Encoding and sensing of syringe information

• US 20040064101A1
• Filed: 07/16/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Kowan, Kevin P., Brosovich, John A., Hirschman, Alan D., Yanniello, Michael J., Iddon, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 7,462,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• 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

Abstract

A syringe for use with a powered injector to inject a fluid into a patient inclides an encoder. The encoder includes at least a first indicator positioned on the encoder. The first indicator is adapted to interact with at least a portion of energy being propagated through or adjacent the encoder in a manner that is detectable. The presence (or absence) of the first indicator provides or corresponds to information about the syringe configuration. The indicator(s) of the present invention can, for example, provide information about syringe configuration by the number and/or position thereof. A plurality or set of such syringes can be provided, with the configuration of each such syringe being represented by the presence or absence of indicator(s) of that syringe.

Claims

1. A syringe for use with a powered injector, the syringe comprising:

a length of material adapted to propagate electromagnetic energy therethrough, the length of material comprising at least a first indicator positioned along the length of material, the first indicator being adapted to interact with at least a portion of the energy being propagated through the length of material in a manner that is detectable, the first indicator providing information about the syringe configuration.

2. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a plurality of indicators along the length of the material at unique predetermined positions, each of the indicators being adapted to interact with at least a portion of the energy being propagated through the length of material in a manner that is detectable, the predetermined positions of the indicators providing information about the syringe configuration.

3. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the at least a first indicator is adapted to absorb at least a portion of the energy or to scatter at least a portion of the energy.

4. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a detection material that is placed in a detectible state upon impingement of the energy.

5. The syringe of claim 4 wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises light energy and the detection material fluoresces upon impingement thereupon by light energy.

6. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the length of material is formed integrally with the syringe.

7. The syringe of claim 6 wherein the length of material comprises a portion of a wall of the syringe.

8. The syringe of claim 7 wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises light energy and the length of material has a refractive index greater than the refractive index of an adjacent environment.

9. The syringe of claim 7 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises an angled surface in the syringe wall adapted to transmit light energy outside of the syringe wall.

10. The syringe of claim 7 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises at least a first plurality of indicators along the length of the syringe wall at unique predetermined positions, each of the indicators being adapted to interact with at least a portion of the energy being propagated through the length of the syringe wall in a manner that is detectable, the predetermined positions of the indicators providing information about the syringe configuration.

11. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the length of material is attachable to the syringe.

12. The syringe of claim 10 wherein the at least a first plurality of indicators represents a first binary code.

13. The syringe of claim 12, further comprising at least a second plurality of indicators along the length of the syringe wall at unique predetermined positions, the at least a second plurality of indicators representing a second binary code.

14. The syringe of claim 1, further comprising:

a body comprising a syringe wall, a rear end and a front end; and

a plunger movably disposed in the body.

15. The syringe of claim 14, further comprising at least one mounting flange associated with the body.

16. The syringe of claim 15, further comprising a drip flange associated with the main body.

17. The syringe of claim 15 wherein the length of material is associated with the body at a location between the rear end of the body and the at least one mounting flange.

18. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a groove formed around at least a portion of the circumference of the syringe.

19. The syringe of claim 18 wherein the groove extends along the circumference of the syringe.

20. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the length of material is translucent.

21. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a first, generally flat surface that is angled with respect to an orientation of energy propagated through the length of material to redirect at least a portion of the energy in a manner that is readily detectable.

22. The syringe of claim 21 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a notch defined in the length of material, the notch comprising a second surface through which the energy passes to contact the first surface, the first surface reflecting a portion of the energy.

23. The syringe of claim 22 wherein the first surface is angled at approximately 45°

to the orientation of the energy propagated through the length of material.

24. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic energy is light energy and the length of material is adapted to propagate the light energy therethrough in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the syringe.

25. An injector for use with a syringe of any of claims 1-24, the injector comprising:

a drive member to pressurize the contents of the syringe;

at least one energy source for transmitting energy through the length of material of the syringe; and

at lease one sensor for detecting at least a portion of the energy interacting with the at least a first indicator of the syringe.

26. A method of providing information from a syringe of any of claims 1-24 to an injector of claim 25, the method comprising:

propagating energy through a least a portion of the length of material of the syringe; and

detecting at least a portion of the energy modified by the at least a first indicator in the length of material.

27. A syringe for use with a powered injector, the syringe comprising:

a body comprising a syringe wall, a rear end and a front end; and

at least a first indicator positioned along the syringe wall;

characterized in that

the at least a first indicator is adapted to interact with at least a portion of energy propagated adjacent to the syringe wall and generally parallel to the syringe axis in a manner that is detectable, the first indicator operable to provide information about the syringe configuration.

