Patent ID: 8021349

Claim:
A method for providing maintenance treatment to a catheter having a catheter lumen, comprising the steps of: providing a syringe having: a support structure having at least two separate compartments for containing respective liquids; a distal wall traversing the support structure proximate a distal end thereof; a duct extending distally through the distal wall enabling liquid to exit the at least two compartments, such that the duct distal end is recessed within the syringe distal end; and at least one plunger movably affixed to the support structure proximate the proximal end thereof for expressing liquids from the syringe through the duct upon activation of the at least one plunger, the support structure, the at least two compartments and the at least one plunger being adapted to express the respective liquids sequentially in a preselected order; providing a catheter having a luer fitting affixed to a proximal end thereof, the luer fitting defining an open passageway therethrough extending to a catheter lumen such that the proximal end of the catheter is open; then, in sequence threadedly coupling the distal end of the syringe to the luer fitting such that the duct extends into the open passageway and thus is in fluid communication with the lumen; activating the at least one plunger to express a first liquid from a first compartment, through the duct and into the lumen; activating the at least one plunger to express a second liquid from a second compartment of the at least two compartments through the duct and into the lumen; and removing the distal end of the syringe from the luer fitting affixed to the catheter proximal end; wherein the step of providing the syringe comprises providing a syringe that includes a closure plug affixed to the support structure distally of the distal wall by easily detachable connections and recessed within the distal end, the closure plug including a transverse sealing member surrounding the duct proximally of the duct distal end prior to the syringe being placed in fluid communication with the catheter lumen, and wherein the step of threadedly coupling the distal end of the syringe to the luer fitting comprises, while the closure plug is affixed to the support structure, threadedly coupling the closure plug to the luer connector affixed to the catheter proximal end while simultaneously coupling the syringe to the catheter proximal end whereafter the duct is in fluid communication with the catheter lumen.