Powerhead control in a power injection system

• US 20060079843A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mallinckrodt Incorporated (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Fago, Frank M., Brooks, David M., Wagner, Gary S., Borgemenke, Elaine, Lafferty, Sean
• Application Number:
  US11/073,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079843A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/151
• 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 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 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 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

A dual head contrast media injection system performs a patency check or test injection, determining flow rate and/or flow volume from the programmed protocol. The tubing that connects syringes to a patient shares only a short common section near to the patient. Appropriate injection steps are taken to compensate for tubing elasticity. A wireless remote control and a touch screen control are provided, improving functionality and information delivery. The display brightness is controlled based on the ambient light, and the display panel includes a double swivel permitting re-orientation. The orientation of the display may also be controlled based on, e.g., the current step, the tilt angle of the powerhead, or a manual control. Furthermore, the display is customizable to identify the type of fluid (contrast, saline, etc.) on either side of the injector, to provide matched color coding, and to provide a folder/tab analogy for retrieving injection protocol parameters.

Claims

1. A tubing assembly for a dual head contrast media injector system comprising:

first tubing providing a first fluid path between a first syringe and a patient fitting, for a first fluid;

second tubing providing a second fluid path, separate from the first fluid path, between a second syringe and the patient fitting, for a second fluid; and

the fitting configured to provide fluid communication between each of the first tubing and second tubing with a common fluid path for delivery of either the first or second fluid to a patient.

2. The tubing assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second tubing are connected for at least a portion between the first and second syringes and the patient fitting while maintaining separation between the first fluid path and the second fluid path.

3. The tubing assembly of claim 1 wherein the patient fitting includes a luer fitting.

4. The tubing assembly of claim 2 wherein the portion includes a round outer tubing separated into two longitudinal chambers by a way substantially bisecting an internal diameter of the round outer tubing.

5. The tubing assembly of claim 2, wherein the portion includes two substantially similar tubes connected together on a respective outside edge of each tube.

6. A method within a dual head contrast media injector system, comprising the steps of:

connecting a first fluid container to a patient fitting via first tubing providing a first fluid path between the first fluid container and the patient fitting, for a first fluid;

connecting a second fluid container to the patient fitting via second tubing providing a second fluid path, separate from the first fluid path, between the second syringe and the patient fitting, for a second fluid; and

connecting the first fluid path and the second fluid path with the patient fitting via a common chamber in fluid communication with both the first and second tubing;

driving the first fluid container to deliver the first fluid to the patient via the patient fitting; and

concurrently with driving the first fluid container, driving the second fluid container to oppose reverse flow of the second fluid as a result of pressures induced by driving the first fluid container.

7. A method for performing a preliminary injection within a dual head contrast media injector system comprising the steps of:

identifying a selected injection protocol;

determining injection parameters for fluid flows defined by the injection protocol; and

setting injection parameters for a preliminary injection based on the determined injection parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the determined injection parameters are selected from the group including identity of fluid delivered, volume of fluid delivered and flow rate of fluid delivered.

9. The method of claim 7 applied to the performance of a saline patency check, further comprising the step of determining whether a syringe holding saline has enough saline to perform the patency check and the selected protocol.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, in the event of insufficient saline to perform the patency check and the selected protocol, a step selected from the group of terminating the patency check or issuing a warning prior to performing the patency check.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

providing the determined injection parameters to an operator via a user interface;

receiving instructions back from the operator via the user interface; and

performing the patency check according to the instructions.

12. A dual head contrast media injector system, the system comprising:

a processor for controlling operation of the injector system;

a memory coupled to the processor and storing a plurality of injection protocols, each protocol including respective injection parameters;

a first head for driving injection of fluid from a first syringe;

a second head for driving injection of fluid from a second syringe;

the processor configured to selectively perform a preliminary injection prior to performing an injection protocol, wherein a flow rate for the preliminary injection is based on injection parameters for a particular injection protocol selected to follow said preliminary injection.

13. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 12 wherein said first syringe contains saline fluid and said preliminary injection is a patency check and utilizes saline fluid from said first syringe of said injector system.

14. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 13 wherein said patency check preliminary injection utilizes a flow rate equal to a maximum flow rate of said particular injection protocol.

15. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 12 wherein said preliminary injection is a test injection and initially utilizes the same head of said injector system as is initially used by said particular injection protocol.

16. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 15 wherein said test preliminary injection utilizes a flow rate equal to an initial flow rate of said particular injection protocol.

17. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 12 wherein said preliminary injection is separately enabled from said particular injection protocol, said processor configured to selectively not perform the preliminary injection upon instruction from an operator.

18. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 12 wherein said test injection may be selectively performed without modification of said particular injection protocol.

19. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 12 wherein said processor is configured to calculate fluid requirements of said preliminary injection and said particular injection protocol, and to generate an operator indication of insufficient fluid.

20. The dual head contrast media injector system of claim 12 wherein said first and second syringes are connected by a common length of tubing to a patient injection site, and said processor is configured to perform injection steps as part of said preliminary injection to fill said common length of tubing with a predetermined one of saline, contrast and a mixture thereof.