Syringe for Sequential Expression of Different Liquids

• US 20120016313A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medical Components, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medical Components, Inc.
• Inventors: Nalesso, Federico, Fisher, Mark S., Wall, W. Shaun
• Granted Patent: US 8,771,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/191
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1787 Syringes for sequential delivery of fluids, e.g. first medicament and then flushing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3123 having air entrapping or venting means, e.g. purging channels in pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1077 Adapters, e.g. couplings adapting a connector to one or several other connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/195 by the needle tip shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/20 Closure caps or plugs for connectors or open ends of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/221 Frangible or pierceable closures within tubing A61M39/14 takes precedence; frangible closures for containers A61J1/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/19 having more than one chamber , e.g. including a manifold coupling two parallelly aligned syringes through separate channels to a common discharge assembly surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/284 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/286 upon internal pressure increase, e.g. pierced or burst A61M5/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31501 Means for blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston A61M5/5013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31551 including axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3158 performed by axially moving actuator operated by user, e.g. an injection button
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31591 Single dose, i.e. individually set dose administered only once from the same medicament reservoir, e.g. including single stroke limiting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31596 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing

Abstract

A device (10,110,210) for the expression of liquids, such as for the maintenance treatment of vascular catheters. A syringe (16;116a,116b;216) has a support structure (15,215) and includes at least two separate compartments (11,12;111,112;211,212) in which liquids for treating the lumen (L,283) of a catheter (C,280) with which the device is associated. The syringe further includes a closure plug (13,213) to be associated with the lumen being treated, which is coupled, by virtue of a releasable securement arrangement, to support structure (15,215). At least one plunger (16;116a,116b;216) is also included for infusing, in preset order, the different treatment liquids into the lumen to be treated, and the syringe further includes a duct (17,217) which is in fluid communication with the two compartments and is arranged through a through hole through the closure plug (13,213) in order to allow access of the treatment liquid to the interior of the lumen (L,283) upon activation of the plunger.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A device for expressing liquids by a medical practitioner during maintenance treatment of an implanted catheter, comprising:

a support structure having at least two separate compartments for containing respective liquids;

a distal wall traversing the support structure proximate a distal end thereof;

a duct extending through the distal wall enabling liquid to exit the at least two compartments;

at least one plunger movably affixed to the support structure proximate a proximal end thereof for infusing liquids from the device through the duct upon activation of the at least one plunger; and

a closure plug removably attached to the support structure at the distal end thereof by easily detachable connections for connecting with a catheter for maintenance treatment thereof and thereafter closing the open catheter proximal end, the closure plug having an exposed connection section whereby the closure plug is adapted to be mechanically connected with the catheter proximal end, and the closure plug having therewithin a transverse resealable membrane with a selectively openable through passage to allow passage of liquids through the duct therethrough to enter the catheter proximal end during treatment.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the support structure contains at least two liquids in respective ones of the compartments, and the device is adapted to infuse the at least two liquids sequentially in a preselected order into the catheter.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein one of said respective liquids is a physiological liquid and another is an anticoagulant, and the physiological liquid is infused first and the anticoagulant is infused thereafter.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the support structure defines a chamber containing the at least two compartments, and the at least two compartments are aligned in series with a first compartment being distal of the second compartment.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the device includes a single plunger that defines a proximal end of the second compartment, the distal wall of the support structure defines a distal wall of the first compartment, and a movable partition separates the first and second compartments, all such that activation of the plunger applies pressure to the liquid in the second compartment causing distal movement of the movable partition which pressurizes the liquid in the first compartment to be expressed through the duct to exit the chamber for entering the catheter.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the movable partition includes a pierceable portion and the distal wall includes a piercing portion protruding toward the movable partition in alignment with the pierceable portion, such that upon expression of the liquid in the first compartment therefrom, the movable partition moves into abutment with the distal wall such that the piercing portion pierces the pierceable portion establishing an exit opening through which liquid in the second compartment exits the support structure through the duct for entering the catheter.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the device includes a single plunger that defines a proximal end of the second compartment, the distal wall of the support structure defines a distal wall of a third, empty compartment of the chamber distal of the first compartment, a first movable partition separates the first compartment and the third compartment, and a second movable partition separates the first and second compartments, all such that activation of the plunger applies pressure to the liquid in the second compartment causing distal movement of the second movable partition which pressurizes the liquid in the first compartment causing distal movement of the first movable partition into and through the third compartment to be expressed through the duct to exit the chamber for entering the liquid-receiving device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the distal wall includes a needle affixed thereto disposed in the duct and protruding distally therefrom a short distance for penetrating the transverse resealable membrane of the closure plug to establish fluid communication between the device and the liquid-receiving device, the distal wall is a portion of a distal body section that includes a distally extending side wall that defines a plug-receiving cavity distally of the distal wall in which the needle is disposed, a distal tip of the needle being recessed within the distal body section'"'"'s distal end, and the needle protruding proximally from the distal body section a short distance to a sharp proximal tip for penetrating a transverse resealable membrane of the first movable partition to establish fluid communication with the first compartment when the first movable partition is caused to move distally by activation of the plunger, with the proximal needle tip thereafter penetrating a second transverse resealable membrane of the second movable partition to establish fluid communication with the second compartment when the second movable partition is caused to move distally by further activation of the plunger, all such that liquids in the first and second compartments are sequentially expressed from the device through the duct for entering the liquid-receiving device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the distal body section defines at least one aperture through the side wall thereof enabling viewing of the distal tip of the needle.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the distal body section includes a cap collar affixed thereto at its distal end, the cap collar and distal body section adjacent thereto defining a ring seat wherein a plug-gripping ring is contained that includes an array of gripping sections extending radially inwardly a short distance to be engaged by side surfaces of the closure plug to establish a friction fit therewith when the closure plug is urged into the plug-receiving cavity.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein the distal wall includes a needle affixed thereto disposed in the duct and protruding distally therefrom a short distance for penetrating a transverse resealable membrane of the closure plug to establish fluid communication between the device and the liquid-receiving device, while a distal tip of the needle remains recessed within the support structure'"'"'s distal end.

14. The device of claim 2, wherein the device further comprises a metering section for adjusting an amount of at least one of the respective liquids in one of the compartments.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the metering section comprises an internally threaded ring screwed onto the proximal end of a said plunger, the ring defining an adjustable stroke limit for the plunger by abutting a proximal end of the support structure, graphic references that indicate the amount of liquid that can be infused being disposed on the ring and the plunger, and the ring being selectively rotatable to select the desired liquid amount, whereby the ring raises or lowers the stroke limit of the plunger by a distance associated with the selected amount indicated by the graphic references that in turn limits the amount of liquid expressed from the one of the compartments.

16. The device of claim 2, wherein the support structure defines a chamber containing the at least two compartments, and the at least two compartments are aligned in parallel, each of the compartments having a respective plunger for expressing liquid therefrom, and the support structure providing a common access to the duct for liquid from each of the compartments to exit the device for entering the catheter.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein the closure plug is adapted to be securable by a practitioner to the distal end of the support structure prior to coupling of the closure plug to the catheter proximal end.

32. The device of claim 11, wherein the closure plug includes a larger diameter proximal section having a first diameter and an outer flange extending distally therefrom having a second diameter less than the first diameter, and the gripping sections engage the closure plug outer flange upon urging of the closure plug into the plug-containing cavity, such that the gripping sections must be deflected against spring bias for the larger diameter proximal section of the closure plug to be removed from the support structure distal end, for enhanced securement of the closure plug within the plug-containing cavity.

33. The device of claim 11, wherein the closure plug includes a practitioner-grippable annular ring surrounding its distal end for facilitating removal of the closure plug from the support structure.

