IN-LINE AIR BUBBLE SUSPENSION APPARATUS FOR ANGIOGRAPHY INJECTOR FLUID PATHWAYS

Abstract

An apparatus for suspending air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injector system includes an inner chamber having a defined curved inner wall within the housing, an inlet fluid path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, and an outlet fluid path in fluid communication with the inner chamber. The inlet fluid path extends within the chamber tangent to the curved inner wall, and the outlet fluid path is spaced from the inlet fluid path such that fluid flowing in the inner chamber through the inlet fluid path is directed away from the outlet fluid path.The inner chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid in the internal vortex and delays the passage of the air bubbles to the outlet fluid path.

Description

IN-LINE AIR BUBBLE SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR 5 TRAJECTORIES ANGIOGRAPHY INJECTOR FLUIDS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application US No. 62 / 705,250 filed on June 18, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of dissemination This disclosure relates generally to fluid injector systems and associated fluid routing elements for the high-pressure injection of medical fluids. More specifically, this disclosure describes a fluid delivery system that includes at least one air bubble suspension device. Other embodiments relate to the characteristics of air bubble suspension devices suitable for use in fluid injection procedures. Description of the related technique In many diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures, a medical professional, such as a physician, injects one or more medical fluids into a patient. Various injector-driven syringes and fluid injectors have been developed for the pressurized injection of medical fluids, such as a contrast solution (often simply called “contrast”), a flushing agent like saline or Ringer’s lactate, and other medical fluids, for use in procedures such as cardiovascular (CV) angiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and other imaging procedures. Generally, these fluid injectors are designed to deliver a preset amount of fluid at a preset pressure and / or flow rate. Typically, fluid injectors have at least one actuating member, such as a piston, that connects to the syringe, for example, through a plunger connection or an engagement feature on a wall at the syringe's proximal end. The syringe may include a rigid syringe barrel with a plunger that slides inside it. The actuating members drive the plungers in a proximal and / or distal direction relative to the syringe's longitudinal axis to draw fluid into or out of the syringe. In certain applications, such as angiography, medical fluids are injected directly into the arterial system at fluid pressures up to 1200 psi. During certain high-pressure fluid injection procedures where fluids are administered directly into the cardiac system, it is imperative that air not be co-injected with the medical fluid, as this could result in patient harm. Therefore, new methods and devices are needed to prevent inadvertent air injection during high-pressure fluid injection procedures. Furthermore, at pressures up to 1200 psi during some cardiac injections, the air in the fluid path is compressed; however, if the injection is stopped upon detecting air, the air volume can expand rapidly due to the release of pressure. Additionally, the release of system compliance upon cessation of injection can lead to continued fluid flow, as the compliance volume is released in the absence of fluid pressure.Therefore, high-pressure fluid injection systems must take these phenomena into account when trying to avoid unintentional air injection. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, there is a need for devices, systems, and methods to prevent air from being delivered to a patient during an injection procedure. The embodiments of this disclosure relate to an apparatus for suspending air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injection system. The apparatus includes a housing, an inner chamber having a defined curved inner wall within the housing, a fluid inlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the fluid inlet path extending into the chamber tangent to the curved inner wall, and a fluid outlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the fluid outlet path being spaced from the fluid inlet path such that fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the fluid inlet path is directed away from the fluid outlet path.The inner chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid in the internal vortex and delays the passage of the air bubbles to the outlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the outlet fluid path extends from the inner chamber in a direction perpendicular to the fluid flow path within the inner chamber. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the outlet fluid path has a larger cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path in order to reduce the fluid velocity in the outlet fluid path relative to the fluid velocity in the inlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the outlet fluid path extends substantially parallel to the inlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the inner chamber is at least partially spherical or hemispherical. ML / a / ZUZZ / UI OI ZJ In some embodiments, the device also includes a recess that extends radially outwards from the inner chamber. In some embodiments, the device also includes a valve in fluid communication with the inner chamber to drain the air accumulated in the inner chamber. In some embodiments, the housing includes a first housing section comprising the inlet and outlet fluid passages, and a second housing section comprising at least a portion of the internal chamber. One of the first housing section and the other of the second housing section includes a flange for receiving the other. In some embodiments, the housing includes at least one reinforcing rib that extends radially outward from the outlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the device also includes a screen arranged in the path of the outlet fluid so that the fluid flowing out of the inner chamber passes through the screen. In some embodiments, the casing includes a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the internal chamber. In some embodiments, the housing includes a connecting arm configured to attach to an injector housing of the fluid injector system. In some embodiments, the apparatus also includes an adjustable valve to change a cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the inlet and outlet fluid paths. Another embodiment of this disclosure relates to an apparatus for suspending air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injection system. The apparatus includes a housing defining an inner chamber, a fluid inlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, a fluid outlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, and an extension tube in fluid communication with the fluid inlet path and extending into the inner chamber. The extension tube includes a tip separated from the outlet fluid path, such that fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the extension tube is directed away from the outlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a screen that divides the internal chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion. The screen includes at least one opening that provides fluid communication between the inlet and outlet portions. Fluid flowing into the internal chamber from the extension tube must flow through at least one opening in the screen to reach the outlet fluid path. In some embodiments, a first portion of the screen adjacent to the tip of the extension tube is fluid-impermeable, and a second portion of the screen adjacent to the outlet fluid path includes at least one opening. In some embodiments, the screen MA / a / ZUZZ / UI OI ZJ includes a funnel that defines at least one opening; the funnel narrows from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion of the inner chamber to a minimum diameter that extends towards the outlet portion of the inner chamber. In some embodiments, the screen includes a bell that at least partially obstructs the at least one opening, so that the fluid must flow around the bell to flow through the at least one opening. In some embodiments, the screen includes a mesh. In some embodiments, the at least one opening includes two or more openings arranged in an arc. In some embodiments, the housing includes a first housing section that includes a flange configured to receive the display, and a second housing section received within the flange of the first housing section to capture the display between the first housing section and the second housing section. In some embodiments, the fluid inlet path narrows from a smaller cross-sectional area to a larger cross-sectional area in the direction of fluid flow through the fluid inlet path to reduce the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the fluid inlet path. In some embodiments, the extension tube extends parallel to an inner wall of the inner chamber. In some embodiments, the outlet fluid path extends at an acute angle to the inlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the casing includes a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber. In some embodiments, the housing includes a connecting arm configured to attach to an injector housing of the fluid injector system. In some embodiments, the apparatus also includes an adjustable valve to change a cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the inlet and outlet fluid paths. Other embodiments of this disclosure relate to a fluid injection system that includes at least one fluid reservoir configured to inject medical fluid and at least one bubble suspension apparatus in fluid communication with the at least one fluid reservoir. The at least one bubble suspension apparatus includes a housing that defines an inner chamber, an inlet fluid path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, and an outlet fluid path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the outlet fluid path being spaced from the inlet fluid path such that fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the inlet fluid path is directed out of the outlet fluid path.The fluid injection system further includes at least one air detector configured to detect one or more air bubbles in a fluid path connecting the at least one fluid reservoir to the at least one bubble suspension apparatus, and at least one shut-off valve downstream of the at least one suspension apparatus. MA / a / ZUZZ / UI OI ZJ > w N c NN bubbles and configured to transition from an open position to a