System and method for syringe fluid fill verification and image recognition of power injector system features

• US 10,201,666 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Cowan, Kevin P., Spohn, Michael A., McDermott, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Osinski, Bradley J
• Application Number:
  US15/249,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20170056604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3313 used specific wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3362 with minimised length of fluid lines; Taking into account the elastic expansion of fluid lines to increase accuracy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3134 characterised by constructional features of the distal end, i.e. end closest to the tip of the needle cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/315 Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/365 Air detectors A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/445 the media being heated in the reservoir, e.g. warming bloodbags
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/02 : by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid

Abstract

A fluid injection system and a fluid verification system for confirming that a syringe, containing a fluid for injection, is fully filled with fluid and neither has free space (i.e., air) near the distal end thereof when the syringe is provided in an upright position nor contains air bubbles. Imaging processing techniques and systems are also provided to determine various injection parameters and to verify the type and certain properties of fluid that is present within a syringe.

Claims

1. A fluid injection system comprising:

a fluid injector;

at least one syringe operatively engaged with the fluid injector, the syringe comprising a barrel comprising a distal end having an angled surface and defining an interior volume configured to receive a fluid;

an electromagnetic radiation source positioned relative to the at least one syringe to emit electromagnetic radiation through at least a portion of the at least one syringe such that, when the syringe is filled with the fluid, at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation is affected by an interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with at least one interface associated with the fluid and the syringe to form an illuminated identification pattern indicative of contents of the at least one syringe on a predetermined portion of the at least one syringe;

an image capture device positioned to capture an image of the illuminated identification pattern; and

at least one computing device in communication with the image capture device and the fluid injector, the at least one computing device comprising at least one processor configured to;

determine a distance from a bottom to a top of the illuminated identification pattern in the image of the illuminated identification pattern;

compare the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern to at least one predetermined distance; and

based on the comparison of the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern to the at least one predetermined distance, at least one of i) display on a display device in communication with the at least one processor an indication of a characteristic of the at least one syringe;

ii) enable the fluid injector to perform a function; and

iii) disable the fluid injector from performing an action.

2. The fluid injection system of claim 1, wherein determining the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern comprises determining a bottom edge of the illuminated identification pattern and determining a top edge of the illuminated identification pattern.

3. The fluid injection system of claim 2, wherein the bottom edge and the top edge of the illuminated identification pattern are determined by determining a change in contrast between neighboring pixels in the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

4. The fluid injection system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the at least one syringe is presence of air in the at least one syringe and the at least one processor is further configured to, if the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern is less than the at least one predetermined distance, provide an indication that air is present in the at least one syringe and disable the fluid injector from conducting an injection procedure.

5. The fluid injection system of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a size of the at least one syringe prior to determining the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern by matching a first template of a known illuminated identification pattern for a syringe having a first size with the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

6. The fluid injection system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide an indication that the at least one syringe has the first size if the first template matches the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

7. The fluid injection system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to match a second template of a known illuminated identification pattern for a syringe having a second size with the image of the illuminated identification pattern if the first template does not match the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

8. The fluid injection system of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide an indication that the at least one syringe has the second size if the second template matches the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

9. The fluid injection system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the at least one syringe is contents of the at least one syringe.

10. The fluid injection system of claim 9, wherein the at least one predetermined distance comprises a first predetermined distance indicative of a first fluid as the contents contained in the at least one syringe and a second predetermined distance indicative of a second fluid as the contents contained within the at least one syringe.

11. The fluid injection system of claim 10, wherein, if the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern corresponds to the first predetermined distance, an indication that the first fluid is contained in the at least one syringe is provided, and, if the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern corresponds to the second predetermined distance, an indication that the second fluid is contained in the at least one syringe is provided.

12. The fluid injection system of claim 11, wherein, if the at least one processor determines that the first fluid is present in the at least one syringe, a color of the electromagnetic radiation forming the illuminated identification pattern is set to a first color and, if the at least one processor determines that the second fluid is present in the at least one syringe, the color of the electromagnetic radiation forming the illuminated identification pattern is set to a second color different from the first color.

13. The fluid injection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one syringe further comprises a plunger, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is positioned to project at least some of the electromagnetic radiation through the plunger.

14. The fluid injection system of claim 13, wherein the plunger comprises a transparent or a translucent material.

15. The fluid injection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one syringe further comprises a plunger, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is positioned such that the electromagnetic radiation reflects from a distal surface of the plunger through the barrel.

16. The fluid injection system of claim 15, wherein the plunger comprises an opaque, colored material.

17. The fluid injection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one syringe further comprises a plunger, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is positioned adjacent to the barrel of the at least one syringe and the electromagnetic radiation is reflected from a mirror located near the distal end of the barrel and directed toward a distal surface of the plunger such that the electromagnetic radiation reflects from the plunger through the barrel.

18. A fluid injection system comprising:

a fluid injector;

at least one syringe operatively engaged with the fluid injector, the at least one syringe comprising a barrel comprising a distal end having an angled surface and defining an interior volume configured to receive a fluid;

an electromagnetic radiation source positioned relative to the at least one syringe to emit electromagnetic radiation through at least a portion of the at least one syringe such that, when the syringe is filled with the fluid, at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation is affected by an interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with at least one interface associated with the fluid and the syringe to form an illuminated identification pattern indicative of contents of the at least one syringe on a predetermined portion of the at least one syringe;

an image capture device positioned to capture an image of the illuminated identification pattern; and

at least one computing device in communication with the fluid injector and the image capture device, the at least one computing device comprising at least one processor configured to;

determine a distance from a bottom to a top of the illuminated identification pattern in the image of the illuminated identification pattern;

compare the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern to a predetermined distance; and

if the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern is less than the predetermined distance, provide an indication that air is present in the at least one syringe and disable the fluid injector from conducting an injection procedure.

19. The fluid injection system of claim 18, wherein determining the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern comprises determining a bottom edge of the illuminated identification pattern and determining a top edge of the illuminated identification pattern.

20. The fluid injection system of claim 19, wherein the bottom edge and the top edge of the illuminated identification pattern are determined by determining a change in contrast between neighboring pixels in the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

21. The fluid injection system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a size of the at least one syringe prior to determining the distance from the bottom to the top of the illuminated identification pattern by matching a first template of a known illuminated identification pattern for a syringe having a first size with the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

22. The fluid injection system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide an indication that the at least one syringe has the first size if the first template matches the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

23. The fluid injection system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to match a second template of a known illuminated identification pattern for a syringe having a second size with the image of the illuminated identification pattern if the first template does not match the image of the illuminated identification pattern.

24. The fluid injection system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide an indication that the at least one syringe has the second size if the second template matches the image of the illuminated identification pattern.