System for air volume correction based on fluid pressure and flow rate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023111299-A1
Application number	US-202117913202-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Apr 13, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for determining a volume of one or more air bubbles in a fluid path includes initiating an injection procedure in which at least one medical fluid is injected into the fluid path, receiving an electrical signal from an air detector of the fluid injector system, wherein the electrical signal indicates the presence of one or more air bubbles in the fluid path, calculating a flow rate of fluid in the fluid path, determining a fluid pressure in the fluid path, determining a count value of the one or more air bubbles representative of a volume of the one or more air bubbles, and updating a cumulative counter with the count value of the one or more air bubbles. The cumulative counter is representative of a cumulative volume of air that has passed through the fluid path during the injection procedure.

First claim

1 . A method for determining a volume of one or more air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injector system, the method comprising:
initiating an injection procedure in which at least one medical fluid is injected into the fluid path; receiving an electrical signal from an air detector of the fluid injector system, wherein the electrical signal indicates a presence of one or more air bubbles in the fluid path; calculating a flow rate of fluid in the fluid path; determining a fluid pressure in the fluid path; determining a count value of the one or more air bubbles based on a duration for which the electrical signal is received, the flow rate, and the fluid pressure, wherein the count value is representative of the volume of the one or more air bubbles; and updating a cumulative counter with the count value of the one or more air bubbles, wherein the cumulative counter is representative of a cumulative volume of air that has passed through the fluid path during the injection procedure.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising halting the injection procedure in response to the cumulative counter exceeding a predetermined threshold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising continuing the injection procedure in response to the cumulative counter being below a predetermined threshold.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined threshold is programmed into a memory of the fluid injector system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the flow rate in the fluid path comprises estimating an actual flow rate in the fluid path based on:
a commanded flow rate for the injection procedure; and a compliance of one or more components of the fluid injector system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting the cumulative counter to zero prior to initiating the injection procedure.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising purging the one or more air bubbles from the fluid injector system prior to initiating the injection procedure.

8 . A fluid injector system comprising:
at least one syringe configured for injecting at least one medical fluid; a fluid path in fluid communication with the at least one syringe; an air detector configured to detect one or more air bubbles in the fluid path; at least one processor programmed or configured to:
initiate an injection procedure in which the at least one medical fluid is injected from the at least one syringe into the fluid path;
receive an electrical signal from the air detector, wherein the electrical signal indicates a presence of one or more air bubbles in the fluid path;
calculate a flow rate of fluid in the fluid path;
determine a fluid pressure in the fluid path;
determine a count value of the one or more air bubbles based on a duration for which the electrical signal is received, the flow rate, and the fluid pressure, wherein the count value is representative of a volume of the one or more air bubbles; and
update a cumulative counter with the count value of the one or more air bubbles, wherein the cumulative counter is representative of a cumulative volume of air that has passed through the fluid path during the injection procedure.

9 . The fluid injector system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to halt the injection procedure in response to the cumulative counter exceeding a predetermined threshold.

10 . The fluid injector system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to continue the injection procedure in response to the cumulative counter being below a predetermined threshold.

11 . The fluid injector system of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined threshold is programmed into a memory of the fluid injector system.

12 . The fluid injector system of claim 8 , wherein calculating the flow rate in the fluid path comprises estimating an actual flow rate in the fluid path based on:
a commanded flow rate for the injection procedure; and a compliance of one or more components of the fluid injector system.

13 . The fluid injector system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to set the cumulative counter to zero prior to initiating the injection procedure.

14 . The fluid injector system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to purge the one or more air bubbles from the fluid injector system prior to initiating the injection procedure.

15 . A computer program product for determining a volume of one or more air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injector system, the computer program product comprising: non-transitory computer readable media comprising one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of the fluid injector system, cause the at least one processor to:
initiate an injection procedure in which at least one medical fluid is injected into the fluid path; receive an electrical signal from an air detector of the fluid injector system, wherein the electrical signal indicates a presence of one or more air bubbles in the fluid path; calculate a flow rate of fluid in the fluid path; determine a fluid pressure in the fluid path; determine a count value of the one or more air bubbles based on a duration for which the electrical signal is received, the flow rate, and the fluid pressure, wherein the count value is representative of the volume of the one or more air bubbles; and update a cumulative counter with the count value of the one or more air bubbles, wherein the cumulative counter is representative of a cumulative volume of air that has passed through the fluid path during the injection procedure.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the at least one processor to halt the injection procedure in response to the cumulative counter exceeding a predetermined threshold.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined threshold is programmed into a memory of the fluid injector system.

19 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein calculating the flow rate in the fluid path comprises estimating an actual flow rate in the fluid path based on:
a commanded flow rate for the injection procedure; and a compliance of one or more components of the fluid injector system.

20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the at least one processor to set the cumulative counter to zero prior to initiating the injection procedure.

21 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the at least one processor to purge the one or more air bubbles from the fluid injector system prior to initiating the injection procedure.

Assignees

• Bayer Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Mcdermott Michael
• Barone William
• Brown Ronald
• Newing Tim

Classifications

• A61M5/365

  Air detectors (A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626) · CPC title

• A61M5/16886

  for measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. flowmeters · CPC title

• A61M5/007 Primary

  for contrast media · CPC title

• A61M2005/16863

  Occlusion detection · CPC title

• A61M5/16854 Primary

  by monitoring line pressure · CPC title