Methods and systems for monitoring an automated infusion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757591-B2
Application number	US-201313764426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 11, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring an automated radiopharmaceutical infusion apparatus are disclosed. A user interface graphically representing infusion apparatus components may be presented on a display device. Multiple sensors may be arranged within an infusion apparatus to measure property information associated with infusion apparatus components, including fluid pathways. The property information may include radioactivity and flow information. The property information may be compared with expected results. If the property information does not match the expected results, a fault condition may be indicated on the display device. The user interface may provide information and/or functions to manage the fault conditions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring an automated radiopharmaceutical infusion apparatus, the system comprising:
a plurality of fluid pathways comprising a radiopharmaceutical source pathway and a radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway;
a plurality of sensors, each of which is positioned to measure at least one property associated with one of the plurality of fluid pathways, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned to measure a level of radioactivity of a fluid in the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned to measure a level of radioactivity of a fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway at a point after which saline is expected to have been added to the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway;
a display device;
a processor in communication with the plurality of sensors and the display device; and
a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in operable communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive property information, including at least the level of radioactivity of the fluid in each of the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway, from the plurality of sensors,
present an apparatus display graphically representing apparatus components based on the property information, including at least the level of radioactivity of the fluid in each of the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway, on the display device,
compare the property information, including at least the level of radioactivity of the fluid in each of the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway, with expected results, wherein comparing the property information with the expected results comprises determining a difference between the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway,
generate a fault condition, when the system is infusing a patient with a radiopharmaceutical, responsive to the difference between the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway not matching the expected results, and
graphically represent the fault condition on the apparatus display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fluid pathways further comprise at least one of a saline pathway, a dose meter inlet pathway, a dose meter outlet pathway, and a waste pathway.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a silicon diode, a silicon PIN diode, an avalanche diode, a scintillator, a photomultiplier, a solid state crystal, a semiconductor, Geiger tubes, an ionization-chamber, a silicon photodiode, a microdischarge-based sensor, a sodium iodide crystal sensor, a bismuth tri-iodide crystal sensor, a cadmium tellurium crystal sensor, a cadmium zinc tellurium semiconductor sensor, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, an analyte sensor, a concentration sensor, a flow sensor, an electro-resistive device, an electro-capacitive device, and an ultrasound device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fluid pathways comprises at least one of a dose meter outlet pathway and a waste pathway, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is associated with one of the dose meter outlet pathway and the waste pathway.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the property information received from the plurality of sensors comprises the level of radioactivity from the at least one of the plurality of sensors associated with at least one of the dose meter outlet pathway and the waste pathway.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication port configured to provide wireless communication between one or, more of the infusion apparatus, the plurality of sensors, the processor, the display device, and a network.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the display device comprises one or more of a server, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a computing appliance, and a smart phone device, and wherein the network comprises one or more of a communications network, a health information network, and a picture archiving and communications system network.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the communication port is configured to provide wireless communication over a Wi-Fi connection.

10. A method for monitoring an automated radiopharmaceutical infusion apparatus, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of sensors positioned to measure at least one property associated with a plurality of fluid pathways comprising a radiopharmaceutical source pathway and a radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway, wherein at least one of the of the plurality of sensors is positioned to measure a level of radioactivity of a fluid in the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and at least one of the of the plurality of sensors is positioned to measure a level of radioactivity of a fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway at a point after which saline is expected to have been added to the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway;
providing a processor operatively connected to a display device and the plurality of sensors; and
causing the processor to enable monitoring of the automated radiopharmaceutical infusion apparatus, wherein monitoring of the apparatus comprises:
receiving property information including at least the level of radioactivity of the fluid in each of the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway, from the plurality of sensors,
presenting an apparatus display graphically representing apparatus components based on the property information including at least the level of radioactivity of the fluid in each of the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway, on the display device,
comparing the property information including at least the level of radioactivity of the fluid in each of the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway with expected results, wherein comparing the property information with the expected results comprises determining a difference between the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway,
generating a fault condition, when the automated radiopharmaceutical infusion apparatus is infusing a patient with a radiopharmaceutical, responsive to the difference between the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical source pathway and the level of radioactivity of the fluid in the radiopharmaceutical delivery pathway not matching the expected results, and
graphically representing the fault condition on the apparatus display.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring of the apparatus further comprises receiving, with the processor, a signal of a selection by a user of one or more of the apparatus components.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring of the apparatus further comprises receiving, with the processor, a signal of a selection by a user of the graphically represented fault condition.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring of the apparatus further comprises presen

Assignees

• Medrad Inc
• Bayer Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Agamaite James A

Classifications

• A61M2205/3553

  remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office · CPC title

• A61M2205/3584

  using modem, internet or Bluetooth® · CPC title

• A61M2205/50

  with microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• A61M2205/505

  Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches · CPC title

• A61M2205/3306

  Optical measuring means · CPC title