closed position in response to 2 σ An air detector that detects one or more air bubbles in the fluid path. The internal chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the internal chamber from the inlet fluid path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid within the vortex and delays the passage of the air bubble(s) to the outlet fluid path. This document describes the characteristics of various embodiments of the bubble suspension apparatus suitable for use with fluid injector systems. In some embodiments, the bubble suspension apparatus is movable between an injection position where the outlet fluid path extends substantially vertically downwards from the inner chamber such that the buoyancy of the air bubbles in the inner chamber further induces one or more air bubbles to remain suspended in the internal fluid vortex in the inner chamber, and a priming position where the outlet fluid path extends substantially vertically upwards from the chamber, such that the buoyancy of the air bubbles in the inner chamber induces the air bubbles to flow from the internal fluid vortex through the outlet fluid path. In some embodiments, the system also includes an adjustable valve to change a cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the inlet and outlet fluid paths. Other aspects or examples of this disclosure are described in the following numbered clauses: Clause 1. An apparatus for suspending air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injection system, wherein the apparatus comprises: a housing; an inner chamber having a defined curved inner wall within the housing; an inlet fluid path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the inlet fluid path extending within the chamber tangent to the curved inner wall;and a fluid outlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the fluid outlet path being spaced from the fluid inlet path such that fluid flowing in the inner chamber through the fluid inlet path is directed away from the fluid outlet path, wherein the inner chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the inner chamber from the fluid inlet path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid in the internal vortex and delays the passage of the one or more air bubbles to the fluid outlet path. Clause 2. The apparatus according to clause 1, wherein the outlet fluid path extends from the inner chamber in a direction perpendicular to a fluid flow path within the inner chamber. > w N c NN Clause 3. The apparatus according to clause 1 or 2, wherein at least a part of the 2 σ The outlet fluid path has a larger cross-sectional area than the inlet fluid path in order to reduce the fluid velocity in the outlet fluid path relative to the fluid velocity in the inlet fluid path. Clause 4. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the outlet fluid path extends substantially parallel to the inlet fluid path. Clause 5. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1-4, wherein the inner chamber is at least partially spherical or semi-spherical. Clause 6. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1-5, further comprising a recess extending radially outwards from the inner chamber. Clause 7. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1-6, further comprising a valve in fluid communication with the inner chamber for draining air accumulated in the inner chamber Clause 8. The apparatus according to any of clauses 1-7, wherein the housing comprises: a first housing section comprising the fluid inlet path and the fluid outlet path; and a second housing section comprising at least a portion of the internal chamber, wherein one of the first housing section and the second housing section comprises a flange for receiving the other of the first housing section and the second housing section. Clause 9. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the housing comprises at least one reinforcing rib extending radially outwards from the fluid outlet path. Clause 10. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1-9 further comprises a screen arranged in the fluid outlet path so that the fluid exiting the inner chamber passes through the screen. Clause 11. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1-10, wherein the housing comprises a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber. Clause 12. The apparatus according to any of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the housing comprises a connecting arm configured to attach to an injector housing of the fluid injector system. Clause 13. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 1-12, further comprising an adjustable valve for changing the cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet paths. Clause 14. An apparatus for suspending air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injection system, the apparatus comprising: a housing defining an internal chamber; a > w N c NN inlet fluid path in fluid communication with the internal chamber; a 5 σ path outlet fluid in fluid communication with the inner chamber; and an extension tube in fluid communication with the inlet fluid path and extending into the inner chamber, the extension tube comprising a tip separated from the outlet fluid path such that fluid flowing in the inner chamber through the extension tube is directed away from the outlet fluid path. Clause 15. The apparatus according to clause 14, further comprising a screen dividing the inner chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, wherein the screen comprises at least one opening providing fluid communication between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, and wherein the fluid flowing into the inner chamber from the extension tube must flow through the at least one opening in the screen to reach the outlet fluid path. Clause 16. The apparatus according to clause 14 or 15, wherein a first portion of the screen adjacent to the tip of the extension tube is fluid-impermeable, and wherein a second portion of the screen adjacent to the outlet fluid path comprises at least one opening. Clause 17. The apparatus according to any of clauses 14-16, wherein the screen comprises a funnel defining at least one opening, the funnel narrows from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion of the inner chamber to a minimum diameter extending towards the outlet portion of the inner chamber. Clause 18. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-17, wherein the screen comprises a bell that at least partially obstructs the at least one opening, so that the fluid must flow around the bell to flow through the at least one opening. Clause 19. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-18, wherein the screen comprises a mesh. Clause 20. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-19, wherein the at least one opening comprises two or more openings arranged in an arc. Clause 21. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-20, wherein the housing comprises: a first housing section comprising a flange configured to receive the screen; and a second housing section received within the flange of the first housing section to capture the screen between the first housing section and the second housing section. Clause 22. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-21, wherein the fluid inlet path narrows from a smaller cross-sectional area to a larger cross-sectional area in a direction of fluid flow through the fluid inlet path to reduce the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the fluid inlet path. > w N c NN Clause 23. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-22, wherein the 5 σ tube The extension runs parallel to an interior wall of the inner chamber. Clause 24. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-23, wherein the outlet fluid path extends at an acute angle to the inlet fluid path. Clause 25. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-24, wherein the housing comprises a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber. Clause 26. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14 to 25, wherein the housing comprises a connecting arm configured to attach to an injector housing of the fluid injector system. Clause 27. The apparatus in accordance with any of clauses 14-26, further comprising an adjustable valve for changing the cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet paths. Clause 28. A fluid injection system comprising: at least one fluid reservoir configured to inject medical fluid; at least one bubble suspension apparatus in fluid communication with the at least one fluid reservoir; the at least one bubble suspension apparatus comprising: a housing defining an internal chamber; a fluid inlet path in fluid communication with the internal chamber; and a fluid outlet path in fluid communication with the internal chamber, the fluid outlet path being spaced from the fluid inlet path such that fluid flowing into the internal chamber through the fluid inlet path is directed away from the fluid outlet path; at least one air detector configured to detect one or more air bubbles in a fluid path connecting the at least one fluid reservoir to the at least one bubble suspension apparatus;and at least one shut-off valve downstream of the at least one bubble suspension apparatus and configured to move from an open position to a closed position in response to the air detector that detects one or more air bubbles in the fluid path, wherein the inner chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid in the internal vortex and delays the passage of one or more air bubbles to the outlet fluid path. Clause 29. The fluid injector system according to clause 28, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus is movable between: an injection position in which the outlet fluid path extends substantially vertically downwards from the inner chamber, such that the buoyancy of the air bubbles in the inner chamber further induces one or more air bubbles to remain suspended in the internal fluid vortex in the inner chamber; and a priming position where the outlet fluid path extends substantially vertically upwards from the chamber, so that the buoyancy of the air bubbles in the > w N c NN internal chamber induces air bubbles to flow from the internal fluid vortex through the 2 σ outlet fluid pathway. Clause 30. The fluid injector system according to clause 28 or 29, wherein the inner chamber comprises at least one curved inner wall, wherein the fluid inlet path extends into the inner chamber on a tangent to the curved inner wall. Clause 31. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-30, wherein the outlet fluid path extends from the inner chamber in a direction substantially perpendicular to a fluid flow path in the internal fluid vortex within the inner chamber. Clause 32. