Injection Monitor

• US 20100198141A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Laitenberger, Peter G., Pooley, David M.
• Application Number:
  US12/679,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198141A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms
• 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 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16836 by sensing tissue properties at the infusion site, e.g. for detecting infiltration detecting tissue temperature for diagnostic purposes A61M39/0247

Abstract

Provided for in certain embodiments is extravasation detector, including an acoustic sensor. Further provided is a method of monitoring for extravasation, including sensing acoustic emissions produced by fluid flow of a medical fluid injected into a subject, and detecting a possible extravasation event based on the sensed acoustic emissions.

Claims

1. An extravasation detector, comprising:

an acoustic sensor, wherein the acoustic sensor is configured to sense acoustic emissions of fluid flow during an infusion of a patient with a medical fluid.

2. The extravasation detector of claim 1, wherein the acoustic sensor comprises a microphone.

3. The extravasation detector of claim 1, wherein the acoustic sensor is configured mounted proximate to an injection site.

4. The extravasation detector of claim 1, comprising a plurality of acoustic sensors.

5. The extravasation detector of claim 4, wherein the sensors are configured such that acoustic emissions sensed by plurality of sensors are processed to account for background noise.

6. The extravasation detector of claim 4, wherein the sensors are configured such that acoustic emissions sensed by a plurality of sensors are processed to determine the position of an extravasation event.

7. The extravasation detector of claim 1, comprising a monitor configured to receive from the acoustic sensor a signal that is indicative of acoustic emissions sensed by the acoustic sensor.

8. The extravasation detector of claim 7, wherein the monitor is configured to process the signal to determine whether an extravasation event has occurred, is occurring, or may occur.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. A medical fluid injector, comprising:

a power injector; and

an acoustic sensor configured to monitor acoustics associated with an injection of a medical fluid by the power injector.

13. The medical fluid injector of claim 12, wherein the power injector is configured to control the injection of the medical fluid into a patient based on the acoustics.

14. The medical fluid injector of claim 12, wherein the power injector is configured to control the injection based on whether an extravasation has occurred, is occurring, or may occur based on the acoustics.

15. The medical fluid injector of claim 12, further comprising a catheter coupled to the power injector, wherein the catheter comprises features configured to produce acoustic emissions that are indicative of a flow rate of the medical fluid flowing through the catheter.

16. A method of monitoring for extravasation, comprising:

sensing acoustic emissions produced by fluid flow of a medical fluid injected into a subject; and

detecting a possible extravasation event based on the sensed acoustic emissions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting comprises comparing the sensed acoustic emissions to a baseline acoustic emission.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising acquiring a baseline acoustic emission, and acquiring an injection acoustic emission, wherein the injection acoustic emission is acquired during the injection of the subject with the medical fluid.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein acquiring the baseline acoustic emission comprises accessing a baseline acoustic emission from a memory.

23. The method of claim 16, comprising controlling an injection of the medical fluid based on the possible extravasation event, the acoustic emissions, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein controlling the injection comprises continuing the injection if the possible extravasation event has occurred subsequent to a threshold point in the injection.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the injector comprises a needle and the acoustic sensor is coupled to the injector.

18. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

29. A tangible medium, comprising:

a machine readable medium; and

code disposed on the machine readable medium, wherein the code is configured to monitor an acoustic sensor configured to sense acoustic emissions associated with an injection and to determine if an extravasation event has occurred, is occurring, or may occur.