Pharmaceutical storage and mixing syringe

• US 5,445,614 A
• Filed: 10/20/1993
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Habley Medical Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Habley Medical Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Foster, Clark B., Smedley, William H., Haber, Terry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alexander, V.
• Application Number:
  US08/140,287
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 604/56, 604/82, 604/83, 604/85, 604/89, 604/91, 604/191, 604/218, 604/236, 604/238, 604/249, 222/135, 222/137, 222/387
• US Class Current: 604/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3104 Caps for syringes without needle
• 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 5/502 for blocking the piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/504 for blocking the fluid passageway

Abstract

A unitary syringe assembly including a diluent syringe and a jell syringe stores and enables convenient transport of isolated components required for injection. A valve is placed between the two syringes. Immediately before required injection, the valve is opened and intermixing injection and reception of the diluent and jell between the two syringes occurs to thoroughly intermix the diluent and jell. The valve aperture size is selected to provide viscous resistance by the jell until thorough mixing has occurred to provide the user with a tactile indication of sufficient mixing. Upon complete mixing, a needle is attached and injection occurs. Paired side-by-side unitary syringes are utilized with an interconnecting mixing manifold with injection occurring from one syringe only to enable higher needle injection pressure.

Claims

1. A unitary syringe assembly for the isolated storage and transport of two substances with intermixed injection of said two substances comprising:

a first syringe assembly for containing a first of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said first substance within said first syringe assembly;

first plunger means for displacing said sealing piston of said first syringe to cause substances in said first syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

a second syringe assembly for containing a second of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said second substance within said second syringe assembly;

second plunger means for displacing said sealing piston of said second syringe to cause substances in said second syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

said first and second syringe assemblies being mounted relative to one another in a common housing;

an isolation valve having a housing for permitting communication between said first and second syringes at said cylinder outlets, said isolation valve having first and second relatively moving members, said first and second relatively moving members when in a first relative position preventing communication between said syringes and said first and second members when in a second relative position permitting communication between said syringes;

means for preventing a chosen one of the sealing pistons from moving away from the cylinder outlet when said one of the sealing pistons has been moved to a position near the respective cylinder outlet; and

a fitting for mounting of a dispensing head communicated to at least one of said syringes for enabling dispensing of the contents of said communicated syringe through said dispensing head responsive to movement of at least one of said means for displacing.

2. A unitary syringe assembly according to claim 1 and wherein:

said first syringe assembly is mounted side-by-side said second syringe assembly.

3. The unitary syringe assembly of claim 1 wherein the preventing means comprises a first detent on an end of said first plunger means opposite said first sealing piston and a second detent coupled to said first cylinder, said first detent engaging said second detent when said first sealing piston has displaced substantially all of said substances in said cylinder through said cylinder outlet.

4. A unitary syringe assembly loaded with two substances for the isolated storage and transport of said two substances with intermixed injection of said two substances comprising:

first and second substances, one of said substances being a jell and the other of said substances being a diluent for said jell;

a first syringe assembly for containing a first of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said first substance within said first syringe assembly;

one of said two substances loaded in said first syringe assembly between said sealing piston and said cylinder outlet;

means for displacing said sealing piston of said first syringe to cause said substance in said first syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

a second syringe assembly for containing a second of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said second substance within said second syringe assembly;

the other of said two substances loaded in said second syringe assembly between said sealing piston and said cylinder outlet;

means for displacing said sealing piston of said second syringe to cause substance in said second syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

said first and second syringe assemblies being mounted relative to one another in a common housing;

an isolation valve having a housing for permitting communication between said first and second syringes at said cylinder outlets, said isolation valve having first and second relatively moving members, said first and second members when in a first relative position preventing communication between said syringes and said first and second members when in a second relative position permitting communication between said syringes; and

,

a fitting for mounting of a dispensing head communicated to at least one of said syringes for enabling dispensing of the contents of said communicated syringe through said dispensing head responsive to movement of at least one of said means for displacing.

5. A unitary syringe assembly loaded with two substances according to claim 4 and wherein:

said jell comprises a cytotoxant and a bulking agent; and

,

said diluent would comprise a vaso-constricting agent.

6. A unitary syringe assembly loaded with two substances according to claim 4:

said isolation valve, when said first and second member of said isolation valve are in said second position permitting communication between said members, defines a passage having a dimension to impart a first and stiff resistance to said sealing piston displacing means of said first and second syringe assemblies when said jell and diluent are partially mixed and a second and decreased resistance when said jell and diluent are intermixed whereby an operator of said syringe is given a tactile indication of thorough mixing of said jell and diluent.