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-31, wherein at least a portion of the outlet fluid path has a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path to reduce the fluid velocity in the outlet fluid path relative to the fluid velocity in the inlet fluid path. Clause 33. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-32, wherein the outlet fluid path extends substantially parallel to the inlet fluid path. Clause 34. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-33, wherein the inner chamber is at least partially spherical or semi-spherical. Clause 35. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-34, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus further comprises a recess extending radially outward from the inner chamber in a direction substantially opposite to the outlet fluid path. Clause 36. The fluid injection system in accordance with any of clauses 28-35, further comprising a valve in the recess and in fluid communication with the inner chamber for draining air accumulated in the recess. Clause 37. The fluid injector system according to any of clauses 28-36, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises: a first housing section comprising at least one fluid inlet and fluid outlet; and a second housing section comprising at least one part of the internal chamber, wherein one of the first housing section and the second housing section comprises a flange for receiving the other of the first housing section and the second housing section. Clause 38. The Fluid Injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-37, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises at least one reinforcing rib extending radially outward from the fluid outlet path. Clause 39. The fluid injection system according to any of clauses 28-38, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus further comprises a screen arranged > ω N c NN proximal to the outlet fluid pathway, so that the fluid leaving the internal chamber passes 2 σ through the screen. Clause 40. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-39, wherein one or more of the one or more air bubbles temporarily adhere to a screen surface as the fluid passes through the screen. Clause 41. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-40, wherein the screen comprises a hydrophilic coating on at least a portion of a screen surface. Clause 42. The fluid injector system according to any of clauses 28-41, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus further comprises an extension tube in fluid communication with the inlet fluid path and extending into the inner chamber, the extension tube comprising a tip separated from the outlet fluid path such that the fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the extension tube is directed away from the outlet fluid path. Clause 43. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-42, wherein the screen divides the inner chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, wherein the screen comprises at least one opening that provides fluid communication between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, and wherein fluid flowing into the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path must flow through the at least one opening in the screen to reach the outlet fluid path. Clause 44. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-43, wherein a first portion of the screen adjacent to the tip of the extension tube is fluid-impermeable, and wherein a second portion of the screen adjacent to the outlet fluid path comprises at least one opening. Clause 45. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-44, wherein the screen comprises a funnel defining at least one opening, the funnel narrowing from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion of the inner chamber to a minimum diameter extending towards the outlet portion of the inner chamber. Clause 46. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-45, wherein the screen comprises a bell that at least partially obstructs the at least one opening, so that the fluid must flow around the bell to flow through the at least one opening. Clause 47. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-46, wherein the screen comprises a mesh. > w N c NN Clause 48. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-47, 5 σ wherein the at least one opening comprises two or more openings arranged in an arc. Clause 49. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-48, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus delays the passage of one or more air bubbles to the outlet fluid path by at least 100 milliseconds. Clause 50. The fluid injector system according to any of clauses 28-49, wherein the housing comprises: a first housing section comprising a flange configured to receive the screen; a second housing section received within the flange of the first housing section to capture the screen between the first housing section and the second housing section. Clause 51. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-50, wherein the fluid inlet path narrows from a smaller cross-sectional area to a larger cross-sectional area in a fluid flow direction through the fluid inlet path to reduce the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the fluid inlet path. Clause 52. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-51, wherein the extension tube extends parallel to an inner wall of the inner chamber. Clause 53. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-52, wherein the outlet fluid path extends at an acute angle with respect to the inlet fluid path. Clause 54. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-53, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber. Clause 55. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-54, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises a connecting arm configured for attachment to an injector housing of the fluid injector system. Clause 56. The fluid injector system in accordance with any of clauses 28-55, further comprising an adjustable valve for changing the cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet paths. Other details and advantages of the various examples described in detail in this document will become apparent when reviewing the following detailed description of the various examples together with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fluid injection system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; > w 12 nc NN FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fluid injection system according to a 5σ shape of carrying out this disclosure; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 3 in an injection position; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 3 in a priming position; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 7 in an injection position; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 9 in a first time interval of an injection protocol; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 9 in a second time interval of an injection protocol; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of FIG. 9 at a third time interval of an injection protocol; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 9 in a fourth time interval of an injection protocol; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of the FIG. 9 in a priming position; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of FIG. 15; FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the air bubble suspension apparatus of FIG. 17; FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a screen for an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a screen for an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a screen for an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a screen for an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a screen for an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 24 is a front view of a screen for an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an air bubble suspension apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. With regard to drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views thereof, this disclosure is generally directed to an in-line air bubble suspension apparatus for use with a fluid injector system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION For the purposes of the following description, the terms “top,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “above,” “below,” “lateral,” “longitudinal,” and their derivatives shall refer to the disclosure as oriented in the drawings. Spatial or directional terms, such as “left,” “right,” “inside,” “outside,” “above,” “below,” and the like, shall not be considered limiting, as the invention may assume several alternative orientations. As used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. All numbers used in the specification and claims shall be understood to be modified in all cases by the term “approximately.” The terms “approximately,” “around,” and “substantially” mean a range of plus or minus ten percent of the stated value. As used herein, the expression “at least one of” is synonymous with “one or more of.” For example, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” means any one of A, B, and C, or any combination of two or more of A, B, and C. