System and method for identifying a fill volume of a fluid chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10532166-B2
Application number	US-201715643542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

A system and method for determining the fill volume of a fluid chamber includes a fluid injector, at least one fluid chamber in fluid communication with the fluid injector, one or more sensors positioned relative to the at least one fluid chamber and configured to detect a position of a liquid-gas interface of the fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber, and at least one processor in communication with the sensors and the fluid injector, and configured to: determine the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid, calculate the volume of fluid in the at least one fluid chamber based on the position of the liquid-gas interface, and at least one of: i) display the volume of the fluid; ii) enable the fluid injector to perform an action; and iii) disable the fluid injector from performing the action.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fluid injection system comprising:
a fluid injector;
at least one fluid chamber configured to contain fluid, the at least one fluid chamber in fluid communication with the fluid injector;
one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors positioned relative to the at least one fluid chamber and configured to detect a position of a liquid-gas interface of the fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber by dithering a field of the one or more electromagnetic or ultrasonic sensors; and
at least one processor in communication with the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors and the fluid injector, the at least one processor configured to:
determine the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber;
calculate the volume of fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber based on the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber, and
at least one of:
display on a display in communication with the at least one processor, the volume of the fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber;
enable the fluid injector to perform an action;
inform a user of an insufficient volume of fluid to perform the action and allow the user to install a fluid container having a sufficient volume of fluid;
inform the user of the insufficient volume of fluid and allow the user to continue with a system-adjusted volume of fluid or a user-adjusted volume of fluid; and
disable the fluid injector from performing the action.

2. The fluid injection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid chamber comprises a contrast media container and a saline container.

3. The fluid injection system of claim 2 ,
wherein the fluid injector comprises a pump and is in fluid communication with a fluid path set;
wherein the at least one fluid chamber further comprises at least one drip chamber in fluid communication with the fluid injector and at least one of the contrast media container and the saline container; and
wherein at least one of the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors is positioned relative to the at least one drip chamber and configured to detect a position of a liquid-gas interface of a fluid contained in the at least one drip chamber.

4. The fluid injection system of claim 3 , wherein the pump comprises a peristaltic pump.

5. The fluid injection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors comprise an optical sensor.

6. The fluid injection system of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a graphical user interface, and
wherein the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber is displayed on the graphical user interface.

7. The fluid-injection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors comprise an ultrasonic sensor.

8. The fluid-injection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors comprise an array of electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors.

9. The fluid-injection system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to actuate the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors;
wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors are actuated to move in response to the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber.

10. A method for determining a volume of fluid in at least one fluid chamber of a fluid injection system comprising a fluid injector, the method comprising:
positioning one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors relative to the at least one fluid chamber, wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors are in communication with at least one processor in communication with the fluid injector;
dithering a field of detection of the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors to detect a position of a liquid-gas interface of the fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber;
taking position data of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber with at least one of the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors;
determining the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber from the position data;
calculating the volume of fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber based on the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber; and
at least one of:
displaying on a display in communication with the at least one processor, the volume of the fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber;
enabling the fluid injector to perform an action;
informing a user of an insufficient volume of fluid to perform the action and allowing the user to install a fluid container having a sufficient volume of fluid;
informing the user of the insufficient volume of fluid and allowing the user to continue with a system-adjusted volume of fluid or a user-adjusted volume of fluid; and
disabling the fluid injector from performing the action.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein enabling the fluid injector to perform the action, and disabling the fluid injector from performing the action, are automatically completed by the at least one processor.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors comprise an optical sensor.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
determining the volume of fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber by comparing the position data with known positions corresponding to known volumes of fluid.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
positioning a position measuring scale within a field of detection of the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors;
comparing the position data with the position measuring scale; and
determining the volume of fluid contained in the at least one fluid chamber based on a relative position of the liquid-gas interface and a value indicated by the position measuring scale.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one fluid chamber comprises a contrast media container and a saline container.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the fluid injector comprises a pump, and is in fluid communication with a fluid path set;
wherein the at least one fluid chamber further comprises at least one drip chamber in fluid communication with the fluid injector and at least one of the contrast media container and the saline container; and
wherein at least one of the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors is positioned relative to the at least one drip chamber and configured to detect a position of a liquid-gas interface of the fluid contained in the at least one drip chamber.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the pump comprises a peristaltic pump.

18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the display comprises a graphical user interface, and
wherein the position of the liquid-gas interface of the fluid in the at least one fluid chamber is displayed on the graphical user interface.

19. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic sensors comprise an ultrasonic sensor.

20. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the flu

Assignees

• Bayer Healthcare Llc
• Bayer Heatlhcare Llc

Inventors

• Schriver Ralph
• Uber Iii Arthur E
• Spohn Michael

Classifications

• A61M2205/505

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• A61M2205/3569

  sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable · CPC title

• A61M2205/3306

  Optical measuring means · CPC title

• A61M2005/1404

  Keep vein-open rate [KVO], i.e. low flow rate · CPC title

• A61M5/1407

  Infusion of two or more substances · CPC title