional aspects of the plug 20, it should be noted that the barrel 21, the passage 25 and the partition 27 are advantageously manufactured as a single part, forming in this example the whole of the plug 20, which in this example is made of a plastic material. This plastic material is in particular molded by injection molding. In any case, the plastic material from which the plug 20 is made advantageously allows it to fit into the internal space V11 of the body 10 through slight deformations. The plastic material of the plug 20 is preferably chosen from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and more preferably chosen to be made of polyoxymethylene (POM).

[0025] Furthermore, the plastic material of the plug 20 is advantageously different from the material of which the barrel 11, and more generally the body 10, is made, which improves the rotational properties of the plug 20 in particular in the body 10. In particular, the barrel 11 is advantageously made of a plastic material, many examples of which are given in WO 2016 / 166346, to which the reader is referred. The barrel 11 is preferably made of polyamide or of a polyamide-containing plastic material.

[0026] In any case, the materials from which the body 10 and the plug 20 are made are able to withstand the mechanical and chemical stresses to which the medical valve 1 is expected to be subjected. The mechanical stresses are essentially the shear deformations and pressures applied to the medical valve 1 during its manufacture and its use. The chemical stresses are essentially associated with the products that are expected to circulate inside the medical valve 1. In practice, the above-mentioned materials are resistant to all pharmaceutical products, including oil-based products, in particular the product Lipiodol®.

[0027] Returning now to the description of the particular dimensional aspects of the plug 20, Figures 4 and 5 clearly show that the tubular wall 22 does not have a constant thickness around the axis Z21. More specifically, the tubular wall 22 is thicker inwardly at its portion 22.1 than in the rest of the tubular wall 22. This essentially means that the tubular wall 22 is provided at its portion 22.1 with an inward thickening compared to the rest of the tubular wall 22. This inward thickening extends along the axis Z21 over both sides of the passage 25 or, as shown here, over the entire axial extent of the tubular wall 22. As a result, as can be clearly seen in the insets A) and C) of Figure 5, the inner surface 22D of the tubular wall 22 presents a transverse profile that is on both axial sides of the passage 25, i.e. in any plane perpendicular to the axis Z21 and that is off-centered with respect to the axis Z21.

[0028] Thanks to the inward thickening of the tubular wall 22 of the barrel 21, located in the portion 22.1 of said tubular wall 22, the leakage resistance of the medical valve 1 is significantly improved. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors have discovered that this localized inward thickening increases the contact pressure at the interface between the tubular wall 22 of the barrel 11 and the internal space V11, particularly in the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22, which tends to apply on both sides in the axial direction of the passage 25, thus forming two respective sealing barriers that control leakage at said interface, thereby minimizing the outward leakage of said interface during use of the medical valve 1, including use at high operating pressures, typically exceeding 65 bar (6500 kPa). In this way, the improved leakage resistance is localized in the area of ​​the plug 20 that is most highly pressured during use of the medical valve 1, while the pressure field is simultaneously spread to the opposite area of ​​the plug 20. At the same time, the torque required to rotate the plug 20 relative to the body 10 about the axis Z21 is consequently not significantly affected.

[0029] In the following, the term "barrel thickness" is used to describe the dimension of the tubular wall 22, radially with respect to the axis Z21, separating the outer surface 22C and the inner surface 22D of the tubular wall 22 from each other. As can be clearly seen in Figures 4 and 5, where the barrel thickness is indicated with the symbol E, this barrel thickness E varies, advantageously continuously, around the axis Z21 and is thicker in the portion 22.1 than in the remaining part of the tubular wall 22. Thus, in Figure 4, the barrel thickness E exhibits different values ​​in the left and right halves of this figure, respectively. Depending on the geometric details of the outer surface 22C and the inner surface 22D of the tubular wall 22, the barrel thickness E may not be strictly constant at a given point around the circumference of the tubular wall 22 and throughout the axial extent of the tubular wall 22, regardless of the position of that point about the axis Z21; however, it should be noted that in a plane given perpendicular to the axis Z21, the barrel thickness E is thicker at the portion 22.1 than in other portions of the tubular wall 22, regardless of the position of that plane throughout the axial extent of the tubular wall 22, as can be clearly seen in FIG.