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” includes one or more of A alone; or one or more of B alone; or one or more of C alone; or one or more of A and one or more of B; or one or more of A and one or more of C; or one or more of B and one or more of C; or one or more of all A, B, and C. Similarly, as used herein, the term “at least two of” is synonymous with “two or more of.” For example, the phrase “at least two of D, E, and F” means any combination of two or more of D, E, and F. For example, “at least two of D, E, and F” includes one or more > wn c NN of D and one or more of E; or one or more of D and one or more of F; or one or more of E and one or more of F; or S a one or more of all D, E and F. t* It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in the following specification, are merely examples for disclosure. Therefore, the specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the examples disclosed herein should not be considered limiting. When used in relation to a component of a fluid delivery system, such as a fluid reservoir, syringe, air suspension device, or fluid line, the term “distal” refers to the portion of that component closest to a patient. When used in relation to a component of an injection system, such as a fluid reservoir, syringe, air suspension device, or fluid line, the term “proximal” refers to the portion of that component closest to the injector of the injection system (i.e., the portion of that component farthest from the patient). When used in relation to a component of a fluid delivery system, such as a fluid reservoir, syringe, air suspension device, or fluid line, the expression “upstream” refers to a direction away from the patient and toward the injector of the injection system.For example, if a first component is said to be “upstream” of a second component, the first component is located closer to the injector than the second component is to the injector. When used in relation to a component of a fluid delivery system, such as a fluid reservoir, syringe, air suspension device, or fluid line, the term “downstream” refers to a direction toward the patient and away from the injector of the fluid delivery system. For example, if a first component is said to be “downstream” of a second component, the first component is located closer to the patient than the second component. As used herein, the terms “capacitance” and “impedance” are used interchangeably to refer to the volumetric expansion of injector components, such as fluid reservoirs, syringes, fluid lines, and / or other components of a fluid delivery system, resulting from the pressurization of fluids with those components and / or the absorption of mechanical clearance by the force applied to the components. Capacitance and impedance can arise from high injection pressures, which can be on the order of 1,200 psi in some angiographic procedures, and can result in a volume of fluid retained within a portion of a component in excess of the desired amount selected for the injection procedure or the component's resting volume.Furthermore, the capacitance of various components can, if not properly taken into account, negatively affect the accuracy of the injection system pressure sensors, since the volumetric expansion of the components can cause an artificial drop in the measured pressure of those components. > wn c NN The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms are not intended to refer to any particular order or chronology, but rather to different conditions, properties, or elements. The expression “at least” is synonymous with “greater than or equal to.” The expression “not greater than” is synonymous with “less than or equal to.” It should be understood that the disclosure may involve variations and alternative sequences of steps, unless expressly specified otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary aspects of the disclosure. Therefore, the specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the examples disclosed herein should not be considered limiting. Although the systems and devices described herein refer to an angiography (CV) injection system, other pressurized injection protocols, such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may also incorporate the various implementation methods described herein to avoid air injection. With regard to drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views thereof, this disclosure is generally directed to fluid injector systems and bubble suspension apparatus for delaying the movement of one or more air bubbles through a fluid line toward a patient and preventing the delivery of one or more air bubbles that may inadvertently occur during an injection procedure. Referring first to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a 2000 twin-syringe angiography injector system is illustrated. The 2000 angiography injector system is configured for the injection of two medical fluids through a first fluid line 210A for a medical fluid, such as an imaging contrast medium for an angiography injection procedure, and a second fluid line 210B for a flushing fluid, such as saline or Ringer's lactate. The 2000 twin-syringe angiography injector system may include an injector housing 12 having two syringe ports 15 configured to accommodate two syringes 10A, 10B. In some embodiments, syringes 10A, 10B may be retained within corresponding depression sleeves 17A, 17B, for example, to prevent pressure-induced swelling and possible bursting of syringes 10A, 10B. The Fluid Injection System 2000 may also include at least one graphical user interface (GUI) 11 through which an operator can view and control the status of an injection procedure. The GUI 11 may be in operational communication with a controller 900 (see FIG. 2) that sends and receives commands between the GUI 111 and the Fluid Injection System 2000. The graphical interface > wn c NN of user 11 may be located in the injector housing 12 or may be mounted at a distance 2 σ from the injector housing 12. or The twin-syringe angiography injector system 2000 may further include at least one upstream air detector 200 associated with fluid paths 210A and B to detect one or more air bubbles within an air-sensing pipe region 250 of the first fluid path 210A and the second fluid path 210B. The air-sensing pipe region 250, for example, may be associated with a proximal or upstream portion of the first fluid path 210A and the second fluid path 210B. In some embodiments, the at least one air detector 200 may be a single module having at least one sensor operatively associated with each of the first fluid path 210A and the second fluid path 210B.In some embodiments, the at least one air detector 200 may include at least two distinct modules, each module operatively associated with one of the first fluid path 210A and the second fluid path 210B. The at least one air detector 200 may be in operative communication with the controller 900 (see FIG. 2) such that the controller 900 may receive signals from the at least one air detector 200 indicating the detection of one or more air bubbles in one or both of the first fluid path 210A and / or the second fluid path 210B. Once the signals are received, the controller 900 can send a signal or command to the fluid injector 2000 to stop a fluid injection procedure, for example, by closing one or more shut-off valves (see FIG. 2, 215A, 215B and / or 390) downstream of at least one air detector 200 to prevent the detected air bubble from being injected into the patient.The at least one air detector 200 may include an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or other suitable sensor arrangement, configured to detect one or more air bubbles within the fluid path. Continuing with reference to FIG. 1, the 2000 dual syringe angiography injector system may further include bulk fluid containers 19A and 19B for filling and refilling the respective syringes 10A and 10B with imaging contrast media and washing fluid, respectively. The bulk fluid containers 19A and 19B may be in selective fluid communication with the syringes 10A and 10B via the respective bulk fluid lines 216A and 216B and bulk fluid valves 215A and 215B. Other details and examples of suitable non-limiting motorized injector systems, including syringes, pressure sleeves and pressure sleeve retaining mechanisms, tubing, shut-off valves, controllers, and air detectors, are described in US Patents Nos. 5,383,858; 7,553,294; 7,666,169; 8,945,051; 10,022,493; and 10,507,319, and in International PCT Applications Nos. PCT / US2013 / 061275; PCT / US2018 / 034613; PCT / US2020 / 049885; PCT / US2021 / 035273; and PCT / US2021 / 029963, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Although the 2000 fluid injection system is described herein > wn c NN in the context of a dual syringe (CV) angiography injector, it should be understood that the 2 σ fluid injection system 2000 can be adapted to single or multiple syringe configurations of any injection procedure (e.g. CT, PET, MRI, ultrasound, etc.). Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic diagram of the fluid injection system 2000 shown in FIG. 1 is illustrated. The injection system 2000 includes a piston 13A, 13B respectively associated with each of the syringes 10A, 10B and their corresponding pressure sleeves 17A, 17B (see FIG. 1). Each of the pistons 13A, 13B is configured to drive a respective plunger 14A, 14B within a barrel of the respective syringe 10A, 10B. The controller 900 is operationally associated with the injection system 2000, for example, to activate the pistons 13A, 13B to reciprocally move the plungers 14A, 14B within the syringes 10A, 10B and thus execute and stop an injection procedure.In particular, the 900 controller may include at least one processor programmed or configured to actuate pistons 13A, 13B, and various other components of the 2000 injector system, such as one or more shut-off valves, as described herein, to draw and deliver medical fluids according to a programmed protocol for an injection procedure. The 900 controller may include computer-readable media, such as memory, in which one or more injection protocols may be stored for execution by at least one processor. The controller 900 can be programmed or configured to perform a filling operation during which the piston 13A, 13B associated with each syringe 10A, 10B is withdrawn toward a proximal end of the syringe 10A, 10B to draw injection fluid F (e.g., imaging contrast media and flushing fluid) into syringe 10A, 10B from bulk fluid containers 19A, 19B. During such a filling operation, the controller 900 can be programmed or configured to selectively actuate bulk fluid valves 215A and 215B to establish fluid communication between the respective syringes 10A, 10B and bulk fluid containers 19A, 19B via bulk fluid routes 216A and 216B to control the filling of syringes 10A, 10B with the appropriate injection fluid F.Following completion of the filling operation, and optionally a priming operation to remove any air from syringes 10A, 10B and various embodiments of the bubble suspension apparatus described herein (e.g., by priming any air back to bulk fluid containers 19A, 19B or through a priming tube), the controller 900 can be programmed or configured to selectively actuate bulk fluid valves 215A and 215B to block fluid communication between the respective syringes 10A, 10B and bulk fluid containers 19A, 19B via bulk fluid routes 216A and 216B. After the filling and priming operations, the 900 controller can be programmed or configured to execute a dispensing operation during which the piston 13A, 13B associated with one or both syringes 10A, 10B moves toward a distal end of the syringe. wn c NN to inject the injection fluid F into the first fluid path 210A and the second path 2 σ of fluid 210B. The controller 900 can be programmed or configured to selectively actuate the bulk fluid valves 215A and 215B to establish fluid communication between syringes 10A, 10B and the patient, through fluid lines 210A, 210B. The first fluid line 210A and the second fluid line 210B are ultimately joined in a patient fluid line 210C in fluid communication with the patient's vasculature. According to various embodiments, the first fluid path 210A and the second fluid path 210B can be fused into a fluid mixing connector that provides turbulent mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid, as a fluid mixing connector described in International