PILL CRUSHING SYRINGE WITH PLUG TO IMPEDE CRUSHED PILL PARTICLES FROM PREMATURELY ENTERING THE CATHETER

摘要

A pill crushing syringe (20) is disclosed which includes a barrel (22) and a plunger (24), with abraded surfaces (32, 44) on each so that a pill placed in the barrel (22) is crushed as the plunger (24) advances within the barrel (22). The barrel (22) has an aperture (34) located near the closed end (30) with a catheter (26) connected around and extending from the aperture (34). The plunger (24) has a sealing gland (42) to provide an airtight seal with the barrel (22) so that liquid can be drawn into the barrel (22) through the aperture (34) by withdrawing the plunger (24) from the barrel (22) to thereby suspend the crushed pill in the liquid, and the suspension may be flushed from the barrel (22) by thereafter advancing the plunger (24) into the barrel (22). In an alternative embodiment a bi-level barrel (100) has an aperture in spaced relation to the closed end forming a pocket (116) wherein the crushed pill ingredients accumulate. The pocket (116) at the closed end (112) and the separation between the aperture and the barrel closed end (112) helps prevent the medication from escaping the barrel (100) via the side mounted catheter (104) prior to aspiration. In still other embodiments, the syringe has a side entry plunger (146) or two opposing plungers (166). In a further alternative embodiment the aperture (212) extends through the otherwise closed second barrel end (208) and the catheter (204) extends axially therefrom in better visual comformity with typical syringes. The abraded surfaces (240, 216) include radial protrusion patterns (218) and a plug extending from the plunger (202) prevents the abraded surfaces (242, 216) from meshing to thereby reduce packing of the pill particles between the abraded surfaces (216). The plug also blocks the catheter (204) when the plunger (202) is fully advanced into the barrel to prevent the medication from escaping via the catheter (204) prior to aspiration.