Patent ID: 8480624

Claim:
A portable, self-contained and hand-held power assisted syringe suitable for the injection of viscose liquids or gases into small bore diagnostic catheters and small guiding catheter systems, said power assisted syringe comprising: a barrel assembly having proximal and distal ends and an internal spatial volume for containing and delivery of a fluid material; a nozzle connected to said distal end of said barrel assembly for the ejection of fluid material contained within said internal spatial volume of said barrel assembly; a hand operable plunger assembly comprising a plunger tube member which has an elongated hollow channel extending over its length, an absence of any apertures in said plunger tube member which are in fluid flow communication with said hollow channel and said internal spatial volume of said barrel assembly, and a plunger plate which is joined to said plunger tube member and is slidably disposed within said internal spatial volume of said barrel assembly; a manually controlled valve housing assembly which receives and allows pressurized gas flow to occur on-demand into said hollow channel in said plunger tube member of said plunger assembly, said manually controlled valve housing assembly (i) comprising a source valve and a vent valve which can be opened and closed repeatedly at will and that adjusts the cross-sectional area for gas flow in a continuously variable manner, (ii) being in on-demand fluid flow communication with said hollow channel of said plunger tube member of said plunger assembly, (iii) being able to receive pressurized gas directly on-demand from a portable source as an unregulated gas flow, and (iv) being able to control and deliver said received pressurized gas at variable flow rates on-demand directly to said hollow channel in said plunger tube member of said plunger assembly; manual operating means by which to apply a hand-generated force to said plunger assembly; and means for attaching a portable source of pressurized gas to said valve housing assembly such that a portable source of pressurized gas can be attached and thereby provide pressurized gas to said valve housing assembly at a pressure sufficient for the injection of viscose liquids or gases into small bore diagnostic catheters and small guiding catheter systems.