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

• US 10,420,902 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• 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, Grubic, Herbert M., Phalen, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Osinski, Bradley J
• Application Number:
  US15/249,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20170056603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 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 syringe comprising:

a syringe barrel comprising a proximal end and a distal end wherein the distal end comprises an angled conical surface; and

a plunger slideably disposed in the syringe barrel or a closed end wall unitarily formed at the proximal end of a flexible sidewall of the syringe barrel, wherein the plunger or the closed end wall is configured to advance through the barrel to expel a fluid therefrom,

wherein the plunger or the closed end wall comprises a transparent or translucent material configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source therethrough such that at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation is reflected off a surface of the syringe barrel toward the distal end of the syringe barrel and wherein the angled conical surface is configured to focus at least a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to form an illuminated halo pattern around a circumference of a predetermined portion of the angled conical surface of the distal end of the syringe barrel when the syringe is filled with the fluid.

2. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the syringe barrel is shaped such that when an interior volume of the syringe barrel is at least partially filled with air, at least one property of the illuminated halo pattern is different compared to when the syringe is completely filled with the fluid.

3. The syringe of claim 2, wherein the at least one property comprises at least one of presence, size, shape, and brightness of the illuminated halo pattern.

4. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the illuminated halo pattern is not visible when a percentage of a volume of air present in the distal end of the syringe is greater than about 15% of a volume of the distal end of the syringe having the angled conical surface.

5. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the illuminated halo pattern is visible to an observer or to a sensor when the syringe is viewed from a side, a straight-on orientation, a tilted forward, or a tilted backward orientation.

6. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the angled conical surface of the distal end of the syringe barrel has an angle of about 30 degrees to 60 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the syringe.

7. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a light bulb, an LED bulb, a photon emitter, an infrared emitter, a laser, or ambient light.

8. The syringe of claim 1, further comprising at least one reference line or marking formed on the angled conical surface of the distal end of the syringe barrel and extending around the circumference of the angled conical surface of the distal end of the syringe barrel.

9. The syringe of claim 8, wherein the at least one reference line or marking is formed on the angled conical surface of the distal end of the syringe barrel by at least one of printing, overmolding, and etching.

10. The syringe of claim 8, wherein a first reference line or marking of the at least one reference line or marking is configured to align with a first predetermined portion of the illuminated halo pattern if a first fluid fills the syringe and a second reference line or marking is configured to align with a second predetermined portion of the illuminated halo pattern if a second fluid is fills the syringe.

11. The syringe of claim 8, wherein the at least one reference line or marking is configured to align with a predetermined portion of the illuminated halo pattern if a first fluid fills the syringe and is configured to be positioned away from the illuminated halo pattern if a second fluid fills the syringe.

12. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the illuminated halo pattern is present when the volume of air present in the distal end of the syringe is less that about 15% of a volume of the distal end of the syringe having the angled conical surface but is not present when a percentage of a volume of air present in the distal end of the syringe is greater than about 15% of the volume of the distal end of the syringe having the angled conical surface.

13. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the syringe is a rolling diaphragm syringe comprising the closed end wall at the proximal end of the flexible sidewall of the syringe barrel configured to advance through the syringe barrel to expel the fluid therefrom.

14. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is located at a distal end of a piston of a powered fluid injection device.