Application PCT nsPCT / US2021 / 019507 and PCT / US2014 / 026324, disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference The controller 900 can be in operational communication with at least one air detector 200 such that the controller 900 can stop the actuation of pistons 13A, 13B in response to the air detector 200 detecting the presence of one or more air bubbles in at least one of the first fluid paths 210A and / or the second fluid path 210B. The controller 900 can also be in operational communication with at least one downstream automated shut-off valve 390 such that the controller 900 can actuate the at least one downstream shut-off valve 390 to stop the flow of fluid through the at least one downstream shut-off valve 390 and into the patient's vascular system.The at least one downstream shut-off valve 390 can be actuated by the controller 900 between several positions, such as an open position where medical fluid can flow to the patient, a closed position where fluid flow to the patient is prevented, and a hemodynamic monitoring position where the patient's vasculature is in fluid communication with a pressure transducer and isolated from syringes 10A, 10B. In some embodiments, the downstream shut-off valve 390 can be a stopcock, a pressure valve, or the like. In certain embodiments, the downstream shut-off valves 390 can be associated with each of the fluid lines 210A and 210B, and can be located before the first fluid line 210A and the second fluid line 210B merge into a patient fluid line 210C.Suitable examples of pressure valves and pressure valve / fluid path configurations are described in International Application PCT nQPCT / US2021 / 029963. During normal delivery operation, the controller 900 may be programmed or configured to move the downstream shut-off valve 390 to the open position to establish fluid communication between the patient and fluid paths 210A, 210B. The controller 900 may be programmed or configured to move the downstream shut-off valve 390 to the closed position in response to air detection by at least one air detector 200. The movement of pistons 13A, 13B may also be stopped in response to air detection by at least one air detector 200. wn c NN stop position, the shut-off valve 390 smoothly isolates the patient from fluid pathways 210A, 5 σ 210B, thus preventing air from being injected into the patient. Continuing with reference to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, each of the first fluid path 210A and the second fluid path 210B may include an air bubble suspension apparatus 300 configured to suspend or at least temporarily delay one or more air bubbles flowing through the fluid paths 210A, 210B. Each air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may be provided in line with the associated fluid paths 210A, 210B between the at least one air detector 200 and the downstream shut-off valve 390, so that all fluid flow through the fluid paths 210A, 210B must pass through at least one air bubble suspension apparatus 300 to reach the patient. In some embodiments, the controller 900 can be programmed or configured to move the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 to the closed position in response to one or more air bubbles detected by at least one air detector 200, along with the concomitant stopping of pistons 13A, 13B. In the absence of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300, the one or more air bubbles detected by at least one air detector 200 can travel through the fluid paths 210A, 210B at a sufficient velocity to flow past the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and the downstream shut-off valve 390 before the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 reach the closed position.For example, during a high-pressure CV injection procedure (e.g., 1200 psi), it may take from 60 milliseconds to 90 milliseconds, for example in one embodiment approximately 80 milliseconds, for the injector system 2000 to stop an injection procedure after an air bubble flows into the detection region of at least one air detector 200. The time required to stop the injection procedure may include: the time required for at least one air detector 200 to communicate to the controller 900 that an air bubble has been detected, the time required for the controller 900 to communicate with the downstream bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the shut-off valve 390, and the time required for the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the shut-off valve 390 to move from the open position to the closed position.At the high injection pressures (e.g., 1200 psi) typical of CV injection procedures, an air bubble can travel 2.8 mL to 3.6 mL of the fluid path volume 210A, 210B during the 60 to 90 milliseconds between air bubble detection and the closure of bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B / or the downstream shut-off valve 390. For example, at approximately 1200 psi, an air bubble can travel a distance corresponding to 3.2 mL in 80 milliseconds at a flow rate of 30 mL / sec in a pipe with an inside diameter of 0.072 in. The distance equivalent to a volume of 3.2 mL for this embodiment can be approximately 4 feet of pipe length traveled during 80 milliseconds. Therefore, >. wn c NN even with a fast response time of at least one air detector 200, the controller 900, 2 a and the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390, an air bubble of t* can travel a significant distance, potentially into the patient, before the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 can close. Furthermore, due to the compressibility of a gas compared to a liquid, the volume of the air bubble can be significantly reduced under high injection pressures. Only by stopping the fluid flow by stopping the pistons 13A, 13B is the pressure in the system released, allowing the air bubble to expand in volume. This increased volume can move the air bubble along the fluid path past the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 before those valves close. The embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 of the present disclosure are configured to at least temporarily delay the flow of air bubbles in the fluid paths 210A, 210B such that the controller 900 has sufficient time to move the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 to the closed position before the air bubbles reach the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390.As stated herein, during a high-pressure CV injection procedure (e.g., 1200 psi), it may take from 60 milliseconds to 90 milliseconds, e.g. in one embodiment approximately 80 milliseconds, for the system 2000 to close the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 in response to at least one air detector 200 detecting an air bubble in the fluid paths 210A, 210B.The embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may be configured to delay the flow of air bubbles by at least 60 milliseconds to 90 milliseconds, for example in one embodiment by at least 80 milliseconds, so that the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 can move to the closed position before the air bubble can reach the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390. As such, the air bubble cannot flow downstream of the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and / or the downstream shut-off valve 390 and towards the patient. In some embodiments, the controller 900 is programmed or configured to move one or both bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B to the closed position in response to at least one air detector 200 detecting an air bubble in fluid paths 210A, 210B.In some embodiments, the controller 900 is programmed or configured to move the downstream shut-off valve 390 to the closed position in response to at least one air detector 200 detecting an air bubble in the fluid paths 210A, 210B. In some embodiments, the controller 900 is programmed or configured to move one or both of the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B and the shut-off valve. wn c NN downstream 390 to the closed position in response to at least one air detector 200 detects 5 σ an air bubble in fluid paths 210A, 210B. Referring to FIG. 3-25, features of various embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 according to the present disclosure are shown. In general, embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 include a housing 310 defining an internal chamber 320. The internal chamber 320 is in fluid communication with an inlet fluid path 312 and an outlet fluid path 314. The inlet fluid path 312 and the outlet fluid path 314 may be configured for fluid communication with the associated fluid paths 210A, 210B of the fluid injection system 2000. The at least one air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may be connected to the associated fluid path 210A, 210B such that the injection fluid injected from the associated syringe 10A, 10B flows into the inlet fluid path 312, through the inner chamber 320, and out of the outlet fluid path 314.The air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is located in each of the fluid paths 210A, 210B downstream of at least one air detector 200 and upstream of the downstream shut-off valve 390 and, in some embodiments, upstream of the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B. In this way, the air bubble is suspended at least temporarily in the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 for a period of time to allow the downstream shut-off valve 390 and / or the bulk fluid valves 215A, 215B to move to the closed position and stop the injection procedure. In some embodiments, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may be configured to delay the passage of one or more air bubbles from the fluid inlet path 312 to the fluid outlet path 314 for at least 100 milliseconds. The inlet fluid path 312 may be oriented relative to the inner chamber 320 such that the fluid flow into the inner chamber 320 creates an internal fluid vortex in the injection fluid entering the inner chamber 320. In some embodiments, the inlet fluid path 312 may be oriented such that the injection fluid from the inlet fluid path 312 enters the inner chamber 320 substantially tangent to a curved or hemispherical inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320, thereby inducing the injection fluid to flow along the inner wall 322 to generate the fluid vortex.The internal fluid vortex induces one or more air bubbles that may be present in the injection fluid to be temporarily retained in the fluid vortex within the internal chamber 320, thereby delaying, at least temporarily, the passage of one or more air bubbles to the outlet fluid path 314 and out of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300. The internal fluid vortex may define a generally circular or otherwise continuous flow path along the curved or hemispherical inner wall 322 of the internal chamber 320, causing the one or more air bubbles to be temporarily suspended in the injection fluid within the fluid vortex. Furthermore, the >. wn c NN fluid vortex can induce one or more air bubbles to merge into a number less than 5 a larger air bubbles, for example by collision and coalescence of small air bubbles. The curved or semi-spherical inner wall 322 can minimize shear forces on one or more air bubbles and thus prevent the air bubble from being cut into smaller air bubbles in the vortex. In various embodiments, the internal chamber 320 can have a volume (i.e., fluid capacity) sufficient to delay a bubble of up to 0.5 milliliters (mL). In such embodiments, the internal chamber 320 can have a volume (i.e., fluid capacity) of between 2 mL and 10 mL, in some embodiments between 2.8 mL and 3.6 mL, in some embodiments approximately 3.2 mL, and in some embodiments approximately 5.4 mL. