Abstract: A low profile inflation valve located inside a balloon catheter that enables a user to inflate the balloon and exchange other medical apparatus over the catheter while the balloon remains inflated. The low profile inflation valve of the present invention includes a first tube having a lumen and at least one region of decreased inner diameter, and a structure movably located inside the lumen of said first tube, wherein said region of decreased inner diameter of said first tube forms a seal with a portion of said structure.

Abstract: A low profile inflation valve includes a first tube having a lumen and at least one region of decreased inner diameter, and a structure, which may be a tube, movably located inside the lumen. The region of decreased inner diameter of the first tube forms a seal with a portion of the structure. A method of making a low profile inflation valve using a first tube and second tube comprises the steps of creating an aperture in at least one side of the second tube; placing the second tube inside the first tube, the first tube being made of thermoplastic material; applying heat to a localized area of the first tube; and compressing the first tube to form a region of reduced internal diameter, the reduced diameter forming a seal with the outside diameter of the second tube.