Anesthesia device with selective spray ports

Claim 1

An anesthesia device, comprising: a syringe having a chamber, and means for pumping fluid from the chamber; an elongated cannula attached to the syringe, said cannula having a lumen in communication with the chamber of the syringe, a plurality of apertures in a distal portion of the cannula communicating with the lumen, and an opening adjacent a distal end of the cannula and distal said apertures, said opening communicating with the lumen; and means for releasably closing the apertures in the distal portion of the cannula while leaving said opening unobstructed, and for frictionally engaging the cannula to prevent dislodgment during use of the cannula, wherein the closing means comprises an elongated sleeve of flexible material snugly received on the distal portion of the cannula over said apertures, wherein the sleeve has a tear strip extending longitudinally along the sleeve to sever the sleeve.

Claim 4

A method of applying anesthesia to a patient with a device of the type comprising a syringe having a chamber, and means for pumping fluid from the chamber, an elongated cannula attached to the syringe, said cannula having a lumen in communication with the chamber of the syringe, a plurality of apertures in a distal portion of the cannula communicating with the lumen, and an opening adjacent a distal end of the cannula and distal the apertures, with the opening communicating with the lumen, and means for releasably closing the apertures in the distal portion of the cannula while leaving the opening unobstructed, said method comprising the steps of: inserting the distal end of the cannula into the patient's mouth and positioning the opening adjacent the patient's throat; pumping the syringe to eject an anesthetic drug from the syringe chamber through the opening onto the patient's throat; removing the closing means from the cannula; inserting the distal portion down the patient's throat until the apertures are located adjacent the trachea; and pumping the syringe to eject the anesthetic drug from the syringe chamber through the apertures onto the trachea.

Claim 5

A method of applying anesthesia to a patient with a device of the type comprising a syringe having a chamber, and means for pumping fluid from the chamber, an elongated cannula attached to the syringe, said cannula having a lumen in communication with the chamber of the syringe, a plurality of apertures in a distal portion of the cannula communicating with the lumen, and an opening adjacent a distal end of the cannula and distal the apertures, with the opening communicating with the lumen, and means for releasably closing the apertures in the distal portion of the cannula while leaving the opening unobstructed, said method comprising the steps of: inserting the distal end of the cannula into the patient's mouth and positioning the opening adjacent the patient's throat; pumping the syringe to eject an anesthetic drug from the syringe chamber through the opening onto the patient's throat; removing the closing means from the cannula; inserting the distal portion down the patient's throat until the apertures are located adjacent the trachea; and pumping the syringe to eject the anesthetic drug from the syringe chamber through the apertures onto the trachea.