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3-6, the internal chamber 320 can have a volume (i.e., fluid capacity) of approximately 6.77 mL to delay a bubble of up to approximately 0.5 mL. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7-8, the internal chamber 320 can have a volume (i.e., fluid capacity) of approximately 7.00 mL to delay a bubble of up to approximately 0.5 mL.In some embodiments, the volume of the inner chamber320 can be increased accordingly to delay bubbles that have a volume greater than 0.5 mL. With continued reference to the various embodiments shown in FIG. 3-25, the outlet fluid path 314 may be oriented relative to the inner chamber 320 to prevent one or more air bubbles suspended in the inner fluid vortex from readily flowing into the outlet fluid path 314. For example, the outlet fluid path 314 may be oriented such that the fluid flow path defined by the fluid vortex is directed away from the outlet fluid path 314, or such that the fluid flowing within the inner chamber 320 must change direction to enter the outlet fluid path 314 (see, for example, FIG. 14).In some embodiments, the fluid outlet path 314 may extend substantially perpendicular to the inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320, such that the fluid flow in the fluid vortex passes transversely through an opening 315 in the fluid outlet path 314 (see, for example, FIG. 4). The fluid outlet path 314 may be arranged so that, in an injection position of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300, the fluid outlet path 314 extends at least partially downward from the inner chamber 320. Since air is buoyant relative to the injection fluid in the inner chamber 320, any air bubbles present in the inner chamber 320 are induced by their relative buoyancy to float or migrate to the top of the inner chamber 320 away from the fluid outlet path 314.Furthermore, with such a configuration for the air bubble suspension apparatus 300, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 can be moved (e.g., rotated) from the injection position to a priming position where the outlet fluid path 314 extends at least partially upwards from the inner chamber >. wn c NN 320 (see FIG. 5). In the priming position, during a priming process to remove air from the 5 σ Before initiating a fluid injection procedure, the air bubbles present t* in the internal chamber 320 are induced to float towards the outlet fluid path 314 so that under the influence of the priming fluid flow the air bubbles can be purged through the outlet fluid path 314 from a distal end of the associated fluid path 210A, 210B. With particular reference to FIG. 3-5, an embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is shown. The housing 310 may consist of a first housing section 302 and a second housing section 304. Forming the housing 310 from multiple sections may facilitate manufacturing by injection molding to create the various features of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300. The air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may be made of any suitable medical-grade material, such as a medical-grade polymeric material capable of withstanding the high fluid pressures within the air bubble suspension apparatus 300. The first housing section 302 may include at least one of the fluid inlet passages 312 and the fluid outlet passage 314. In the embodiment shown in FIG.3-5, the first housing section 302 includes both the fluid inlet path 312 and the fluid outlet path 314. The fluid inlet path 312 and the fluid outlet path 314 may extend substantially parallel to each other. The inner chamber 320 may be defined by the first housing section 302 and the second housing section 304. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3-5, each of the first housing section 302 and the second housing section 304 partially defines the inner chamber 320. As shown in FIG. 4 and 5, the first 302 housing section includes a 306 flange configured to receive a 308 end feature, for example a lip, from the second 304 housing section. In some embodiments, the 306 flange may be provided on the second 304 housing section and the 308 end feature may be provided on the first 302 housing section.The first housing section 302 and the second housing section 304 may be joined by adhesive, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or similar means. The housing 310 may include one or more reinforcing ribs 324, 325 located in various positions to provide support against the high fluid pressure within the housing 310. In some angiography (CV) procedures, the fluid pressure may be up to approximately 1200 psi. In some embodiments, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 324 may extend radially from at least a portion of the inlet fluid path 312, the first housing section 302, the second housing section 304, and the outlet fluid path 314. In some embodiments, at least one reinforcing rib 325 may extend parallel to the inlet fluid path 312 and / or the outlet fluid path 314.In certain embodiments, the 360 ​​connector arm can additionally act as a reinforcing feature for the inlet fluid path 314. > wn c NN With continued reference to FIG. 3-5, the inner chamber 320 can have an inner wall 5 σ curved and hemispherical 322 to induce the injection fluid entering the inner chamber 320 to flow in the internal fluid vortex, identified in FIG. 4 by the vortex flow path B. In some embodiments, the inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320 defined by the second section of the housing 304 may be substantially hemispherical or domed. As shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in the injection position, the fluid inlet path 312 can extend into the inner chamber 320 substantially tangent to the inner wall 322 to create the internal fluid vortex. The fluid inlet path 312 can have an opening 313 into the inner chamber 320 such that the injection fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 in direction A merges with the injection fluid in the inner chamber 320 flowing in fluid vortex flow path B. The injection fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 from the fluid inlet path 312 thus enters the internal fluid vortex in substantially the same direction as vortex flow path B to maintain the fluid vortex.The fluid vortex flow path B thus flows continuously within the inner chamber 320 as long as the injection fluid continues to be introduced into the inner chamber 320 from the fluid inlet path 312. The inner wall 322 can be shaped to induce recirculation of the injection fluid in the vortex flow path B. With continued reference to FIG. 4, the fluid outlet path 314 can extend from the inner chamber 320 substantially perpendicular to the inner wall 322 and to the fluid vortex flow path B, such that the fluid vortex flow path B flows transversely through an opening 315 of the fluid outlet path 314. As such, at least a portion of the injection fluid in the fluid vortex flow path B flows past the opening 315 and back into the opening 313 of the fluid inlet path 312 to maintain the fluid vortex. With continued reference to FIG. 4, the internal fluid vortex may suspend one or more air bubbles 400 in the internal chamber 320 during an injection procedure performed by the fluid injector system 2000. As the injection fluid is introduced into the internal chamber 320 through the inlet fluid path 312, any air bubbles 400 present in the incoming injection fluid migrate toward a low-pressure region LP formed by the internal fluid vortex at the center of the fluid vortex flow path B. The injection fluid flowing in the fluid vortex flow path B forms a boundary that at least temporarily suspends the one or more air bubbles 400 within the low-pressure region and at least temporarily delays the passage of the one or more air bubbles 400 toward the outlet fluid path 314.The one or more air bubbles 400 suspended in the low-pressure region LP can merge to form one or more larger air bubbles 402. The inner wall 322 can be shaped to induce recirculation of the injection fluid in the vortex flow path B, and to induce the one or more air bubbles 400 into a tighter formation within the vortex flow path B. > w Ki c NN Even so, during the course of injection the one or more larger air bubbles 402 can 5 σ be sheared or crushed by the fluid forces into smaller bubbles 404 that can migrate t* out of the vortex flow path B. Continuing with reference to FIG. 4, in the injection position, the housing 310 is oriented such that the fluid outlet path 314 extends substantially vertically downward from the inner chamber 320. As such, the flow direction C of the injection fluid flowing out of the inner chamber 320 is substantially aligned with the gravity direction G.Since air is buoyant relative to the injection fluid, the buoyancy of the air bubbles 400,402 in the inner chamber 320 induces one or more air bubbles 400,402 to tend to rise in the opposite direction of gravity G toward an upper region of the inner chamber 320, and therefore the air bubbles 400,402 tend to remain suspended in the internal fluid vortex in the inner chamber 320 for a longer period of time. Furthermore, even the sheared air bubbles 404 that cross the boundary formed by the flow path of the fluid vortex B are induced by buoyancy to tend to flow in the opposite direction of gravity G and are therefore further delayed in moving through the outlet fluid path 314. