Hydraulic remote for a medical fluid injector

• US 20030216692A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Neer, Charles S., Fago, Frank M., Knipfer, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,780,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/150
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14264 with means for compensating influence from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14553 comprising a pressure jacket
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/215 Tilt detection, e.g. for warning or shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/005 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/168 Means for controlling media flow to the body or for metering media to the body, e.g. drip meters, counters ; Monitoring media flow to the body flow control in general G05D7/00

Abstract

A hand-held remote for a medical fluid injector includes a syringe and a conduit which may be coupled to a pressure transducer on a control circuit of the injector. Movement of a plunger within a syringe body on the syringe creates a pressure which is sensed by the pressure transducer and the control circuit responds to the sensed pressure by causing fluid to be ejected from, or drawn into, a syringe mounted to the injector. The pressure developed by the remote provides tactile feedback to an operator for improved control over injections.

Claims

1. A hydraulic remote for use with a medical fluid injector, comprising:

a first syringe including a syringe body and a plunger slidably disposed within said syringe body;

at least one pressure transducer couplable to a control circuit of a medical fluid injector; and

a conduit having a first end operatively coupled to said first syringe and a second end couplable to said pressure transducer, whereby movement of said plunger in said syringe body creates a pressure which is sensed by the pressure transducer and causes the control circuit to actuate the medical injector to inject fluid in response thereto.

2. The hydraulic remote of claim 1, wherein movement of said plunger in said syringe body creates a pressure which is sensed by the pressure transduce and causes the control circuit to actuate the medical injector to withdraw fluid in response thereto.

3. A medical injector incorporating the hydraulic remote of claim 1 further comprising:

a plunger drive ram;

a motor for moving said plunger drive ram;

a syringe mounting for attachment to a second syringe to position said second syringe relative to said injector to permit said plunger drive ram to engage and move a plunger into or out of said second syringe; and

a control circuit controlling said motor to move said ram and plunger to inject fluid from said second syringe;

said control circuit responding the pressure sensed by said pressure transducer by moving said plunger drive ram at a rate related to the sensed pressure.

4. The medical injector of claim 3, wherein said control circuit responds to increased pressure sensed by said pressure transducer by moving said plunger drive ram into said second syringe to expel fluid from said second syringe at a rate related to the positive change in sensed pressure.

5. The medical injector of claim 3, wherein said control circuit responds to decreased pressure sensed by said pressure transducer by moving said plunger drive ram out of said second syringe to draw fluid into said second syringe at a rate related to the negative change in sensed pressure.

6. The medical injector of claim 3, further comprising

a hand-operated movement control comprising a lever movable between a home position and forward and reverse positions;

said control circuit responding to forward movement of said lever by moving said plunger drive ram into said second syringe to expel fluid from said second syringe at a rate related to the amount of forward movement of said lever from said home position, said control circuit responding to reverse movement of said lever by moving said plunger drive ram out of said second syringe to draw fluid into said second syringe at a rate related to the amount of reverse movement of said lever from said home position.

7. The injector of claim 3, further comprising two pressure transducers couplable to said control circuit.

8. The injector of claim 7, wherein said control circuit responds to the pressure sensed by a first of said pressure transducers to control the motion of said plunger drive ram into said second syringe, and said control circuit responds to the pressure sensed by a second of said pressure transducers to enable operation of the injector when the pressure is above a threshold pressure.

9. The injector of claim 7, wherein said control circuit responds to the pressure sensed by a first of said pressure transducers to control the motion of said plunger drive ram out of said second syringe, and said control circuit responds to the pressure sensed by a second of said pressure transducers to enable operation of the injector when the pressure is above a threshold pressure.

10. The injector of claim 8, wherein said threshold pressure is sufficient to disable operation of the injector when said plunger is released.

11. The injector of claim 9, wherein said threshold pressure is sufficient to disable operation of the injector when said plunger is released.

12. The injector of claim 3, wherein said control circuit responds to the pressure sensed by said pressure transducer to move said plunger drive ram at a rate proportional to the amount of pressure change.

13. The injector if claim 12, wherein said control circuit moves said plunger drive ram up to a maximum rate of about 6 milliliters per second.

14. A circuit board couplable to a medical fluid injector to modify the injector such that it can be used with a hydraulic remote, the circuit board comprising:

at least one pressure transducer couplable to the hydraulic remote and configured to send signals to a control circuit of the injector to control injection of fluid by said injector in response to pressure sensed from the hydraulic remote.

15. A method of controlling a medical fluid injector using a hydraulic remote coupled to the injector, the method comprising:

moving a plunger of the hydraulic remote to generate a pressure;

sensing the pressure generated by the hydraulic remote; and

moving a plunger drive ram on the injector in response to the sensed pressure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plunger drive ram is moved into a syringe on the injector in response to the sensed pressure when the plunger on the remote is moved in a first direction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plunger drive ram is moved out of a syringe on the injector in response to the sensed pressure when the plunger on the remote is moved in a second direction.

18. A method of modifying a medical fluid injector having a control circuit to respond to a hydraulic remote, the method comprising:

coupling a circuit board to the control circuit of the injector to control injection of fluid by the injector, the circuit board having at least one pressure transducer adapted to sense pressure from the hydraulic remote.