28. The syringe of claim 27 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a plurality of indicators along the length of the syringe wall at unique predetermined longitudinal positions, each of the indicators being adapted to interact with at least a portion of the energy being propagated adjacent the syringe wall in a manner that is detectable, the predetermined positions of the indicators providing information about the syringe configuration.

29. The syringe of claim 27 wherein the at least a first indicator is adapted to absorb at least a portion of the energy or to scatter at least a portion of the energy.

30. The syringe of claim 27 wherein the energy comprises light energy and the at least a first indicator comprises an angled surface formed in the syringe wall and adapted to transmit light energy to at least one sensor positioned adjacent the syringe wall.

31. The syringe of claim 30 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises at least a first plurality of indicators along the length of the syringe wall at unique predetermined longitudinal positions, each of the indicators comprising an angled surface formed in the surface of the syringe wall and adapted to transmit light energy to at least one sensor positioned adjacent the syringe wall, the predetermined positions of the indicators providing information about the syringe configuration.

32. The syringe of claim 31 wherein the at least a first plurality of indicators represents a first binary code.

33. The syringe of claim 32, further comprising at least a second plurality of indicators along the length of the syringe wall at unique predetermined positions, the at least a second plurality of indicators representing a second binary code.

34. The syringe of claim 31 wherein each of the at least a first plurality of indicators has a different radial position.

35. The syringe of claim 34 wherein the at least a first plurality of indicators are formed as a stepped progression.

36. The syringe of claim 27 wherein the at least a first indicator comprises a plurality of indicators positioned along the length of the syringe wall, each of the indicators comprising a first, generally flat surface that is angled with respect to an orientation of light propagated along the surface of the length of material to redirect at least a portion of the light in a manner that is readily detectable, the indicators providing information about the syringe configuration.

37. The syringe of claim 36 wherein each indicator comprises a step change in radius of the syringe wall, the step change in radius comprising an angled surface that reflects a portion of the light.

38. The syringe of claim 27 wherein the at least a first indicator is positioned along a surface of the syringe wall, the at least a first indicator being adapted to interact with at least a portion of light energy being propagated along the surface of the syringe wall in a manner that is detectable.

39. The syringe of claim 38 wherein the light energy is propagated generally parallel to the syringe axis and the syringe comprises at least a first plurality of indicators positioned along the surface of the syringe wall at different longitudinal positions, the at least a first plurality of indicators representing a binary code providing information about the syringe configuration.

40. The syringe of claim 38 wherein the syringe wall is generally cylindrical in shape and the syringe further comprises at least a first plurality of indicators aligned along the syringe wall at different longitudinal positions such that a beam of light from a single light source can be propagated along the surface of the syringe wall in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the syringe to interact with each of the first plurality of indicators.

41. An injector for use with a syringe of any of claims 27-40, the injector comprising:

a drive member to pressurize the contents of the syringe;

at least one energy source for transmitting energy adjacent to the syringe wall of the syringe; and

at lease one sensor for detecting at least a portion of the energy interacting with the at least a first indicator of the syringe.

42. A method of providing information from a syringe of any of claims 27-40 to an injector of claim 41, the method comprising:

propagating energy adjacent to a syringe wall of the syringe; and

detecting at least a portion of the energy modified by the at least a first indicator positioned along the syringe wall.

43. An injector for use with an encoded syringe or an encoded syringe adapter, the injector comprising:

an interface adapted to attach the syringe or the syringe adapter to the injector;

at least one energy source adapted to propagate energy in an axial direction; and

at least one sensor adapted to detect energy impinging thereupon as a result of the encoding of the syringe or the syringe adapter.

44. The injector of claim 43 wherein the at least one energy source comprises a light source.

45. The injector of claim 44, further comprising a sensor assembly comprising:

a positioning subassembly comprising a translucent surface through which light can pass; and

at least one abutment member spaced from the translucent surface to position the encoded syringe or the encoded syringe adapter seated in a gap formed between the translucent surface and the abutment member at a desired position relative to the translucent surface.

46. The injector claim 45 wherein the syringe or syringe adapter is positioned sufficiently closely to the translucent surface to prevent formation of fluid droplets between the syringe or syringe adapter and the translucent surface.

47. The injector of claim 46 wherein the at least one sensor is positioned on the side of the translucent surface opposite the side upon which the abutment member is positioned.

48. The injector of claim 47 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

49. The injector of claim 48 wherein the at least one light source is positioned to transmit light in an axial direction in the gap formed between the translucent surface and the abutment member.

50. The injector of claim 49 wherein the sensor assembly further comprises a testing light source for each sensor to test the operability of each sensor.