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the outlet fluid path 314 may have a cross-sectional diameter Do greater than the cross-sectional diameter Di of the inlet fluid path 312. The larger diameter Do of the outlet fluid path 314 may reduce the flow velocity in the outlet fluid path 314 of the fluid exiting the inner chamber 320. The reduced flow velocity consequently reduces the drag forces on the bubbles 404 outside the boundary formed by the fluid vortex flow path B, such that the buoyancy of the bubbles 404 may tend to overcome the drag forces inducing the bubbles 404 toward the outlet fluid path 314. As a result, the bubbles 404 may be at least temporarily delayed from flowing out of the outlet fluid path 314. With continued reference to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the diameter Di of the fluid inlet passage 312 can be selected to control the flow rate of the injection fluid, including any air bubbles 400 contained therein, within the internal chamber 320. In particular, reducing the diameter Di increases the flow rate. The diameter Di of the fluid inlet passage 312 can be selected to produce a relatively high flow rate, which has the effect of crushing the air bubble(s) 400. In some embodiments, the diameter Di of the fluid inlet passage 312 can be approximately 3.7 mm (0.145 in.). Referring again to FIG. 5, the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus is shown in the priming position to perform a priming or purging operation where > is injected w Ki c NN fluid for priming / purge the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus and the 5 σ fluid pathways associated fluid pathways 210A, 210B, prior to an injection procedure to remove any air from the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 and the associated fluid pathways 210A, 210B. In the primed position, the housing 310 is oriented such that the inlet fluid pathway 312 and the outlet fluid pathway 314 extend substantially vertically upward from the inner chamber 320. As such, the flow direction A of the injection fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 through the inlet fluid pathway 312 is substantially in line with the direction of gravity G. The diameter Di of the inlet fluid pathway 312 can be small enough so that the flow velocity of the fluid in the inlet fluid pathway 312 can carry the air bubbles 400 against the direction of buoyancy of the air bubbles 400.That is, the flow velocity through the diameter Di generates a sufficient drag force on the one or more bubbles 400 to overcome the buoyancy force of the air bubbles 400 and drags them into the inner chamber 329. As a result, the one or more bubbles 400 are carried by the injection fluid into the inner chamber 320. In the priming position, the outlet fluid path 314 also extends substantially vertically upward from the inner chamber 320, such that the flow direction C of the injection fluid flowing out of the inner chamber 320 is substantially opposite to the direction of gravity G. The buoyancy of the air bubbles 400 in the inner chamber 320 induces the air bubbles 400, 402 to float upward from the internal fluid vortex through the outlet fluid path 314, working in concert with the drag associated with the fluid flow and thus purging the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 of air bubbles 400. With continued reference to FIG. 3-5, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include a connector arm 360 extending from the housing 300. The connector arm 360 may be configured to connect to the injector housing 12 or to another feature associated with the flow path or the injector (see FIG. 1-2). In particular, the connector arm 360 may be configured to interface with an actuator communicating with the controller 900 (see FIG. 2) of the fluid injection system 2000. The controller 900 may be programmed or configured to rotate the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 between the injection position and the priming position via the connector arm 360 according to an injection protocol.Alternatively, the 360 ​​connector arm can be configured to attach to the fluid injector system in the injection or priming position and can be configured so that a user can manually rotate the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus between the injection position and the priming position via the 360 ​​connector arm, for example, in response to a system indication in a GUI, to prepare the fluid injector for a fluid injection procedure. Referring now to FIG. 6, one embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is shown. The embodiment of the bubble suspension apparatus > wn c N The air N shown in FIG. 6 can be substantially similar to the embodiment shown 2 σ in FIGS. 3-5, and only the differences between them will be discussed below. The embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 6 may include an air purge valve 350 in the housing 310 in fluid communication with the inner chamber 320. The air purge valve 350 may be particularly arranged in fluid communication with the upper region of the inner chamber 320. The air purge valve 350 may be used to drain air accumulated in the inner chamber 320, particularly after the completion of an injection procedure when a multi-patient setup is used to perform multiple sequential injection sequences using a multi-patient disposable set and a single-patient disposable set.The air purge valve 350 can be placed in a closed position during the injection procedure, so that any air bubbles 400, 402 present in the injection fluid are suspended in the inner chamber 320 in the same manner as described in relation to FIG. 3-5. At the end of an injection procedure and before starting a subsequent injection procedure, the internal fluid vortex and vortex flow path B (shown in FIG. 4) dissipate due to the absence of fluid flow in the inner chamber 320. As such, the vortex flow path B (shown in FIG. 4) no longer presents a flow boundary to the one or more coalescing air bubbles 402 suspended in the inner chamber 320. The coalescing air bubbles 402 can float to the upper region of the inner chamber 320 adjacent to the air purge valve 350.The air purge valve 350 can be moved to an open position, either manually by an operator or automatically by the controller 900, so that one or more coalescing air bubbles 402 can flow out of the inner chamber 320 through the air purge valve 350, for example, with a low fluid flow into the chamber to replace the purged air volume with fluid. In some embodiments, an outlet of the air purge valve 350 can be connected to a vacuum source, such as a hand syringe (not shown), to assist in removing the one or more coalescing air bubbles 402 from the inner chamber 320. Once the one or more coalescing air bubbles 402 are removed from the inner chamber 320, the air purge valve 350 can return to the closed position in preparation for a subsequent injection procedure. The 350 air purge valve can be a stopcock, a pressure valve, or something similar. With continued reference to FIG. 6, some embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include an adjustable valve 352 associated with the inlet fluid path 312 and / or an adjustable valve 354 associated with the outlet fluid path 314. The adjustable valve 352 may be configured to change a cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path 312, and the adjustable valve 354 may be configured to change a cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet fluid path 314. Reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path 312 and / or the outlet fluid path 314 increases the flow velocity, while > w Ki c NN that the increase in the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path 312 and / or the 5 σ path The outlet fluid 314 reduces the flow velocity. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path 312, thereby reducing the flow velocity through the inlet fluid path 312, since the reduced flow velocity may be less likely to dislodge air bubbles adhering to the surfaces of the inlet fluid path 312. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet fluid path 314, thereby reducing the flow velocity through the outlet fluid path 314, since the reduced flow velocity may be less likely to draw air bubbles from the fluid vortex 402 through the outlet fluid path 314. The adjustable valves 352, 354 may be stopcocks, pressure valves, or the like. Referring now to FIG. 7-8, one embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is shown. The embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 7-8 may be substantially similar to the embodiments shown in FIG. 3-6, and only the differences will be discussed below. The embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 7-8 may include a recess 326 defined in the inner wall 322 and extending radially outward from an upper region of the inner chamber 320 substantially opposite the fluid outlet 314. The recess 326 may receive and retain one or more air bubbles 408. The recess 326 may be particularly adapted to receive and retain one or more air bubbles 408 in the form of microbubbles generated by the degassing of a medical fluid.In some embodiments, an air purge valve 350, as described in relation to FIG. 6, may be arranged in the recess 326 so that one or more air bubbles 408 accumulated in the recess 326 may be drained from it. Referring now to FIG. 9-14, one embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is shown. The embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 9-14 may include several features and components common to the embodiments shown in FIG. 3-8, and any element not specifically described in connection with FIG. 9-14 is understood to be substantially similar to similar elements of the embodiments in FIG. 3-8. In the embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 9-14, the housing 310 includes a screen 328 that divides the internal chamber 320 into an inlet portion 332 and an outlet portion 334. Several embodiments of the screen 328 are described herein in connection with FIG. 19-24. Screen 328 may be arranged proximal to fluid outlet 314.The screen 328 may include at least one opening 340 that provides smooth communication between the input portion 332 and the output portion 334. The fluid of >. wn c NN injection flowing into the internal chamber 320 from the inlet fluid path 312 must flow 5 to subsequently through at least one opening 340 in the screen 328 to reach the outlet fluid path 314. In some embodiments, the screen 328 may include at least one funnel-shaped opening 342 defining the at least one opening 340. The funnel 342 may taper from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion 332 of the internal chamber 320 to a minimum diameter extending into the outlet portion 334 of the internal chamber 320. