Methods for Manually Injecting/Aspirating Fluids Through Small Diameter Catheters and Needles and Manual Injection/Aspiration Systems Including Small Diameter Catheters and Needles

An injection system, comprising:

• a hand-held syringe, comprising:
• a syringe barrel;
• a plunger comprising a head, wherein said head is disposed within said syringe barrel, and wherein said plunger is movable relative to said syringe barrel along a longitudinal axis that extends in a longitudinal dimension;
• and
• a handle comprising:
• a first member comprising a first gripping end and a plunger attachment end, said plunger attachment end being interconnected with said plunger at a first position;
• and
• a second member comprising a second gripping end and a barrel attachment end, said barrel attachment end being interconnected with said syringe barrel at a second position;
• and
• a hinge between said first and second members and located at a third position, wherein a first movement of said first member relative to said second member via said hinge increases a spacing between said first and second gripping ends, increases a spacing between said plunger attachment end and said barrel attachment end, and moves said plunger relative to said syringe barrel along said longitudinal axis in a first direction to a first end position relative to said syringe barrel, wherein a second movement of said first member relative to said second member via said hinge decreases a spacing between said first and second gripping ends, decreases a spacing between said plunger attachment end and said barrel attachment end, and moves said plunger relative to said syringe barrel along said longitudinal axis in a second direction that is opposite of said first direction, and wherein said third position is located between said first and second positions in said longitudinal dimension when said plunger is disposed in said first end position relative to said syringe barrel;
• and
• a catheter including a proximal end coupled to and in fluid communication with said barrel of said syringe and a distal end for insertion into a body of a subject, said catheter having an outer diameter of less than 6 French.

An injection system, comprising:

• a hand-held syringe comprising:
• a barrel;
• a plunger;
• and
• a handle comprising first and second members that intersect and that are pivotally connected to each other, wherein said second member is pivotally associated with said barrel, wherein said first member is pivotally associated with said plunger, and wherein end portions of said first and second members are configured to be simultaneously grasped and operated by a single hand of a user;
• and
• a catheter comprising a proximal end coupled to and in fluid communication with said barrel of said syringe and a distal end for insertion into a body of a subject, said catheter having an outer diameter of less than 6 French.

An angiography method, comprising:

• introducing contrast media into a barrel of a manually operable syringe with crossing handles configured to be held and operated with one hand;
• securing a proximal end of a catheter having an outer diameter of less than 6 French to a barrel of said syringe;
• inserting a distal end of said catheter into a location of a body of a subject to be externally visualized;
• and
• manually forcing a plunger of said syringe into said barrel of said syringe by squeezing said crossing handles with one hand so as to cause said contrast media to exit said distal end of the catheter.

A method for delivering contrast media, comprising:

• fluidly interconnecting a catheter having an outer diameter of no more than 1.67 mm with a syringe;
• simultaneously engaging first and second members of a handle of said syringe with a single hand;
• squeezing said first and second handle members together with said single hand;
• and
• discharging contrast media from said syringe and into said catheter in response to said squeezing step.

A discography method, comprising:

• introducing media into a barrel of a manually operable syringe including a pair of crossed handles that is configured to be held within and operated by a single hand of a user;
• coupling a discography needle directly or indirectly to a distal end of the barrel;
• introducing the discography needle into a nucleus of an intervertebral disk of a subject;
• and
• squeezing the handles to force the media into the nucleus.