[0030] In the embodiment considered in Figures 1 to 5, the barrel thickness E varies, advantageously continuously, around the axis Z21 between a maximum value Emax reached at a first point on the circumference of the tubular wall 22, located in the portion 22.1, midway between the openings 25A and 25B around the axis Z1, and a minimum value Emin reached at a second point on the circumference of the tubular wall 22, diametrically opposite to the first point mentioned above. These are shown in Figure 5.

[0031] According to an optional arrangement implemented in the embodiment considered in Figures 1 to 5 aimed at further increasing the leak resistance of the medical valve 1, the passage wall 26 and the partition 27 exhibit specific dimensions as detailed below.

[0032] The term "passage thickness" is used to describe the axial dimension of the passage walls 26 on either axial side of the passage 25. The passage thickness is labelled F in Figure 4. The term "partition thickness" is used to describe the axial dimension of the partition 27. The partition thickness is labelled G in Figure 4.

[0033] In a first advantageous arrangement, the passage thickness F is smaller than the minimum value of the barrel thickness E in the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22, and the partition thickness G is smaller than the minimum value of the barrel thickness E in the portion 22.2 of the tubular wall 22. In this case, this avoids the phenomenon of shrinkage cavities during the production of the plug 20. Of course, the passage thickness F and the partition thickness G must exhibit minimum values ​​associated with the fact that the plastic material can fill the corresponding moulding cavities without the risk of running out of material.

[0034] According to another advantageous arrangement, the partition thickness G is greater than the passage thickness F. This then limits the deformation of the passage wall 26 perpendicular to the axis Z21 when pressure is applied to the passage 25, i.e. when a fluid under high pressure, typically more than 65 bar (6500 kPa), flows through the passage 25.

[0035] In another advantageous arrangement, the passage thickness F is equal to 40% plus or minus 10% of the minimum value of the barrel thickness E in the tubular wall section 22.1, and the partition thickness G is equal to 85% plus or minus 10% of the minimum value of the barrel thickness E in the section 22.2 of the tubular wall 22. The inventors have demonstrated that in this way the deformation of the passage 25 under pressure is controlled, avoiding both a large deformation of the passage wall 26 in the direction transverse to the axis Z21 and a large deformation of the edges of the openings 25A and 25B at the interface between the tubular wall 22 of the barrel 11 and the internal space V11.

[0036] As mentioned above, the openings at which the passage 25 opens onto the outer surface 22C of the tubular wall 22 of the barrel 21, e.g., openings 25A and 25B, may be provided in a number greater than two. Similarly, the angular extent of the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22 is not limited to about 90°, as long as this angular extent remains less than about 180°. As a result, the passage 25 may exhibit various other geometric shapes other than an L-shape. For example, this aspect is shown in FIG. 6, where an alternative embodiment of the plug 20 is shown and designated 20′.

[0037] The plug 20' is similar to the plug 20, but differs therefrom structurally, as will be explained below, in that it comprises, on the one hand, a barrel 21', which is functionally similar to the barrel 21, in particular centred on a geometric axis Z21' functionally similar to the axis Z21, and which comprises a tubular wall 22' functionally similar to the tubular wall 22, and, on the other hand, a passage 25', which is functionally similar to the passage 25, but which differs structurally from the passage 25 in that it opens onto the outer surface 22C' of the tubular wall 22', not via two openings, but via three openings, respectively marked 25A', 25B' and 25C', which can be clearly seen in the inset B) of FIG. The openings 25A', 25B', 25C' are interconnected by passages 25' and are distributed around the axis Z21', while all being within the same portion 22.1' of the tubular wall 22'. The portion 22.1' of the tubular wall 22' is functionally similar to the portion 22.1 of the tubular wall 22, but structurally differs from it in that the portion 22.1' extends over approximately 180°. In this case, the openings 25A', 25B', 25C' are substantially uniformly distributed around the axis Z21', whereby the passage 25' is T-shaped, which can be clearly seen in the inset B) of FIG.

[0038] Following similar considerations as those detailed above with respect to the plug 20, the tubular wall 22' of the barrel 21' of the plug 20' is thicker inwardly at its portion 22.1' than in the other portions of the tubular wall 22', as can be clearly seen in Fig. 6. Thus, the barrel thickness of the barrel 21', marked E', varies, advantageously continuously, around the axis Z21' and is thicker at the portion 22.1' than in the other portions of the tubular wall 22'.

[0039] Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the barrel thickness E′ is about the axis Z21′: a maximum value Emax' about the axis Z21' reached and substantially maintained over the entire portion 22.1'; a minimum value Emin' reached at a point on the circumference of the tubular wall 22', which point is substantially in the middle of the portion 22.2' of the tubular wall 22', which is the complement of the portion 22.1' of the tubular wall 22', about the axis Z21', as can be clearly seen in the insets A) and c) of FIG. 6; , preferably continuously.

[0040] As a result, as can be clearly seen in the insets A) and C) of Figure 6, the inner surface 22D' of the tubular wall 22' exhibits an egg-shaped transverse profile on both axial sides of the passage 25' toward a point on the periphery of the tubular wall 22' associated with the minimum value Emin'.

[0041] Additionally, although not repeated in detail here, the optional considerations relating to passage walls 26 and partitions 27 discussed in detail above with respect to plug 20 apply mutatis mutandis to plug 20'.

[0042] Finally, various configurations and variations of the medical valve 1 described thus far are also envisioned. For example: the amplitude of the rotational movement of the plug 20 or 20' relative to the body 10 can be constrained by a specific arrangement of the medical valve 1 in order to prevent the establishment of communication between certain ones of the ports 12-15, as is described in detail for example in WO 2016 / 166346, to which the reader is referred; a medical valve 1 provided with four ports 12-15 may in particular be designed as a simple three-way valve; and / or The number of ports, such as ports 12 to 15, is not limited to four but may be equal to three or equal to five or more, and each of these various ports may be formed without distinction as either a female connector or a male connector.

Claims

1. A medical valve (1), a body (10) defining an internal space (V11) and provided with at least three ports (12, 13, 14, 15), each connecting said internal space with the exterior of said body; - a plug (20; 20'), a barrel (21; 21'), said barrel being tubular and centred on an axis (Z21; Z21') and including a tubular wall (22; 22') provided with an external surface (22C; 22C') complementary to said internal space (V11) and enabling said barrel to rotate relative to said body (10) about said axis whilst being contained in said internal space in an air-tight and liquid-tight manner; a passage (25; 25') establishing communication between at least two of said ports (12, 13, 14, 15) depending on the angular position about said axis (Z21; Z21') of said barrel (21; 21') relative to said body (10), said passage penetrating said tubular wall (22; 22') from said outer surface (22C; 22C') to its inner surface (22D; 22D') and, inside the barrel, at least a passage extending between two openings (25A, 25B; 25A', 25B', 25C') which open onto the outer surface of the tubular wall through said openings, said openings being different from one another and all in the same first portion (22.1; 22.1') ​​of the tubular wall, said first portion extending from one of said openings to the other one of said openings by more than about 180° around said axis; A medical valve comprising:

2. A medical valve, comprising: a first portion (22.1:22.1') ​​of said tubular wall (22:22') that is thicker inwardly on both axial sides of said passage (25;25') than in the remaining portions of said tubular wall.

2. 2. The medical valve of claim 1, wherein only two openings (25A, 25B) are provided.

3. 3. The medical valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first portion (22.1) of the tubular wall (22) extends through approximately 90° around the axis (Z21).

4. 3. The medical valve of claim 2, wherein the first portion (22.1) of the tubular wall (22) extends through approximately 90° about the axis (Z21) and the passage (25) is L-shaped.

