Methods for controlling medical fluid injections

• US 9,242,083 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liebel Flarsheim Co LLC (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Liebel Flarsheim Co LLC (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Fago, Frank M., Knipfer, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAURITZEN, AMANDA L
• Application Number:
  US12/615,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/431, 600/425, 600/432, 604/131, 604/151, 604/890.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3362 with minimised length of fluid lines; Taking into account the elastic expansion of fluid lines to increase accuracy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/005 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention is directed to control of medical fluid injection systems. For instance, in some embodiments, an injection protocol may be initiated, and an actual flow rate of the medical fluid utilized in the injection protocol may be adjusted based, at least in part, on an inherent system elasticity of the injection system.

Claims

1. A method of operation for a contrast media injection system, the method comprising:

receiving elasticity data at the injection system, wherein the elasticity data is on the injection system;

receiving a contrast media injection protocol at the injection system, wherein there is an input drive speed waveform for controlling a fluid discharge from the injection system and that is associated with a desired output flow rate waveform for the injection protocol, wherein the desired output flow rate waveform comprises a plurality of different flow rates;

determining an adjusted input drive speed waveform for controlling a fluid discharge from the injection system, wherein the adjusted input drive speed waveform is based upon both the elasticity data and the desired output flow rate waveform, wherein the adjusted input drive speed waveform is different than the input drive speed waveform, and wherein the determining is executed by the injection system; and

operating the injection system using the adjusted input drive speed waveform for controlling a fluid discharge from the injection system during execution of the injection protocol, wherein the operating comprises compensating for an inherent elasticity of the injection system so that an actual output flow rate waveform delivered by the injection system follows the desired flow rate waveform for the contrast media injection protocol by using the adjusted input drive speed waveform versus the input drive speed waveform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the adjusted input drive speed waveform comprises accounting for an elasticity of a syringe plunger of a syringe used by the injection system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the adjusted input drive speed waveform comprises accounting for an elasticity of a syringe barrel of a syringe used by the injection system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the adjusted input drive speed waveform comprises accounting for an elasticity of a contrast media container used by the injection system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the adjusted input drive speed waveform comprises accounting for an elasticity of extension tubing used by the injection system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the elasticity data is based, at least in part, on elasticity of a container, syringe, tubing, or a combination thereof utilized by the injection system.

7. The method of claim 1, the determining an adjusted input drive speed waveform comprises determining a series of flow rate correction factors to be applied to the input drive speed waveform.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an adjusted input drive speed on the adjusted input speed waveform is greater than the corresponding input drive speed on the input drive speed waveform.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an adjusted input drive speed on the adjusted input drive speed waveform is less than the corresponding input drive speed on the input drive speed waveform.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the using the adjusted input drive speed waveform comprises reversing a direction of motion of a drive ram of the injection system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the injection protocol is carried out during medical imaging of a patient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading component elasticity data from a data tag of a component used by the injection system, wherein the elasticity data comprises the read component elasticity data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving elasticity data comprises retrieving the elasticity data from a library stored by the injection system.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a component used by the injection system; and

retrieving component elasticity data on the component using the identifying, wherein the elasticity data comprises the retrieved component elasticity data.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting lags in a delivery of contrast media from the injection system due to the inherent elasticity of the injection system, wherein the using the adjusted input drive speed waveform is based on the predicting.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predicting comprises using an algorithm.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a test injection prior to the operating; and

determining the elasticity data from the test injection.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the elasticity data comprises analyzing a pressure profile resulting from the test injection.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the performing the test injection and the determining the elasticity data each occur prior to the operating.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing an elastic component associated with the injection system; and

retrieving a predetermined elasticity factor for the component, wherein the elasticity data comprises the predetermined elasticity factor.

21. The method of claim 20, where the component comprises a contrast media container, a syringe, tubing, or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing an elastic component associated with the injection system, wherein the sensing comprises reading data from a radio frequency identification data tag that contains information about the component, wherein the determining comprises using the data read from the radio frequency identification data tag.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the information comprises at least one of pressure profile and component elasticity data, wherein the elasticity data comprises the component elasticity data.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flow rates is communicated between the injection system and a medical imaging device via a common interface.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the common interface is a controller area network interface.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the common interface is an RS-232 interface.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the common interface is an RS-422 interface.