Syringe and process for dispensing treatment fluid

Claim 1

A syringe for dispensing a selected amount of a treatment fluid against a side wall surface of a body cavity to treat a pathological condition of the side wall surface, the syringe comprising: (a) a generally cylindrical barrel having first and second ends spaced apart along the axis of the barrel, the first end having an internal surface of a certain internal cross-sectional configuration and size and an end surface of a certain configuration; (b) a nozzle having: (i) first and second ends spaced apart along a nozzle axis by a predetermined distance, the external surface of the first end being smoothly rounded and having a relatively small perimeter perpendicular to the nozzle axis to facilitate entry of the first end of the nozzle into the cavity, the second end being open and having a larger perimeter than the rounded first end, (ii) a side wall having inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface enclosing, between the first and second ends of the nozzle, a cross-sectional area that increases with increasing distance from the first end of the nozzle toward the second end thereof, the nozzle also having, adjacent the open second end, an intersecting surface that has, at a predetermined distance along the nozzle axis from the rounded first end, a configuration that substantially matches the configuration of the end surface of the barrel, and (iii) side aperture slots through the sidewall of the nozzle, each of the slots having side edges substantially parallel to the nozzle axis and one end closer to the first end of the nozzle; (c) attachment means to attach the nozzle releasably to the barrel with the intersecting surface of the nozzle in substantially fluid-tight contact with the first end of the barrel; and (d) a plunger movable longitudinally along the barrel and having: (i) a front portion facing the nozzle and shaped to fit the inner surface thereof, the front end of the plunger forming, with the inner surface of the nozzle and a portion of the barrel adjacent the first end thereof, a chamber into which the selected amount of the treatment fluid can be placed, and (ii) actuator means to push the front portion of the plunger fully into the nozzle to fit against the inner surface thereof and thereby fill the chamber and displace substantially all of the treatment fluid through the side aperture slots.