초록

Improved fluid delivery devices and systems are disclosed, including drug delivery devices and systems, and methods that permit, inter alia, the rapid sequential delivery of two or more fluids to a single external fluid flow or intravenous line.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A dual-stopper syringe, comprising: a chamber, including an outlet and a bypass channel having a front end and a rear end;a front stopper and a rear stopper, wherein the chamber, the front stopper, and the rear stopper define a flush agent chamber and a therapeutic agent chamber;a piston attached

1. A dual-stopper syringe, comprising: a chamber, including an outlet and a bypass channel having a front end and a rear end;a front stopper and a rear stopper, wherein the chamber, the front stopper, and the rear stopper define a flush agent chamber and a therapeutic agent chamber;a piston attached to the rear stopper; anda rod including a backstop and attached to the front stopper, wherein the rod penetrates through the rear stopper such that the rear stopper is adapted to slide along the rod between the front stopper and the backstop;wherein the flush agent chamber is adapted to draw a flush agent into the flush agent chamber while the piston is being pulled away from the outlet; andwherein the therapeutic agent chamber is adapted to draw a therapeutic agent into the therapeutic agent chamber, after the flush agent chamber is fully filled with a flush agent, while the piston is pulled away from the outlet. 2. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the outlet includes an outlet channel extending from the syringe body, and the front end of the bypass channel is connected to the outlet channel. 3. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the therapeutic agent is adenosine. 4. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the flush agent is saline. 5. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the flush agent comprises a useful agent. 6. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the chamber is defined by the inside of a cylindrical barrel and the bypass channel extends outwardly from an exterior surface of the cylindrical barrel. 7. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the outlet channel comprises a male luer fitting. 8. The dual-stopper syringe of claim 1 wherein the outlet channel is adapted for connection to a dedicated line. 9. A dual-stopper syringe, comprising: a chamber including an outlet;a bypass channel having a front end and rear end; anda stopper assembly, including: a front stopper,a rear stopper,a piston attached to the rear stopper and adapted to receive a pushing or pulling action from a user to actuate the syringe, anda rod including a backstop, the rod being affixed to the front stopper and slidably connected to the rear stopper, the rod slidably penetrating through the rear stopper such that the rear stopper is adapted to slide along the rod between the front stopper and the backstop, the backstop limiting the rearward movement of the rear stopper relative to the front stopper;the syringe capable of having an unloaded position, a flush agent loading position, and a therapeutic agent loading position, such that in the unloaded position, the front stopper and the rear stopper are located proximate the chamber outlet,in the flush agent loading position, the front stopper is located proximate the chamber outlet, the rear stopper is spaced apart from the front stopper to define a flush chamber, and the rear end of the bypass channel is open to the flush chamber,in the therapeutic agent loading position, the front stopper is spaced apart from the outlet to define a therapeutic agent chamber, the rear stopper is spaced apart from the front stopper and located proximate the backstop, and the rear end of the bypass channel is either blocked by the front stopper or open to the therapeutic agent chamber;whereby in the unloaded position and the flush agent loading position, the piston moves the rear stopper away from the outlet and away from the front stopper when pulled, andwhereby in the therapeutic agent loading position, the piston moves the front stopper and rear stopper away from the outlet when pulled. 10. A method comprising the steps of: providing a chamber, including an outlet and a bypass channel having a front end and a rear end;providing a front stopper, a rear stopper, and a piston attached to the rear stopper, wherein the chamber, the front stopper, and the rear stopper define a therapeutic agent chamber and a flush agent chamber;providing a rod including a backstop, the rod being attached to the front stopper and penetrating through the rear stopper, such that the rear stopper is adapted to slide along the rod between the front stopper and the backstop;wherein the front stopper is adapted to slide away from the outlet and block the rear end of the bypass channel when the piston is pulled away from the outlet such that the rear stopper pulls the rod away form the outlet. 11. A method of loading a syringe, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a chamber, including an outlet and a bypass channel having a front end and a rear end;(b) providing a front stopper, a rear stopper, and a piston attached to the rear stopper, wherein the chamber, the front stopper, and the rear stopper define a therapeutic agent chamber and a flush agent chamber;(c) providing a rod including a backstop, the rod being attached to the front stopper and penetrating through the rear stopper, such that the rear stopper is adapted to slide along the rod between the front stopper and the backstop;(d) positioning the front stopper and rear stopper in a fully-actuated position;(e) loading a flush agent into the flush agent chamber by pulling the piston away from the outlet until the front stopper blocks the rear end of the bypass channel; and(f) loading a therapeutic agent into the therapeutic agent chamber by pulling the piston away from the outlet. 