SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL FLUID INJECTION PROTOCOLS BASED ON X-RAY TUBE VOLTAGE

• US 20150141813A1
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Medical Care Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Kalafut, John F., Kemper, Corey A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/425
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters

Abstract

A system for patient imaging is provided. The system includes an imaging system and a parameter generator to determine parameters of at least a first phase of an injection procedure. The imaging system includes a scanner that has at least one x-ray tube. The parameter generator is programmed to determine at least one of the parameters on the basis of a voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during an imaging procedure. A method of controlling an injector system is also provided, and the method includes determining injection parameters, at least one of which is determined on the basis of a voltage to be applied to an x-ray tube during the imaging procedure, as well as controlling the injector system at least in part on the basis of the determined injection parameters.

Claims

1. A system for patient imaging, comprising an imaging system and a parameter generator to determine parameters of at least a first phase of an injection procedure, wherein the imaging system comprises a scanner comprising at least one x-ray tube and wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine at least one of the parameters on the basis of a voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during an imaging procedure.

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26. A parameter generator for use in an imaging system comprising a scanner comprising at least one x-ray tube, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine parameters of at least a first phase of an injection procedure including at least one parameter on the basis of a voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during an imaging procedure.

27. The parameter generator of claim 26, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine at least one of a volume of a pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase and a flow rate of the pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase on the basis of the voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during the imaging procedure.

28. The parameter generator of claim 27, wherein the pharmaceutical fluid comprises a contrast enhancing agent.

29. The parameter generator of claim 27, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the volume of the pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase according to the formula:

V1=weight*X*Y, wherein V1 is the volume of the pharmaceutical fluid, X is a function of patient weight and x-ray tube voltage, and Y is a function of the concentration of a contrast enhancing agent in the pharmaceutical fluid.

30. The parameter generator of claim 29, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine X for a particular patient weight from a look-up table wherein X is set forth as a function of patient weight and the voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during the imaging procedure.

31. The parameter generator of claim 29, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine at least a first flow rate of the pharmaceutical fluid by dividing V1 by an injection duration of the first phase.

32. The parameter generator of claim 31, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to generate the injection duration on the basis of one or more criteria inputted by an operator.

33. The parameter generator of claim 32, wherein the one or more criteria include at least an identification of a body region to be imaged during the imaging procedure.

34. The parameter generator of claim 29, wherein V1 is the volume of the pharmaceutical fluid to be delivered in a phase in which only the pharmaceutical fluid is to be delivered, and wherein the parameter generator is further programmed to determine a volume V2 of pharmaceutical fluid to be delivered in at least a second phase in which both the pharmaceutical fluid and a diluent are to be delivered.

35. The parameter generator of claim 27, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the volume of the pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase by adjusting a volume parameter of a baseline injection protocol.

36. The parameter generator of claim 35, wherein data representing the baseline injection protocol exists in memory of the parameter generator or accessible to the parameter generator.

37. The parameter generator of claim 35, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the baseline injection protocol on the basis of one or more criteria inputted by an operator.

38. The parameter generator of claim 35, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the volume of the pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase by applying a tube voltage modification factor to the volume parameter of the baseline injection protocol.

39. The parameter generator of claim 27, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the flow rate of the pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase by adjusting a flow rate parameter of a baseline injection protocol.

40. The parameter generator of claim 39, wherein data representing the baseline injection protocol exists in memory of the parameter generator or accessible to the parameter generator.

41. The parameter generator of claim 39, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the baseline injection protocol on the basis of one or more criteria inputted by an operator.

42. The parameter generator of claim 39, wherein the parameter generator is programmed to determine the flow rate of the pharmaceutical fluid to be injected during at least the first phase by applying a tube voltage modification factor to the flow rate parameter of the baseline injection protocol.

43. A method of controlling an injector system for delivering a pharmaceutical fluid to a patient as part of an imaging procedure, the injector system in operative connection with an imaging system comprising a scanner comprising at least one x-ray tube, the steps of the method comprising:

(a) determining, using a parameter generator, injection parameters of at least a first phase of an injection procedure, wherein at least one of the injection parameters is determined on the basis of a voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during the imaging procedure; and

(b) controlling the injector system at least in part on the basis of the determined injection parameters.

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61. A method of generating an injection protocol for use with an injector system in operative connection with an imaging system comprising a scanner comprising at least one x-ray tube, the method comprising the step of:

(a) determining, using a parameter generator, injection parameters of at least a first phase of an injection procedure, wherein at least one of the injection parameters is determined on the basis of a voltage to be applied to the at least one x-ray tube during an imaging procedure.

62. The method of claim 61, the method further comprising the step of receiving, at the parameter generator, information identifying a region of the body to be scanned, wherein at least one of the injection parameters is determined on the basis of the region of the body to be scanned.

63. The method of claim 61, further comprising the step of receiving, at the parameter generator, information about the weight of a patient, wherein at least one of the injection parameters is determined on the basis of the weight of the patient.