Abstract: The present invention may be used to dispense a dose of medication to a patient from a syringe having a barrel adapted for receiving the medication and a plunger adapted for drawing the medication into the barrel and dispensing the medication from the syringe. The medication dose is based on a measurement or value associated with a patient that corresponds to a coded range. The present invention includes a sleeve mounted on the barrel of the syringe. The sleeve contains indicia corresponding to a plurality of the coded ranges. In one embodiment, the indicia include a plurality of colored marks corresponding to a plurality of the coded ranges indicative of different doses of the medication. In another embodiment, the indicia is a color of a tinted, substantially transparent sleeve.

Abstract: The present invention may be used to dispense a dose of medication to a patient from a syringe having a barrel adapted for receiving the medication and a plunger adapted for drawing the medication into the barrel and dispensing the medication from the syringe. The medication dose is based on a measurement or value associated with a patient that corresponds to a coded range. The present invention includes a sleeve mounted on the barrel of the syringe. The sleeve contains indicia corresponding to a plurality of the coded ranges. In one embodiment, the indicia include a plurality of colored marks corresponding to a plurality of the coded ranges indicative of different doses of the medication. In another embodiment, the indicia is a color of a tinted, substantially transparent sleeve.

Abstract: Patient controlled analgesic (PCA) infusion apparatus and method are disclosed, in which a liquid desired to be self-infused into a patient is controllably supplied from a positively pressurized supply reservoir to a lower pressure dose chamber of a patient operable syringe from which the patient may expel the liquid and infuse such into a suitable infusion site, as through a cannula inserted into the patient, the supply of liquid from the reservoir to the dose chamber being controlled by a flow control metering tube assembly which provides a selected flow rate for a reference fluid and reference pressure differential. A vacuum-induced void is created in the dose chamber after each infusion by the patient in order to aid in effecting a desired substantially constant pressure differential between the pressurized supply source and the dose chamber, so as to effect a desired selected substantially constant refill flow rate of liquid from the supply reservoir and into the dose chamber.

Abstract: Patient controlled analgesic (PCA) infusion apparatus and method are disclosed, in which a liquid desired to be self-infused into a patient is controllably supplied from a positively pressurized supply reservoir to a lower pressure dose chamber of a patient operable syringe from which the patient may expel the liquid and infuse such into a suitable infusion site, as through a cannula inserted into the patient, the supply of liquid from the reservoir to the dose chamber being controlled by a flow control metering tube assembly, including a connecting tube with a flow-restricting metering rod disposed therein and of a selected effective length such that the combined flow impedance of the flow path formed by the overall flow metering tube and rod provide a selected flow rate for a reference fluid and reference pressure differential.

Abstract: An adjustably controllable accuracy-enhancing pump arrangement and method is disclosed, as embodied in a digitally pulse-driven rotary peristaltic pump having a rotor which acts on a fluid pumping conduit to effect pumped output of fluid. Inaccuracies in volume pumped for a given quantity of pulses applied to the pump intended to effect a selected desired volume are minimized by adjusting the total quantity of pulses applied to the pump for a given desired volume, and/or for subsequent selected volumes, if desired, as a function of an adjustment factor formed by the ratio of the given desired volume relative to actual volume pumped by the application to the pump of the quantity of pulses estimated or calculated to be required for pumping the given desired volume through a given sized tube set conduit.

Abstract: A rotary peristaltic pump arrangement and method, with a set of specially constructed tube set conduits interchangeably interconnectable in selectively responsively sensed and operationally affecting relationship with the pump. The pump is driven by a pulse-actuated stepping motor, and the total quantity of pulses fed to the pump for any selected volume from one of the conduits is controlled by and as a function of which one of the set of plural sizes of tube set conduits is connected to the pump. The control is automatically affected through actuation or nonactuation of at least one switch sensor on the pump by special anchor-connecting flanges on the tube set conduits which interchangeably mate in anchored connection with corresponding anchor-connection slots on the pump and adjacent one which the switch sensor is disposed.