12. A plunger-less fluid administration cartridge comprising: a chamber having a body, an inlet port, and an outlet port at opposing ends;a bypass line connecting the chamber body to the outlet port and enabling flow therebetween;a barrier stopper located in the chamber body and movable between a ready position and an actuated position;the stopper, in the ready position, (i) is spaced apart from the outlet port to form a drug compartment of the chamber and (ii) blocks flow of a working fluid into the bypass line;the stopper, in the actuated position, is located proximate the outlet port and enables flow of the working fluid through the bypass line from the inlet port to the outlet port; and,whereby moving the stopper from the ready position to the actuated position ejects fluid from the drug compartment through the outlet port. 13. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the stopper is actuated from its ready position to its actuated position by flow of the working fluid through the inlet port. 14. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the actuated position constitutes the final resting position of the stopper. 15. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the outlet port includes an outlet channel extending from the cartridge body, and the bypass line is connected to the outlet channel. 16. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the cartridge, while the stopper is in its actuated position, enables continuous fluid flow from the inlet port, through the bypass line around the stopper, and out the outlet port. 17. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the working fluid is saline. 18. The cartridge of claim 17 wherein the agent is adenosine. 19. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the working fluid comprises a useful agent. 20. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the cartridge includes a housing that defines the chamber, the bypass line includes an inlet connected to the housing, and the stopper blocks the bypass line inlet in its ready position and uncovers the bypass line inlet in its actuated position. 21. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the chamber has a cylindrical housing and the bypass line extends outwardly from an exterior surface of the housing. 22. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the chamber and bypass line are formed from a continuous block. 23. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein cartridge further comprises a cap at least partially covering an end of the cartridge body, and an opening in the cap forms at least a portion of the inlet port. 24. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the inlet port and outlet port include luer fittings. 25. The cartridge of claim 24 wherein the inlet port comprises a female luer fitting and the outlet port comprises a male luer fitting. 26. The cartridge of claim 12 wherein the inlet port, outlet port, or both are adapted for connection to a dedicated line. 27. A fluid delivery device comprising: a cartridge having a central chamber, the chamber having first and second opposing ends,a fluid inlet disposed at the first end of said central chamber;an outlet channel disposed at the second end of said central chamber, and a fluid outlet disposed between said central chamber and said outlet channel and permitting fluid flow between said central chamber and said fluid outlet;a bypass conduit permitting fluid flow directly between said central chamber and said outlet channel and not via said fluid outlet;a stopper disposed within said central chamber, said stopper being capable of moving through a first and second stage in response to fluid pressure that is caused by fluid traveling through said fluid inlet and into said central chamber,wherein said first stage comprises moving within said central chamber in the direction away from said first end of said central chamber, andwherein said second stage comprises moving within said central chamber whereby said stopper is positioned such that fluid can flow from said central chamber into said bypass conduit. 28. A method of delivering a therapeutic agent comprising the steps of: pressurizing said therapeutic agent within a drug chamber by introducing a working fluid into a working chamber that is separated from said drug chamber by a movable stopper, said stopper responding to the introducing of said working fluid into said working chamber by pressurizing said therapeutic agent;wherein said pressurizing forces said therapeutic agent into a delivery channel via an outlet port that is in fluid communication with said drug chamber;and, wherein the introducing of the working fluid into the working chamber moves said stopper to a position whereby the working fluid can flow between said working chamber and said delivery channel via a bypass conduit. 29. A method of delivering a fluid agent comprising the steps of: providing a cartridge including a working fluid chamber proximate a cartridge inlet, a fluid agent chamber proximate a cartridge outlet, a moveable stopper therebetween, and a bypass conduit; and,introducing a working fluid into the working chamber such that the stopper moves from a ready position, in which the stopper blocks flow from entering the bypass conduit, in the direction of the cartridge outlet to an actuated position, whereby said stopper movement (i) pushes at least a portion of the fluid agent from the cartridge and (ii) unblocks the bypass conduit to enable working fluid flow from the working fluid chamber.