Patent ID: 8262605

Claim:
A needleless injector comprising a body at a proximal end, a first shaft extending distally from the body, an injection shaft extending from the body to a distal end of the injection shaft and a shaft terminus, wherein the injection shaft is axially moveable along a longitudinal axis of the first shaft, an injection orifice at the distal end of the injection shaft in fluid communication with a fluid chamber at the proximal end, the injection orifice having a diameter in the range from about 0.001 to 0.05 inches, the injection orifice being located on the injection shaft at a proximal location relative to the shaft terminus, and the injection orifice being positioned for fluid ejection in a lateral direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the injection shaft, a pressure source in communication with the fluid chamber, and an extendable tissue tensioner located at the distal end of the injection shaft proximal to the injection orifice, wherein, the tissue tensioner is located at a length-wise position along the longitudinal axis of the injection shaft on the distal end that is the same as a length-wise position of the injection orifice such that when the distal end comprising the tissue tensioner and injection orifice is placed within a urethral lumen and the tissue tensioner is extended, tissue of the urethra is tensioned and the injector is capable of ejecting fluid from the injection orifice to penetrate tissue under tension.