Abstract: An invertable tray/vial package assembly is disclosed formed of separable interlockably connected top and bottom vial holding and locating tray sections which tray enables and effects holding and spatial positioning of a plurality of vials therein for selective external access to the vials at their respective opposite fluid content filling ends and fluid serving ends, for ease of vial filling, closing, handling, labeling and visual identification of vial contents, and for dispensing of the vials and serving the fill content of a vial to a patient. The tray has vial holding and spatially positioning pockets formed on one of its separable sections, with fluid-fill enabling openings formed in the bottom end of each of the pockets, and which are effectively registrable with closeable fill openings of vials disposed therein.

Abstract: A syringe infusion or other patient health care fluid delivery arrangement or system having a substantially constant force syringe holder/driver for a fluid-dispensing, preferably disposable, syringe to which an on-off valve and effectively bendably flexible tube connecting set are connected. The outside diameter of the tubing of an available flow-rate assortment of suitably identifiably marked tube connecting sets is formed of a desired single size by extrusion addition of a plastic outer overcoat layer over the inner fluid-carrying tubing, enabling interchangeable accommodation and securing thereon of standard single-size conventional or other desired connectors, whereby a single health care professional may fill a syringe with a prescribed dosage and concentration of health care fluid, and may also preselect and fix the delivery rate for the fluid, by selecting and assembling a given syringe holder/driver, fluid-filled syringe and tube connecting set.

Abstract: A syringe infusion or other patient health care fluid delivery arrangement or system having a substantially constant force syringe holder/driver for a fluid-dispensing syringe to which an on-off valve and effectively bendably flexible tube connecting set are connected for delivery of a health care fluid to a patient delivery site at a preselected preset rate which is precision self-metered and determined by the fluid pressure and viscosity and the resistence to flow of fluid from the syringe and through the tube connecting set. The tube connecting set may be precision made to enable enhancement of predictability of fluid flow rate therethrough, and the various sets may be individually provided with indicia indicative of flow rate for given fluid and fluid pressure conditions.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser in the form of a syringe having a barrel, with a piston valve/seal slidable in the barrel bore and having a preformed liquid passage hole extending through a slidable elastic main body thereof in which an elastic hour-glass shaped plug seal is removably disposed. A rearwardly extending post fixed on the forward end wall of the barrel bore effects rearward knockout removal of the plug seal from the preformed hole as a function of forward sliding movement of the piston valve/seal in the bore, and a liquid flow passage is formed in the post to enable passage of liquid therepast. The piston valve/seal main body has a plug-containment chamber which is larger than the plug and enables by-pass liquid flow past the plug after dislodgment of the plug into this chamber.

Abstract: A prefillable or prefilled syringe having a liquid-containment glass tube body section with thermoplastic resin finger-grip sleeve and noseforming sleeve fit thereon in an interference fit, and with the ends of the glass tube being sealed after filling and preferably prior to assembly of one or both the finger-grip sleeve and the nose-forming sleeve, and a method of assembly thereof, the finger-grip sleeve and the nose-forming sleeve being cam-stretched onto and frictionally retained on and along a glass tube, in the form of a section of die-formed glass tubing. Increase in latitude of operable interference fit and stretch is effected by assembling the finger-grip sleeve and the noseforming sleeve in a heated condition, without requiring heating of the glass tube and its prefilled contents.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing arrangement for injecting liquid parenteral drugs or other liquids, including a syringe or cartridge with a needle-hub secured thereto, a plunger in the syringe or cartridge for effecting liquid discharge and injection, and a combination sealing and by-pass valve plug initially in a radially compressed sealing position at the forward end of the cartridge or syringe body or barrel and separating the liquid in the cartridge or syringe body or barrel from the needle-hub assembly, the valve plug being longitudinally forwardly movable to a by-pass discharge position within a by-pass chamber of larger diameter than the normal unrestricted and uncompressed diameter of the plug. The plug has tapered cruciform ends with corresponding circumferentially spaced by-pass grooves formed thereby at its opposite ends to aid in liquid by-pass therepast during liquid discharge or aspirating action.