Systems and methods of modeling pharmaceutical propagation in a patient

• US 20070255135A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: KALAFUT, JOHN, UBER, ARTHUR
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/431
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0044 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• 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 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• 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: A61K 49/0002 General or multifunctional contrast agents, e.g. chelated agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5601 involving use of a contrast agent for contrast manipulation, e.g. a paramagnetic, super-paramagnetic, ferromagnetic or hyperpolarised contrast agent
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A method of delivering a contrast enhancing fluid to a patient using an injector system, includes determining at least one patient transfer function for the patient based upon data specific to the patient, the at least one patient transfer function providing a time enhancement output for a given input; determining a desired time enhancement output; using the at least one patient transfer function to determine an injection procedure input; and controlling the injector system at least in part on the basis of the determined injection procedure input. The injection procedure input can be determined considering at least one operational limitation or constraint of the injector system. A method of modeling propagation of a pharmaceutical fluid in a patient, includes: collecting data corresponding to a time response curve resulting from injection of the fluid; and determining at least one mathematical model describing the data. The mathematical model can, for example, be a model which is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data. Further, the injection of fluid by the injector can be controlled at least in part on the basis of the mathematical model.

Claims

1-51. -51. (canceled)

52. A method of modeling propagation of a pharmaceutical fluid in a patient, comprising:

collecting data corresponding to a time response curve resulting from injection of the fluid; and

determining at least one mathematical model describing the data, provided that the mathematical model is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the fluid is a contrast medium used in an imaging procedure and the data collected corresponds to a time enhancement output resulting from injection of the contrast medium.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the model is a parametric model.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the model is a moving average or an autoregressive moving average.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the mathematical model assumes linearity and time invariance.

57. The method of claim 53 wherein the model is a non-parametric model determined by a spectral estimation technique.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the spectral estimation technique is Welch'"'"'s method, Bartlett'"'"'s method, a multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method, or the Periodogram method.

59. The method of claim 53 wherein data is collected during at least one test injection prior to an imaging injection.

60. The method of claim 53 wherein the model is updated with data collected during the imaging injection.

61. The method of claim 59 wherein the test injection comprises injection of contrast medium followed by injection of a non-contrast fluid.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein the non-contrast fluid is injected at substantially the same volumetric flow rate as a flow rate of contrast medium preceding the injection of non-contrast fluid.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the non-contrast fluid is saline.

64. The method of claim 59 wherein more than one test injection is performed.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein one test injection comprises injection of contrast medium only and another test injection comprises injection of contrast medium followed by injection of a non-contrast fluid.

66. A method of controlling injection of a pharmaceutical fluid into a patient using an injector in a medical procedure, comprising:

collecting data corresponding to a patient response curve resulting from injection of the fluid;

determining at least one mathematical model describing the data, provided that the mathematical model is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data; and

controlling the injector during the medical procedure to control injection of the fluid into the patient to create patient response at least in part on the basis of the mathematical model.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein the medical procedure is a medical imaging procedure using an imaging scanner and the collected data corresponds to a time enhancement curve resulting from injection of the contrast medium and the injector is controlled to control injection of the contrast medium into the patient to create an image of a region of interest at least in part on the basis of the mathematical model.

68. The method of claim 67 wherein the model is a parametric model.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein the model is a moving average or an autoregressive moving average.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein the mathematical model assumes linearity and time invariance.

71. The method of claim 67 wherein the model is a non-parametric model determined by a spectral estimation technique.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein the spectral estimation technique is Welch'"'"'s method, Bartlett'"'"'s method, a multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method, or the Periodogram method.

73. The method of claim 67 wherein data is collected during at least one test injection prior to an imaging injection.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein the model is updated with data collected during the imaging injection.

75. The method of claim 73 wherein the test injection comprises injection of contrast medium followed by injection of a non-contrast fluid.

76. The method of claim 75 wherein the non-contrast fluid is injected at substantially the same volumetric-e now rate as a flow rate of contrast medium preceding the injection of non-contrast fluid.

77. The method of claim 76 wherein the non-contrast fluid is saline.

78. The method of claim 73 wherein more than one test injection is performed.

79. The method of claim 78 where one test injection comprises injection of contrast medium only and another test injection comprises injection of contrast medium followed by injection of a non-contrast fluid.

80. The method of claim 67 wherein the injector is also controlled at least in part on the basis of information regarding the patient response during the imaging procedure.

81. The method of claim 67 wherein the injector is also controlled at least in part on the basis of information on at least one measured physiological variable of the patient.

82. The method of claim 81 wherein the at least one measured physiological variable is used to alter the output of the mathematical model.

83. The method of claim 67 wherein the step of controlling the injector comprises commencing injection of the contrast medium at one time and commencing an image scan of the region of interest at a second time determined at least in part on the basis of the mathematical model.

84. The method of claim 83 wherein the second time is determined on the basis of a prediction of a time of attainment of a predetermined enhancement level as determined by the mathematical model.

85. An injection system comprising:

an injector; and

a controller in operative communication with the injector to control the injector, the controller controlling injection of a fluid based upon at least one mathematical model, the mathematical model being determined by collecting data corresponding to a time enhancement curve resulting from injection of a contrast medium, provided that the mathematical model is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data.

86. The injection system of claim 85 wherein the controller comprises a computer comprising at least one processing unit and at least one memory, the memory having stored therein a computer program to determine the mathematical model.

87-96. -96. (canceled)

97. A system for effecting a medical procedure comprising:

a sensing system to detect a patient response;

an injector adapted to inject a pharmaceutical fluid; and

a controller in operative communication with the injector to control the injector, the injector controller controlling injection of a fluid based upon at least one mathematical model, the mathematical model being determined by collecting data from the sensing system corresponding to a time response curve resulting from injection of the fluid, provided that the mathematical model is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data.

98. An imaging system:

an imager to create an image of a region of interest of a patient;

an injector adapted to inject a contrast medium; and

a controller in operative communication with the injector to control the injector, the controller controlling injection of the contrast indium based upon at least one mathematical model, the mathematical model being determined by collecting data from the imager corresponding to a time enhancement curve resulting from injection of the contrast medium, provided that the mathematical model is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data.

99-106. -106. (canceled)