Power Injector with Flow Rate Assessment

• US 20100274182A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liebel Flarsheim Co LLC (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Mallinckrodt Incorporated (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Lafferty, Sean B., Wagner, Gary S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,500,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14553 comprising a pressure jacket
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16886 for measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54

Abstract

A flow rate assessment protocol (140) that may be utilized by a power injector (10) is disclosed. This flow rate assessment protocol (140) monitors a flow rate (156) during execution of a medical fluid delivery protocol (154). This monitored flow rate is compared with a target flow rate (158). A comparative output of this monitored flow rate and target flow rate is displayed (160), for instance on a graphical user interface (11).

Claims

1. A method of operation for a medical fluid delivery system, the method comprising the steps of:

discharging medical fluid from said medical fluid delivery system; and

displaying a first output, wherein said first output comprises a relationship between a current flow rate of said discharging step and a target flow rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said discharging step comprises discharging said medical fluid from a power injector.

3. The method of any one of claims 1-2, wherein said discharging step comprises injecting said medical fluid into a fluid target.

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein said fluid target comprises a patient.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein said discharging step is executed in an attempt to provide said target flow rate.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein said displaying step comprises displaying said first output on at least one graphical user interface.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein said displaying step is executed only when said current flow rate differs from said target flow rate by more than a predetermined amount.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein said displaying step is continuously executed throughout said discharging step.

9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein said displaying step comprises simultaneously displaying a magnitude of said current flow rate and a magnitude of said target flow rate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first output comprises said magnitude of said current flow rate and said magnitude of said target flow rate.

11. The method of any one of claims 9-10, wherein said simultaneously displaying step comprises displaying a numerical value for each of said magnitude of said current flow rate and said magnitude of said target flow rate.

12. The method of any one of claims 9-10, wherein said simultaneously displaying step comprises presenting a graphical representation for each of said magnitude of said current flow rate and said magnitude of said target flow rate.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein said displaying step comprises expressing said current flow rate as a percentage of said target flow rate.

14. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein said displaying step comprises displaying a differential between said current flow rate and said target flow rate.

15. The method of any one of claims 1-14, wherein said displaying step comprises presenting a contrast between said current flow rate and said target flow rate.

16. The method of any one of claims 1-15, wherein said displaying step comprises conveying information as to how said current flow rate differs from said target flow rate.

17. The method of any one of claims 1-16, further comprising the step of:

issuing a message that conveys that said discharging step is failing to comply with said target flow rate.

18. The method of any one of claims 1-17, further comprising the step of:

changing said discharging step if said current flow rate differs from said target flow rate in a predetermined manner.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

inputting said predetermined manner.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said discharging step uses a power injector, and wherein said method further comprises the step of:

allowing operator input of said predetermined manner.

21. The method of any one of claims 18-20, further comprising the step of:

executing a first prompting step comprising prompting an entry of said predetermined manner on at least one graphical user interface.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

executing a second prompting step comprising prompting an entry of said target flow rate on at least one graphical user interface.

23. The method of any one of claims 1-22, further comprising the step of:

terminating said discharging step if said current flow rate is less than a predetermined percentage of said target flow rate.

24. The method of any one of claims 1-22, further comprising the step of;

terminating said discharging step if said current flow rate is less than said target flow rate by a predetermined value.

25. A power injector, comprising:

a powerhead;

a syringe plunger driver;

a graphical user interface; and

control logic configured to;

a) execute a medical fluid delivery protocol; and

b) present a first output on said graphical user interface, wherein said first output comprises a relationship between a target flow rate associated with said medical fluid delivery protocol and a current flow rate that exists during an execution of said medical fluid delivery protocol.

26. The power injector of claim 25, wherein said first output is presented on said graphical user interface only when said current flow rate differs from said target flow rate by more than a predetermined amount.

27. The power injector of claim 25, wherein said first output is presented on said graphical user interface throughout execution of said medical fluid delivery protocol.

28. The power injector of any one of claims 25-27, wherein said first output comprises a magnitude of said current flow rate and a magnitude of said target flow rate.

29. The power injector of claim 28, wherein said first output further comprises a numerical value for each of said magnitude of said current flow rate and said magnitude of said target flow rate.

30. The power injector of claim 28, wherein said first output further comprises a graphical representation for each of said magnitude of said current flow rate and said magnitude of said target flow rate.

31. The power injector of any one of claims 25-30, wherein said first output comprises an expression of said current flow rate as a percentage of said target flow rate.

32. The power injector of any one of claims 25-30, wherein said first output comprises a differential between said current flow rate and said target flow rate.

33. The power injector of any one of claims 25-32, wherein said first output comprises a contrast between said current flow rate with said target flow rate.

34. The power injector of any one of claims 25-33, wherein said first output comprises information as to how said current flow rate differs from said target flow rate.

35. The power injector of any one of claims 25-34, further comprising:

a message that conveys that said current flow rate is failing to comply with said target flow rate.

36. The power injector of any one of claims 25-35, further comprising:

a data entry device operatively interconnected with said control logic.

37. The power injector of claim 36, wherein said control logic is configured to store a termination condition that may be input by said data entry device, wherein said control logic terminates said medical fluid delivery protocol upon any occurrence of said termination condition.

38. The power injector of claim 37, further comprising a prompt on said first graphical user interface to enter said termination condition.

39. The power injector of any one of claims 36-38, further comprising a prompt on said first graphical user interface to enter said target flow rate.

40. The power injector of any one of claims 25-39, wherein said control logic is configured to terminate said medical fluid delivery protocol if said current flow rate is less than a predetermined percentage of said target flow rate.

41. The power injector of any one of claims 25-39, wherein said control logic is configured to terminate said medical fluid delivery protocol if said current flow rate is less than said target flow rate by a flow rate value.