A Modular Heat-Shrink-Packaged Check Valve With High Pressure Shutoff

A novel check valve featuring adhesiveless packaging in heat-shrink tubing and dual regulation of in-plane flow is presented. The modular design enables simple replacement of valve components to modify valve behavior and performance. The specific design is intended for low-profile fluidic applications requiring flow control, such as drug delivery devices. The heat-shrink packaging scheme is extremely robust and can withstand >; 2000 mmHg (266.6 kPa) without leakage. Three different valve geometries were investigated and evaluated with theoretical and finite-element modeling analyses. Repeated flow regulation experiments on a fully packaged, hydrated valve demonstrated flow regulation between 25 and 2000 mmHg (3.33-266.6 kPa) and leak-free closure up to 500 mmHg (66.7 kPa) of reverse pressure with no observed stiction. The valve closing time constants were also determined.