Syringe Identification System
First Claim
1. A syringe assembly for use with an injector having a plurality of sensors located at different predetermined longitudinal positions on said injector, said syringe assembly comprising:
- a body comprising a wall and defining a longitudinal syringe axis;
an mounting mechanism to enable said syringe assembly to be mounted to said injector;
a length of material disposed along at least a portion of said wall, said length of material adapted to propagate electromagnetic energy therethrough in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis, said length of material comprising at least two indicators, each of said indicators being located at a different predetermined longitudinal position along said length of material, each of said indicators being positioned to align with a corresponding sensor when said syringe assembly is attached to said injector, each of said indicators being adapted to interact concurrently with at least a portion of said energy being propagated through said length of material in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis in a manner that is readily detectable by said corresponding sensor; and
an indicator block disposed to block the propagation of electromagnetic energy from at least one of said at least two indicators to a corresponding sensor, said at least two indicators and indicator block providing information about said syringe assembly configuration in the form of a binary code on the basis of presence or absence of electromagnetic energy from one or more of said indicators at predetermined longitudinal positions along said length of material reaching corresponding sensors.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A syringe (10′) for use with a powered injector (20) to inject a fluid into a patient that includes a length of material (1550) adapted to transmit or propagate electromagnetic energy therethrough. The length of material (1550) includes a plurality of indicators (60a-60c) positioned along the length of material. The indicators (60a-60c) are adapted to interact with at least a portion of the energy being propagated through the length of material (1550) of the syringe (10′) in a manner that is detectable. An indicator block (1500) may be disposed over at least a portion of the plurality of indicators (60a-60c). The presence (or absence) of an indicator block (1500) provides or corresponds to information about the syringe (10′) configuration. The indicator(s) (60a-60c) in combination with the indicator blocks (1500) may, for example, provide information about syringe (10′) configuration by the number and/or position thereof.
47 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A syringe assembly for use with an injector having a plurality of sensors located at different predetermined longitudinal positions on said injector, said syringe assembly comprising:
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a body comprising a wall and defining a longitudinal syringe axis; an mounting mechanism to enable said syringe assembly to be mounted to said injector; a length of material disposed along at least a portion of said wall, said length of material adapted to propagate electromagnetic energy therethrough in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis, said length of material comprising at least two indicators, each of said indicators being located at a different predetermined longitudinal position along said length of material, each of said indicators being positioned to align with a corresponding sensor when said syringe assembly is attached to said injector, each of said indicators being adapted to interact concurrently with at least a portion of said energy being propagated through said length of material in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis in a manner that is readily detectable by said corresponding sensor; and an indicator block disposed to block the propagation of electromagnetic energy from at least one of said at least two indicators to a corresponding sensor, said at least two indicators and indicator block providing information about said syringe assembly configuration in the form of a binary code on the basis of presence or absence of electromagnetic energy from one or more of said indicators at predetermined longitudinal positions along said length of material reaching corresponding sensors. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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2. A syringe assembly comprising:
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a body defining a longitudinal syringe axis; a plunger movably disposed within said body; a length of material disposed along at least a portion of said body and being adapted to propagate light energy therethrough in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis, said length of material comprising at least two indicators located at unique predetermined positions therealong, each of said indicators being adapted to redirect at least a portion of said light energy outside of said body in a manner that is detectable, each of said indicators being positioned at a different depth within said length of material; an indicator block disposed to block the propagation of light energy from at least one of said at least two indicators to a corresponding sensor, said light redirected from said indicators, and not blocked by said indicator block, providing a code that provides information about said syringe assembly configuration; and at least one mounting flange associated with said body.
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- 3. A syringe assembly comprising a body comprising a wall and defining a longitudinal syringe axis, a length of said wall being adapted to propagate electromagnetic energy therethrough in a direction generally parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis, said wall comprising at least two indicators positioned at unique and different predetermined longitudinal positions therealong, each of said indicators being positioned at a different depth within said wall so that each of said indicators are adapted to interact concurrently with at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy being propagated through said wall to redirect light outside of said wall in a manner that is detectable, an indicator block disposed to block the propagation of electromagnetic energy from at least one of said at least two indicators to a corresponding sensor, the electromagnetic energy redirected from said indicators, and not blocked by said indicator block, providing a code that provides information about said syringe assembly configuration.
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16. A method of encoding a syringe for automated identification of said syringe, said method comprising:
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filling said syringe with a predetermined medical fluid type, wherein said syringe comprises a body comprising a wall and defining a longitudinal syringe axis; selecting a label corresponding to said predetermined medical fluid type, wherein said selected label comprises an opaque region; and applying said selected label to said syringe such that said opaque region is disposed over a first indicator of said syringe, while at least a second indicator of said syringe is free from having said opaque region disposed thereover, wherein said first and second indicators are adapted to interact concurrently with at least a portion of energy propagated through a length of said syringe in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal syringe axis in a manner that is readily detectable by corresponding sensors in longitudinal alignment with said first and second indicators. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A syringe assembly comprising:
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a body comprising a plurality of optical encoding elements adapted to transmit an optical signal; a plunger comprising a plunger head movably disposed within said body; and an indicator block separately mounted on said body in position to block transmission of an optical signal from at least one of said optical encoding elements. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification