POWER INJECTOR WITH FLOW RATE ASSESSMENT

• US 20130237917A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Mallinckrodt LLC (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Lafferty, Sean B., Wagner, Gary S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,926,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/154
• 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 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, wherein said medical fluid delivery protocol comprises at least one phase configured to deliver a programmed volume of a medical fluid at a programmed target flow rate, and wherein said power injector attempts to provide said target flow rate in an execution of said at least one phase; and

b) display a first output on said graphical user interface, wherein said first output comprises a numerical representation of a relationship between said target flow rate of said at least one phase of said medical fluid delivery protocol and a current flow rate that exists during an execution of said at least one phase of said medical fluid delivery protocol.

2. The power injector of claim 1, 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.

3. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said first output is presented on said graphical user interface throughout execution of said medical fluid delivery protocol.

4. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said numerical representation comprises a magnitude of said current flow rate and a magnitude of said target flow rate.

5. The power injector of claim 4, wherein said numerical representation further comprises a numerical value for each of said magnitude of said current flow rate and said magnitude of said target flow rate.

6. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said numerical representation comprises a single number.

7. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said numerical representation comprises an expression of said current flow rate as a percentage of said target flow rate.

8. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said numerical representation comprises a differential between said current flow rate and said target flow rate.

9. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said first output comprises a contrast between said current flow rate with said target flow rate.

10. The power injector of claim 1, wherein said first output comprises information as to how said current flow rate differs from said target flow rate.

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

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

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

a data entry device operatively interconnected with said control logic.

13. The power injector of claim 12, 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.

14. The power injector of claim 13, further comprising a prompt on said first graphical user interface to enter said termination condition.

15. The power injector of claim 12, further comprising a prompt on said first graphical user interface to enter said target flow rate.

16. The power injector of claim 1, 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.

17. The power injector of claim 1, 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.