5. The medical valve of claim 1, wherein three openings (25A', 25B', 25C') are provided.

6. 6. The medical valve according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the first portion (22.1') ​​of the tubular wall (22') extends over approximately 180° around the axis (Z21').

7. 7. The medical valve according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface (22C; 22C') of the tubular wall (22; 22') presents, in any plane perpendicular to the axis (Z21; Z21'), a circular profile centred on said axis, and wherein the tubular wall (22; 22') presents a dimension radially with respect to the axis (Z21; Z21'), called a barrel thickness (E; E'), which separates the outer surface (22C; 22C') and the inner surface (22D; 22D') of the tubular wall from one another and which varies around the axis, being thicker in the first portion (22.1; 22.1') ​​than in the other portions of the tubular wall.

8. the outer surface (22C) of the tubular wall (22) presents, in any plane perpendicular to the axis (Z21), a circular profile centred on the axis; The tubular wall (22) presents a dimension, radial to the axis (Z21), called the barrel thickness (E), which separates the outer surface (22C) and the inner surface (22D) of the tubular wall from one another and which varies around the axis, being thicker in the first portion (22.1) than in the other portions of the tubular wall; and The barrel thickness (E) is about the axis (Z21), a maximum value (Emax) reached at a first point on the circumference of said tubular wall (22), said point being within said first portion (22.1) and being substantially midway between said two openings (25A, 25B) about said axis (Z21); the minimum value (Emin) reached at a second point on the circumference of the tubular wall, diametrically opposite the first point; Varies between 5. A medical valve according to claim 2 or 4.

9. said outer surface (22C') of said tubular wall (22') presents, in any plane perpendicular to said axis (Z21'), a circular profile centred on said axis; The tubular wall (22') presents a dimension, radial to the axis (Z21'), called the barrel thickness (E'), which separates the outer surface (22C') and the inner surface (22D') of the tubular wall from one another and which varies around the axis, being thicker in the first portion (22.1') ​​than in the other portions of the tubular wall; and The barrel thickness (E') is about the axis (Z21') a maximum value (Emax') reached and substantially maintained over the entirety of said first portion (22.1') ​​about said axis (Z21'); a minimum value (Emin') reached at a point on the circumference of said tubular wall (22'), said point being substantially in the middle of a portion (22.2') of said tubular wall that is complementary to said first portion (22.1'), about said axis (Z21'); Varies between 6. The medical valve of claim 5.

10. The medical valve according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the barrel thickness (E; E') varies continuously around the axis (Z21; Z21').

11. said passage (25; 25') is delimited inside said barrel (21; 21') by a passage wall (26) extending from said first portion (22.1; 22.1') ​​of said tubular wall (22; 22') and projecting radially from said inner surface (22D; 22D') of said tubular wall; said passage wall (26) presents, on both axial sides of said passage (25; 25'), an axial dimension called the passage thickness (F), said passage thickness (F) being smaller than the minimum of said barrel thickness (E; E') in said portion (22.1; 22.1') ​​of said tubular wall (22; 22'); said plug (20; 20') also comprises a partition (27) which extends perpendicular to said axis (Z21; Z21') and connects said passage wall (26) with a second part (22.2; 22.2') of said tubular wall (22; 22') diametrically opposite said first part (22.1; 22.1') ​​of said tubular wall; said partition (27) exhibits an axial dimension called the partition thickness (G), said partition thickness (G) being smaller than the minimum of said barrel thickness (E; E') in said second portion (22.2; 22.1') ​​of said tubular wall (22; 22'); The medical valve according to any one of claims 7 to 10.

12. 12. The medical valve of claim 11, wherein the partition thickness (G) is greater than the passage thickness (F).

13. said passage thickness (F) is equal to 40% plus or minus 10% of the minimum value of said barrel thickness (E; E') in said first portion (22.1; 22.1') ​​of said tubular wall (22; 22'); and said partition thickness (G) is equal to 85% plus or minus 10% of said minimum value of said barrel thickness (E; E') in said second part (22.2; 22.2') of said tubular wall; 13. A medical valve according to claim 11 or 12.

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