| CPC A61M 27/006 (2013.01) [A61M 5/14244 (2013.01); A61M 5/16881 (2013.01); A61M 39/24 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

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1. A valve assembly configured to control flow of fluid therethrough, the valve assembly comprising:
a housing, an inlet passageway through which fluid enters the housing at an inlet flow rate, and an outlet passageway through which fluid exits the housing at an outlet flow rate;
a flexible flow control member within the housing, the flexible flow control member defining an inner fluid chamber within the flexible flow control member and an inlet opening to the inner fluid chamber, the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway are in fluid communication with the inner fluid chamber; and
an outer fluid chamber defined between the flexible flow control member and an inner surface of the housing;
wherein the valve assembly is configured such that fluid flows into the outer fluid chamber from the inlet passageway, from the outer fluid chamber into the inner fluid chamber through the inlet opening defined by the flexible flow control member, and out of the inner fluid chamber through the outlet passageway; and
wherein the flexible flow control member is configured to flex inward and shrink the inner fluid chamber in response to a pressure decrease in the inner fluid chamber relative to the outer fluid chamber resulting from an increase in the inlet flow rate to maintain the outlet flow rate at a constant rate.
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