Method of sterile preparation of IV pump syringe

• US 5,741,227 A
• Filed: 04/11/1997
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andrew I. Sealfon
• Original Assignee: Andrew I. Sealfon
• Inventors: Sealfon, Andrew I.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US08/827,871
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 604/49, 604/48, 604/52, 604/53, 604/131, 604/151, 604/152, 604/154, 604/155, 128/DIG. 1, 128/DIG. 12, 128/DIG. 13
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/287 Wedge formed by a slot having varying width, e.g. slide clamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir

Abstract

In the method of replacing a filled syringe for an emptied syringe in the same syringe pump, the use of a snap-on disc strategically located on the tubing set of the filled syringe which so facilitates the handling of the tubing set and the syringe pump that contamination during the interconnection of the two is obviated and thus the sterile condition of the syringe is assured, and wherein the disc also holds the filled syringe in place during the urging by the syringe pump of the plunger of the syringe in a power stroke causing the delivery therefrom of medicant to a patient.

Claims

1. A method of preparing for loading under maintained sterile conditions into a syringe pump a syringe of a type having a barrel filled with sterile fluid medicant adapted to be forced in exiting flow from a barrel outlet by a piston urged in a power stroke movement longitudinally of said barrel, said syringe pump for said syringe being of a type having at one end piston barrel-engaging means and in clearance position therefrom at an opposite end a barrel outlet-engaging means, said method comprising the steps of providing a sterile tubing set with inlet and outlet opposite ends for attachment to said barrel outlet preparatory to delivering said fluid medicant from said syringe to a patient, selecting a sterile site maintained under sterile conditions for preparing said syringe for subsequent patient use at a remote site, attaching at said sterile site a disk adjacent said inlet end of said sterile tubing set, gripping with a first hand said barrel and with a second hand removing said plug from said barrel outlet, gripping with said second hand said tubing set from behind said disk so as to obviate contact with said exposed barrel outlet and interconnecting said tubing set inlet end to said barrel outlet, filling at said sterile site said syringe barrel with fluid medicant by withdrawing said piston in a directional movement away from barrel outlet, closing at said sterile site said tubing set outlet with a plug, delivering to said remote site said filled syringe with said attached tubing set, and inserting said interconnected tubing set and syringe in said clearance of said syringe pump with said disk behind said barrel outlet-engaging means and said piston in front of said piston-engaging means, whereby said disk contributes both to maintaining the sterile condition of said syringe during the interconnection of said tubing set thereto and also to holding said syringe barrel stationary during the power stroke movement of said piston longitudinally thereof.

2. A method of preparing for loading under maintained sterile conditions into a syringe pump a syringe of a type having a barrel filled with sterile fluid medicant adapted to be forced in exiting flow from a barrel outlet by a piston urged in a power stroke movement longitudinally of said barrel, said syringe pump for said syringe being of a type having at one end piston barrel-engaging means and in clearance position therefrom at an opposite end a barrel outlet-engaging means, said method comprising the steps of a first step of providing first and second sterile tubing sets each with inlet and outlet opposite ends for attachment to said barrel outlet preparatory to delivering said fluid medicant from said syringe to a patient, a second step of selecting a sterile site maintained under sterile conditions for preparing said syringe for subsequent patient use at a remote site, a third step of attaching at said sterile site a disk adjacent said inlet end of said first sterile tubing set, a fourth step of gripping with a first hand said barrel and with a second hand removing said plug from said barrel outlet, a fifth step of gripping with said second hand said first tubing set from behind said disk so as to obviate contact with said exposed barrel outlet and interconnecting said first tubing set inlet end to said barrel outlet, a sixth step of filling at said sterile site said syringe barrel with fluid medicant by withdrawing said piston in a directional movement away from barrel outlet, a seventh step of replacing said first tubing set with said second tubing set by repeating said third, fourth and fifth steps, an eighth step of closing at said sterile site said second tubing set outlet with a plug, a ninth step of delivering to said remote site said filled syringe with said attached tubing set, and a tenth step of inserting said interconnected tubing set and syringe in said clearance of said syringe pump with said disk behind said barrel outlet-engaging means and said piston in front of said piston-engaging means, whereby said disk contributes both to maintaining the sterile condition of said syringe during the interconnection of said first and second tubing sets thereto and also to holding said syringe barrel stationary during the power stroke movement of said piston longitudinally thereof.