13. (canceled)

18. A device for expressing liquids by a practitioner into an opening of a liquid-receiving device, comprising:

a support structure having distal and proximal ends and defining a chamber that includes at least two compartments for containing respective liquids, the chamber further including a partition between and separating each of the at least two compartments from others thereof;

a bottom wall traversing the chamber near the distal end defining a wall of at least one compartment, and a duct extending through the bottom chamber wall for fluid communication between the said at least two compartments and a liquid-receiving device;

at least one plunger for infusing at least one said respective liquid from a respective compartment through the duct and into the liquid-receiving device, the plunger being accessible by the practitioner,

wherein the support structure, the at least two chambers, the duct and the at least one plunger are adapted to infuse in preselected sequence respective said fluids through the duct for entering the liquid-receiving device, and

a closure plug releasably affixable to the support structure distal end recessed thereinto and having an exposed connection section whereby the closure plug is adapted to be connected with a liquid-receiving device, and the closure plug having a passage therethrough including a penetrable and resealable transverse sealing membrane traversing the through passage at a location therealong thereby occluding the through passage when not penetrated;

the closure plug being releasably securable to the support structure by easily detachable connections to be removable from the support structure and remain secured about the proximal end of the liquid-receiving device following completion of the infusion of the respective liquids, enabling removal of the support structure from the liquid-receiving device.

19. An arrangement for expression of liquid into an opening of a liquid-receiving device by a practitioner, comprising:

a support structure including at least one compartment for containing a liquid therein and further defining a plug-containing cavity at the distal end thereof;

a plunger activatable with respect to the at least one compartment for expression of the liquid from the compartment and into a liquid-receiving device; and

a closure plug containing a transverse sealing membrane and having an exposed connection section whereby the closure plug is adapted to be connected to a proximal end of the device and being further adapted to be removably contained in the plug-receiving cavity by easily detachable connections until conclusion of liquid expression for entering the device,

whereafter upon disconnection of the device from the support structure, the closure plug is easily detached from the support structure and remains connected to the device for sealing thereof, and is resultingly withdrawn from the plug-containing cavity.

21. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the support structure is adapted to be manually held and the plunger is adapted to be manually activated.

24. The arrangement of claim 19, further including a distal body section of the support section, the distal body section defining the plug-containing cavity distally of a distal wall, the distal wall traversing the distal end of an empty compartment distally of the at least one liquid-containing compartment, and the arrangement further including a duct extending through the distal body section within which is affixed a needle that extends from the distal end of the at least one liquid-containing compartment through the empty compartment and through the duct into the plug-containing cavity through which liquid is to be expressed.

25. The arrangement of claim 24, wherein the easily detachable connections are defined between the distal end of the distal body section and the closure plug.

26. The arrangement of claim 24, wherein the closure plug includes a practitioner-grippable annular ring surrounding its distal end for facilitating removal of the closure plug from the support structure.

27. The arrangement of claim 24, wherein the distal body section includes at least one aperture through a side wall thereof enabling viewing of the distal tip of the needle by the practitioner for assurance of expression of liquid therefrom.

28. The arrangement of claim 27, wherein upon insertion of the closure plug into the plug-containing cavity, the distal needle tip projects distally of the transverse sealing membrane of the closure plug.

29. The arrangement of claim 28, wherein the distal body section includes a cap collar affixed thereto at its distal end, the cap collar and distal body section adjacent thereto defining a ring seat wherein a plug-gripping ring is contained that includes an array of gripping sections extending radially inwardly a short distance to be engaged by side surfaces of the closure plug, comprising the easily detachable connections, to establish a friction fit therewith when the closure plug is urged into the plug-receiving cavity by the practitioner prior to expression of liquid into the liquid-receiving device.

30. The arrangement of claim 29, wherein the closure plug includes a larger diameter proximal section having a first diameter and an outer flange extending distally therefrom having a second diameter less than the first diameter, and the gripping sections engage the closure plug outer flange upon urging of the closure plug into the plug-containing cavity, such that the gripping sections must be deflected against spring bias for the larger diameter proximal section of the closure plug to be removed from the support structure distal end, for enhanced securement of the closure plug within the plug-containing cavity.

31. The arrangement of claim 30, wherein the outer flange of the closure plug is dimensioned and configured to be coupled to the liquid-receiving device, and the closure plug further includes an inner flange extending distally therefrom surrounding the distal needle tip and sized to enter an opening into the liquid-receiving device.

20. (canceled)

22-23. -23. (canceled)