An apparatus to control blood flow through an intravenous catheter inaccordance with the present invention mayinclude an intravenous catheter adapter and a blood control valve. The bloodcontrol valve may be retained within a hollowinteri-or region of the intravenous catheter adapter, and may include aresilient outer shell and an inner valve portion extending inwardlytherefrom. The inner valve portion may include a slit configured to open, coin-purse style, upon radially compressing the resilientouter shell. In some embodiments, a compression feature may be integrated intothe intravenous catheter adapter to radiallycom-press the resilient outer shell. A Luer device, for example, may beinserted into the intravenous catheter adapter to translate theblood control valve to a position substantially corresponding to thecompression feature, thereby actuating the compressionfea-ture to open the slit.
