Patent ID: 7815604

Claim:
A method of introducing fluid to a nerve bundle or the blood stream of a patient, comprising: positioning a catheter adjacent a nerve bundle or into the blood stream of a patient; delivering a continuous flow of fluid to the catheter from a first reservoir, said first reservoir comprising a source of fluid under pressure; delivering fluid from the first reservoir to an expandable bolus reservoir, which is in the form of an elastomeric chamber for holding fluid under pressure, using pressure from said first reservoir to expand and fill the bolus reservoir, the bolus reservoir being in fluid communication with a bolus flow path, the bolus flow path comprising a flow path from the bolus reservoir to the patient; and releasing a large volume bolus dose from the bolus reservoir in response to actuation of a patient operable mechanical actuator utilizing the stored energy of the expanded bolus reservoir such that the large volume bolus dose is delivered to the patient without requiring manual effort to force the fluid out of the bolus reservoir, said actuation of said actuator and release of said large volume bolus dose being accomplished in a purely mechanical manner; wherein said actuator is configured such that, once actuated, said large volume bolus dose is released without requiring further effort to keep releasing the large volume bolus dose from the bolus reservoir until said bolus reservoir is substantially empty.