Syringe with multi-stage filling and dispensing

Abstract

The syringe includes a hollow body with at least one free-floating piston and a plunger within the body, with the piston between the plunger and a proximal end of the body. A manifold is provided lateral to the body. The manifold leads to an input/output tip. The manifold includes a front port located between the piston and the proximal end of the body and a rear port spaced from the proximal end of the body. The manifold includes at least one flow path leading from the input/output tip to at least one of the front port and/or the rear port. A first fluid fills a rear chamber distal to the piston and then the manifold is adjusted to fill second fluid into a front chamber proximal of the piston, and then the manifold is adjusted to allow sequential delivery of the second fluid and the first fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multistage syringe, comprising in combination:
 a hollow body having a proximal end opposite a distal end;   a plunger extending into the distal end of the hollow body and adapted to translate linearly within the hollow body;   a movable piston within the hollow body and between the plunger and the proximal end of the hollow body;   a front port accessing a space within the hollow body between the piston and the proximal end of the hollow body;   a rear port accessing a space within the hollow body and on a distal side of the piston when the piston is adjacent to the proximal end of the hollow body;   the piston blocking the rear port when a portion of the piston is adjacent to the rear port; and   at least one flow path extending from an input/output tip of the syringe and selectively connectable and disconnectable to the front port and/or rear port.   
     
     
         2 . The syringe of  claim 1  wherein a manifold is adjacent to the hollow body and includes a front path, a rear path and a staged delivery path, the front path selectively alignable with the front port, the rear path selectively alignable with the rear port, and the staged delivery path selectively alignable simultaneously with both the front port and the rear port. 
     
     
         3 . The syringe of  claim 2  wherein the manifold is adjustable to align one of the paths thereof with at least one of the ports thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The syringe of  claim 3  wherein the manifold is adjustable by rotating. 
     
     
         5 . The syringe of  claim 4  wherein the front port and the rear port are opened or closed to the input/output tip through rotation of the manifold. 
     
     
         6 . The syringe of  claim 3  wherein the manifold is adjustable by linear translation. 
     
     
         7 . The syringe of  claim 1  wherein the hollow body is at least partially transparent and with graduation marks provided thereon and indicia visible adjacent to the graduation marks, the graduation marks beginning on a portion of the hollow body spaced from the proximal end by a distance similar to a length of the piston. 
     
     
         8 . The syringe of  claim 6  wherein the hollow body includes two sets of graduation marks and indicia, one of which sets of graduation marks and indicia beginning at a location spaced from the proximal end of the hollow body by a distance similar to a length of the piston, and the other of the set of graduation marks and indicia beginning at the proximal end of the syringe. 
     
     
         9 . The syringe of  claim 1  wherein at least the rear port is opened or closed through translation of the piston. 
     
     
         10 . The syringe of  claim 1  wherein a burst disk is located at the rear port. 
     
     
         11 . The syringe of  claim 10  wherein the space within the hollow body on the distal side of the piston is pre-loaded with a fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The syringe of  claim 11  wherein the space within the hollow body on the distal side of the piston is pre-loaded with saline. 
     
     
         13 . The syringe of  claim 1  wherein the hollow body of the syringe is at least partially transparent and with graduation marks provided on the hollow body, with indicia visible adjacent to at least one of the graduation marks. 
     
     
         14 . The syringe of  claim 13  wherein the graduation marks begin on a portion of the hollow body spaced from the proximal end by a distance similar to a length of the piston within the body. 
     
     
         15 . A multiple medicament syringe, comprising in combination:
 a hollow body having an end;   a plunger extending from said hollow body opposite said end;   said plunger adapted to translate linearly within said hollow body toward said end of said hollow body;   a moveable piston within said hollow body and between said plunger and said end;   said movable piston able to move toward said end of said hollow body independent of said plunger;   a first port passing into said hollow body at a location between said plunger and said end;   a second port passing into said hollow body at a location further from said end than said first port;   said movable piston blocking said second port when a portion of said piston is adjacent to said second port; and   a flow path extending from both said first port and said second port to an output of the syringe.   
     
     
         16 . The syringe of  claim 15  wherein a manifold is adjacent to said hollow body and includes a front path, a rear path and a staged delivery path, said front path selectively alignable with said first port, said rear path selectively alignable with said second port, and said staged delivery path selectively alignable simultaneously with both said first port and said second port. 
     
     
         17 . The syringe of  claim 16  wherein said manifold is adjustable to align one of said paths thereof with at least one of said ports thereof; and
 wherein said manifold is adjustable by rotating. 
 
     
     
         18 . The syringe of  claim 15  wherein a burst disk is located blocking said second port. 
     
     
         19 . The syringe of  claim 18  wherein a space within said hollow body on a side of said piston opposite said end is pre-loaded with a fluid. 
     
     
         20 . The syringe of  claim 19  wherein the fluid in said space on said side of said piston opposite said end includes saline, and wherein said space on said side of said piston opposite said end is blocked by said piston from accessing said second port until said piston has advanced toward said end far enough to move said piston from blocking said second port.