Automatic Injector Ram Homing

• US 20110160580A1
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Potter, Victor D., Mclean, Mike W., Perkins, Jeffrey A., Fago, Frank M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,044,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/432
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14553 comprising a pressure jacket
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/106 reciprocating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• 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

Abstract

A power injector (40) includes a movable ram (74) operable to interface with and move a plunger (90a/b) of a syringe (86a/b). The power injector (40) may be operable to automatically determine a proper home position for the particular type of syringe (86a/b) to be used in a fluid injection sequence. The power injector (40) may also include ram homing logic (182) operable to automatically move the ram (74) to a home position after an injection. Such automatic homing of the ram (74) may, for example, be initiated by the end of an injection sequence in preparation for another injection sequence, by the opening of a faceplate (102a/b), by a user input, or by any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A power injector comprising:

a ram;

syringe type identification logic;

a memory unit, wherein said memory unit comprises a lookup table correlating each of a plurality of syringe types to one of a plurality of home positions; and

ram homing logic operable to drive said ram to a home position corresponding to a syringe type upon occurrence of a predetermined condition.

3. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said predetermined condition is selected from the group consisting of removal of a syringe, unlatching a syringe from said power injector, a completion of an injection sequence, and fluidly disconnecting a patient from said power injector.

7. The power injector of claim 1, further comprising a syringe latch.

8. The power injector of claim 7, further comprising a sensor arranged to indicate if said syringe latch is latched.

9. The power injector of claim 1, further comprising a syringe sensor.

10. The power injector of claim 9, wherein said syringe sensor is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor and an RFID reader.

12. The power injector of claim 1, further comprising a ram position encoder.

13. The power injector of claim 1, further comprising a faceplate, wherein said faceplate comprises a syringe mounting member.

14. The power injector of claim 13, wherein said faceplate is configured for a first type of syringe, wherein said faceplate type is communicated to said power injector.

15. The power injector of claim 1, further comprising:

a faceplate mounting member; and

a faceplate, wherein said faceplate comprises a syringe mounting member, wherein said power injector is operable to determine a faceplate type of said faceplate when said faceplate is interconnected to said faceplate mounting member.

16. The power injector of claim 15, further comprising a faceplate sensor.

17. The power injector of claim 16, wherein said faceplate sensor is operable to sense the presence of a faceplate installed on said power injector.

18. The power injector of claim 16, wherein said faceplate sensor is operable to sense a faceplate type of a faceplate installed on said power injector.

19. The power injector of claim 16, wherein said faceplate sensor is operable to distinguish a faceplate type based on sensing at least one magnet of said faceplate.

2. (canceled)

4-6. -6. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

20. A method of moving an injector ram of a power injector to a home position, said method comprising:

identifying, by said power injector, a syringe type mounted to said power injector;

obtaining a home position for said syringe type identified in said identifying step;

detecting an event; and

automatically moving the injector ram to the obtained home position in response to said detecting step.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said event is selected from the group consisting of unlatching a faceplate of said power injector, completing an injection sequence with said power injector, receiving a user input, and sensing, by said power injector, a removal of a syringe from said power injector.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said obtaining step comprises said power injector looking up, in a lookup table, said home position corresponding to said identified syringe type.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said identifying step comprises determining a faceplate type of a faceplate interconnected to a faceplate mounting member of said power injector, wherein said faceplate type corresponds to said syringe type.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said determining is selected from the group consisting of sensing at least one attribute of said faceplate and sensing at least one magnet of said faceplate.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising opening a faceplate.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

removing a used syringe from said power injector after said automatically moving step; and

installing a new syringe after said removing step.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

presenting a home button to a user; and

detecting a pressing of said home button to initiate said moving step.

33. The method of claim 20, further comprising injecting fluid from said syringe into a patient.

34. The method of claim 20, further comprising verifying said patient is disconnected from said power injector prior to said automatically moving step.

22-24. -24. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

31. (canceled)