7. A method of utilizing a unitary syringe assembly for the isolated storage and transport of two substances with intermixed injection of said two substances comprising:

providing a first syringe assembly for containing a first of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said first substance within said first syringe assembly;

providing means for displacing said sealing piston of said first syringe to cause substances in said first syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

providing a second syringe assembly for containing a second of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said second substance within said second syringe assembly;

providing means for displacing said sealing piston of said second syringe to cause substances in said second syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

providing a common housing for said first and second syringe assemblies;

mounting said first and second syringe assemblies relative to one another in said common housing;

providing an isolation valve having a housing for permitting communication between said first and second syringes at said cylinder outlets, said isolation valve having first and second relatively moving members, said first and second members when in a first relative position preventing communication between said syringes and said first and second members when in a second relative position permitting communication between said syringes;

placing said first and second members in said first position preventing communication between said syringe assemblies;

loading said first and second syringe assemblies with said respective first and second substances for transport and storage;

moving said first and ;

second members to said second position whereby said first and ;

second syringe assemblies can communicate one with another;

alternately moving said respective means for displacing said sealing piston of said first and second syringes to cause said substances to move between said first and second syringe assemblies;

providing a fitting for mounting of a dispensing head communicated to at least one of said syringes for enabling dispensing of the contents of said communicated syringe through said dispensing head responsive to movement of at least one of said means for displacing;

sizing said isolation valve so that when said first and second members of said isolation valve are in said second position permitting communication between said members, said isolation valve defines a passage having a dimension to impart a first and stiff resistance to said first and second means for displacing when said substances are partially mixed and a second and decreased resistance when said substances are intermixed whereby an operator of said syringe is given a tactile indication of thorough mixing at said syringes;

mixing said substances until said second and decreased resistance is tactually imparted during said mixing; and

,

thereafter dispensing said intermixed substances through said dispensing head by moving said at least one of said means for displacing said sealing piston of said syringe assemblies.

8. A method of utilizing a unitary syringe assembly for the isolated storage and transport of two substances with intermixed injection of said two substances, a first substance being a jell and a second substance being a diluent, said unitary syringe assembly having a first syringe assembly containing said first substance, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said first substance within said first syringe assembly;

means for displacing said sealing piston of said first syringe to cause substances in said first syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

a second syringe assembly for containing said second substance, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said second substance within said second syringe assembly;

means for displacing said sealing piston of said second syringe to cause substances in said second syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

a common housing for said first and second syringe assemblies, said first and second syringe assemblies mounted relative to one another in said common housing; and

an isolation valve having a housing for permitting communication between said first and second syringes at said cylinder outlets, said isolation valve having first and second relatively moving members, said first and second members when in a first relative position preventing communication between said syringes and said first and second members when in a second relative position permitting communication between said syringes, said first and second members in said first position preventing communication between said syringe assemblies, said first and second syringe assemblies with said respective first and second substances for transport and storage;

the method comprising the steps of;

moving said first and second members to said second position whereby said first and second syringe assemblies can communicate one with another;

alternately moving said respective means for displacing said sealing piston of said first and second syringes to cause said substances to move between said first and second syringe assemblies;

providing a fitting for mounting of a dispensing head communicated to at least one of said syringes for enabling dispensing of the contents of said communicated syringe through said dispensing head responsive to movement of at least one of said means for displacing;

sizing said isolation valve so that when said first and second members of said isolation valve are in said second position permitting communication between said members, said isolation valve defines a passage having a dimension to impart a first and stiff resistance to said first and second means for displacing when said jell and said diluent are partially mixed and a second and decreased resistance when said jell and said diluent are intermixed whereby an operator of said syringe is given a tactile indication of thorough mixing at said syringes;

mixing said jell and said diluent until said second and decreased resistance is tactually imparted during said mixing to form an intermixed jell and diluent; and

,

thereafter dispensing said intermixed jell and diluent through said dispensing head by moving said at least one of said means for displacing said sealing piston of said syringe assemblies.

9. A unitary syringe assembly for the isolated storage and transport of two substances with intermixed injection of said two substances comprising:

a first syringe assembly for containing a first of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said first substance within said first syringe assembly;

first plunger means for displacing said sealing piston of said first syringe to cause substances in said first syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

a second syringe assembly, mounted side-by-side with said first syringe assembly, for containing a second of said two substances, said syringe assembly including a cylinder, cylinder outlet, and sealing piston for sealing said second substance within said second syringe assembly;

second plunger means for displacing-said sealing piston of said second syringe to cause substances in said second syringe to be likewise displaced out said cylinder outlet;

said first and second syringe assemblies being mounted relative to one another in a common housing;

an isolation valve having a housing for permitting communication between said first and second syringes at said cylinder outlets, said isolation valve having first and second relatively moving members, said first and second relatively moving members when in a first relative position preventing communication between said syringes and said first and second members when in a second relative position permitting communication between said syringes;

said isolation valve comprising a stem independently moveable between said first and second syringes, said stem in a first position preventing communication between said syringe assemblies and in a second position permitting communication between said syringe assemblies;

means for preventing a chosen one of the sealing pistons from moving away from the cylinder outlet; and

a fitting for mounting of a dispensing head communicated to at least one of said syringes for enabling dispensing of the contents of said communicated syringe through said dispensing head responsive to movement of at least one of said means for displacing.

10. The unitary syringe assembly of claim 9 and wherein:

said stem includes color coding for displacing at least one color upon movement of said stem to the communication position between said syringe assemblies.

11. The unitary syringe assembly of claim 9 and wherein:

said stem includes color coding for displaying at least one color upon movement of said stem to the isolation position between said syringe assemblies.