Method of using a syringe

• US 8,771,254 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARPENTER, WILLIAM R
• Application Number:
  US13/180,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 604/82, 604 86- 89, 604/187, 604/191, 604/201, 604/203, 604/205, 604/241, 604/244, 604/416, 604/167.03, 604/500, 604/508
• US Class Current: 604/508
• 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. A method for providing maintenance treatment to a catheter utilizing a syringe device having:

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 the 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 a distal end thereof,

the support structure, the at least two compartments and the at least one plunger being adapted to infuse the respective liquids sequentially in a preselected order into the catheter lumen;

the method comprising the steps of;

connecting to the distal end of the syringe device, with the closure plug already attached to the support structure, to a proximal end of a catheter such that the closure plug is connected to the catheter proximal end and the duct is in fluid communication with a lumen of the catheter,

activating the at least one plunger to express a first liquid from a first compartment, through the duct and into the lumen;

activating one of said at least one plunger or another plunger associated with the second compartment, to express a second liquid from a second compartment through the duct and into the lumen; and

removing the syringe device from the catheter proximal end such that the closure plug is detached from the support structure while remaining connected to the catheter proximal end.

2. A method for providing maintenance treatment to a catheter having a catheter lumen, comprising the steps of:

providing a syringe having;

a support structure having at least one compartment for containing liquid and having a distal wall traversing the support structure proximate a distal end thereof;

a duct extending distally through the distal wall enabling liquid to exit the at least one compartment, such that the duct distal end is recessed within the syringe distal end; and

a plunger movably affixed to the support structure proximate the proximal end thereof in operative association with the at least one compartment for expressing liquid from the syringe through the duct upon activation of the at least one plunger,

providing a catheter having a luer fitting affixed to a proximal end thereof, the luer fitting defining an open passageway therethrough extending to a catheter lumen such that the proximal end of the catheter is open;

then, in sequence

rotatably coupling the distal end of the syringe to the luer fitting such that the duct extends into the open passageway and thus is in fluid communication with the lumen;

activating the plunger to express a liquid from the at least one compartment, through the duct and into the lumen; and

removing the distal end of the syringe from the luer fitting affixed to the catheter proximal end;

wherein the step of providing the syringe comprises providing a syringe that includes a closure plug affixed to the support structure distally of the distal wall by easily detachable connections, the closure plug being mostly recessed within the syringe distal end with the duct extending distally through a transverse sealing member of the closure plug, and

wherein the step of threadedly coupling the distal end of the syringe to the luer fitting comprises, while the closure plug is affixed to the support structure, threadedly coupling the closure plug to the luer connector affixed to the catheter proximal end while simultaneously coupling the syringe to the catheter proximal end whereafter the duct is in fluid communication with the catheter lumen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of removing the syringe from the luer fitting comprises manipulating the syringe with respect to the luer fitting thereby detaching the connections as the closure plug remains coupled to the luer fitting.