Data communication and control for medical imaging systems

• US 20020165445A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Medical Care Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Rhinehart, Edward J., Uber, Arthur E. III, Sciulli, Francis J., Grumski, Walter, Griffiths, David M., Pagano, Vera, Hirschman, Alan D., Zelenski, Karen, Almon-Martin, Rosemary
• Granted Patent: US 6,970,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/80 voice-operated command
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A system for producing a contrast-enhanced medical image of a patient includes a source of a contrast or enhancement medium, a pressurizing unit in fluid connection with the source of contrast or enhancement medium, an energy source operable to apply energy to a region of the patient, an imaging unit providing a visual display of an internal view of the patient based upon a signal resulting from the energy applied to the region of the patient, and a control unit. In an embodiment, the signal is affected by a condition of the contrast or enhancement medium in the patient. To control the procedures, the control unit adjusts the condition of the contrast or enhancement medium in the patient based upon the signal. A communication interface preferably enables information between an injector subsystem and an imaging subsystem.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an imaging procedure, comprising:

providing a data interface in communicative connection with at least the pressurizing unit of an injector and an imaging unit to enable sharing of data between the injector and the imaging unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling of the imaging procedure includes control of at least one of the following:

the power in the signal sent into the patient, the time during which the energy is applied to the patient, the gain of the amplifier which receives the signal from the patient, or the speed at which the energy is scanned across the patient.

3. An injector system for producing a contrast-enhanced medical image of a patient in cooperation with an imaging system, the imaging system applying energy to a patient and producing an image or a measurement of a region of interest in the patient from a signal resulting from the applied energy, the injector comprising:

a source of a contrast or enhancement medium;

a pressurizing subsystem in connection with the source of contrast or enhancement medium to pressurize the contrast or enhancement medium for injection into the patient;

an injector control unit for controlling said pressurizing subsystem; and

a communication interface to exchange information between the injector system and the imaging system.

4. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the communication is information transmitted from the injector system to the imaging system.

5. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the communications is information transmitted from the imaging system to the injector system.

6. The injector system of claim 5 wherein the injector control unit modifies one or more parameters of the injection based upon said information from the imaging system.

7. The injector system of claim 5 wherein the injector control unit modifies one or more parameters of the imaging system.

8. The injector system of claim 7 wherein the parameters being adjusted are chosen from the following:

the power in the energy sent into the patient, the time during which the energy is applied to the patient, the gain of an amplifier which receives the signal from the patient, or the speed at which the energy is scanned across the patient.

9. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is adapted to adjust a condition of the contrast or enhancement medium flowing into the patient based directly upon the signal resulting from the energy applied to the region of the patient.

10. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is adapted to adjust a condition of the contrast or enhancement medium flowing into the patient to maintain at least one portion of the visual display at a generally constant level of intensity.

11. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is adapted to control a dosage of the drug by adjusting a condition of the contrast or enhancement medium in the patient.

12. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is adapted to time injection of at least one bolus based on at least one of the states of at least a portion of the image or the signal resulting from the applied energy.

13. The injector system of claim 3, further comprising an electrically isolated communication interface through which the injector system exchanges information with the imaging system.

14. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the exchange of information between the injector system and the imaging system is bi-directional.

16. The imaging unit of claim 15 wherein the communication is information transmitted from the injector system to the imaging unit.

17. The imaging unit of claim 15 wherein the communication is information transmitted from the imaging unit to the injector system.

18. The imaging unit of claim 15 wherein the imaging control unit modifies one or more parameters of an injection based upon said information from the imaging unit.

19. The imaging unit of claim 15, further comprising an isolated interface through which the communication interface shares information with the injector system.

20. The imaging unit of claim 15 wherein the exchange of information between the injector system and the imaging unit is bi-directional.

15. An imaging unit for producing a contrast-enhanced medical image of a patient in cooperation with an injector system, the injector system pressurizing a contrast or enhancement medium for injection into the patient, the imaging unit comprising:

a source of a energy to be applied to a region of interest in the patient;

a display to provide an image based upon a signal resulting from the imaging energy applied to the region of the patient,;

an imaging control unit for controlling the imaging unit; and

a communication interface to exchange information between the injector system and the imaging unit.