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the screen 328 may have a hydrophilic coating that induces air bubbles in the injection fluid to adhere to the screen 328, and at least temporarily delays the flow of such air bubbles into the outlet fluid path 314. With continued reference to FIG. 9-14, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may further include an extension tube 370 in fluid communication with and extending from the inlet fluid path 312 into the inner chamber 320. The extension tube 370 may include a separate tip 372 passing through the flow axis of the outlet fluid path 314 so that the injection fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 through the extension tube 370 is directed away from the outlet fluid path 314. In some embodiments, the extension tube 370 may extend beyond at least one opening 340 in the screen 328 by causing the injection fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 from the inlet fluid path 312 to flow into the vortex flow path B before reaching the at least one opening 340.The inlet portion 332 of the inner chamber 320 may be at least partially hemispherical or domed where the vortex flow path B flows along the inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320. With continued reference to FIG. 9-14, the inlet fluid path 312 and the extension tube 370 can be oriented at an acute angle relative to the outlet fluid path 314 such that the injection fluid entering the inner chamber 320 from the extension tube 370 is directed away from the opening 315 of the outlet fluid path 314. With reference to Figures 10-13, a sequence is shown illustrating a form of creating a bubble suspension effect within the inner chamber 320 during an injection procedure. Referring first to Figure 10, the injection fluid can flow in direction A through the fluid inlet 312 and the extension tube 370 into the inner chamber 320. One or more air bubbles 400 can be carried with the injection fluid into the inner chamber 320. The orientation of the extension tube 370 directs the injection fluid and the one or more bubbles 400 toward the vortex flow path B. Furthermore, the buoyancy of the one or more bubbles 400 relative to the injection fluid inhibits the flow of the one or more air bubbles through at least one opening 340 in the screen 328 toward the outlet fluid path 314. > wn c NN Referring now to FIG. 11, as the injection fluid flows in path 5 σ In vortex flow B, one or more air bubbles 400 may migrate towards the low-pressure region or LP at the center of the vortex flow path B, thus becoming at least temporarily suspended within the inner chamber 320. In addition, one or more air bubbles 400 may merge into one or more larger coalescing air bubbles 402 within the low-pressure region LP, while the injection fluid and additional air bubbles 400 continue to enter the inner chamber 320 through the extension tube 370 (see FIG. 12). Figure 13 shows the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 after the fluid flow in the inner chamber 320 has stopped, for example, after the injection procedure has been completed. Since no new injection fluid is introduced into the inner chamber 320 to sustain the internal fluid vortex, the vortex flow path B (shown in Figure 112) dissipates and no longer presents a flow boundary for the one or more coalescing air bubbles 402 suspended in the inner chamber 320. The coalescing air bubbles 402 can float to the upper region of the inner chamber 320 due to their buoyancy relative to the injection fluid. In some embodiments, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include an air purge valve 350 (substantially as described in relation to Figure 13).6) in fluid communication with the upper region of the inner chamber 320 to facilitate the removal of one or more coalescing air bubbles 402 from the inner chamber 320, for example, between two injection procedures when using a multi-patient injection sequence. With continued reference to FIG. 9-14, the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus can be rotated approximately 180s from the injection position shown in FIG. 10-13 to the priming position shown in FIG. 14. In the injection position, the fluid outlet path 314 extends substantially vertically downward from the inner chamber 320. As such, a flow direction C of the injection fluid flowing out of the inner chamber 320 is substantially aligned with a gravity direction G. Since air is buoyant relative to the injection fluid, the buoyancy of the air bubbles 400, 402 in the inner chamber 320 induces one or more air bubbles 400, 402 to tend to float opposite the gravity direction G toward a higher region of the inner chamber 320, and thus the air bubbles 400, 402 tend to remain suspended in the internal fluid vortex in the inner chamber 320.Furthermore, even air bubbles crossing the boundary formed by the flow path of fluid vortex B are induced to flow in the opposite direction to gravity G and through screen 328 and are therefore further delayed in reaching the outflow fluid path 314. In the priming position, shown in FIG. 14, the outlet fluid path 314 extends substantially vertically upwards from the inner chamber 320, so that the flow direction C of the injection fluid flowing out of the inner chamber 320 is substantially opposite > wn c NN to the direction of gravity G. The buoyancy of the air bubbles 400,402 in the internal chamber 5 σ 320 induces air bubbles 400,402 to flow from chamber 320 through the fluid path of outlet 314, thereby purging the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 of air. With reference to FIG. 9, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include a connector arm 360 extending from the housing 300. The connector arm 360 may be configured to connect to the injector housing 12 or to another feature associated with the flow path or injection system 2000 (see FIG. 1-2). In particular, the connector arm 360 may be configured to interface with an actuator communicating with the controller 900 (see FIG. 2) of the fluid injection system 2000. The controller 900 may be programmed or configured to rotate the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 between the injection position and the priming position via the connector arm 360 according to an injection protocol.Alternatively, the 360 ​​connector arm can be configured to attach to the fluid injector system in the injection or priming position and can be configured so that a user can manually rotate the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus between the injection position and the priming position via the 360 ​​connector arm, for example in response to a system indication in a GUI 11, to prepare the fluid injector for a fluid injection procedure. Referring now to FIGS. 15 and 16, one embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is shown. The embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 may include many features and components common to various embodiments shown in FIGS. 3-13, and any element not specifically described in connection with FIGS. 15 and 16 is understood to be substantially similar to similar elements of any of the embodiments in FIGS. 3-13. In the embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the housing 310 may be formed by the first section of housing 302 and the second section of housing 304, wherein the first section of housing 302 includes the inlet fluid passage 312, the extension tube 370, and the outlet fluid passage 314.The fluid inlet path 312 may extend at an acute angle relative to the fluid outlet path 314. The second shell section 304 may be hemispherical or domed, such that the vortex flow path B flows along the inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320 in a circular or otherwise continuous manner. The first shell section 302 may include a flange 306 configured to receive an end feature 308, for example, a lip, from the second shell section 304. In some embodiments, the flange 306 may be provided on the second shell section 304 and the end feature 308 may be provided on the first shell section 302. The first shell section 302 and the second shell section 304 may be joined by adhesive, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or similar means. > wn c N N With continued reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the extension tube 370 can be extended further 5 to beyond opening 315 of the outlet fluid passage 314 such that the injection fluid that u The fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 is directed toward the vortex flow path B away from the outlet fluid path 314. As in the embodiments shown in FIG. 3-13, the vortex flow path B creates a boundary that at least temporarily delays the passage of one or more air bubbles 400 suspended in the inner chamber 320 to the outlet fluid path 314. In some embodiments, the opening 315 of the outlet fluid path 314 may be positioned relative to the extension tube 370, for example below the extension tube 370, such that the extension tube 370 creates a flow obstruction for the fluid and / or air bubbles 400 flowing into the outlet fluid path 314. In certain embodiments, the inside diameter of the inlet fluid path 312 may be tapered such that a proximal cross-sectional area Ap of the upstream inlet fluid path 312 is smaller than a distal cross-sectional area Ad of the downstream inlet fluid path 312. In some embodiments, the proximal cross-sectional area Ap may be substantially circular, and the distal cross-sectional area Ad may be substantially elliptical or oval.In some embodiments, by increasing the downward cross-sectional area Ad relative to the upward cross-sectional area Ap, the fluid flow velocity (e.g., between approximately 0.1 mL / second and 30 mL / second) in the fluid inlet path 312 may decrease, allowing air bubbles 410 in the fluid inlet path 312 to adhere to a side wall 317 of the larger cross-sectional area Ad, for example, by surface tension. The reduced fluid flow velocity in the inlet fluid path 312 resulting from the enlarged distal cross-sectional area Ad may not be sufficient to immediately dislodge the adhered air bubbles 410 from the side wall 317. That is, the adhesive force of the air bubbles 410 to the side wall 317 may be greater than the force exerted on the air bubbles 410 by the injection fluid flowing through the distal cross-sectional area Ad.As such, the air bubbles 410 are at least temporarily delayed in flowing into the inner chamber 320 and, therefore, delayed in flowing out of the fluid outlet pathway 314. In some embodiments, the enlarged distal cross-sectional area Ad of the fluid inlet pathway 312 may allow the injection fluid to flow around the air bubbles 410 adhering to the side wall 317, rather than flowing toward the air bubbles 410 adhering to the side wall 317 and potentially dislodging them. In some embodiments, the enlarged distal cross-sectional area Ad of the fluid inlet pathway 312 may allow the air bubbles 410 to adhere to the side wall 317 at least partially outside the primary flow path of the injection fluid through the fluid inlet pathway 312.In some embodiments, the inner surface of the fluid inlet path 312 may be configured to attract and adhere air bubbles, for example by means of a surface treatment applied to the side wall 317. Such features >. wn c NN relative to the different cross-sectional areas of the fluid inlet path 312 are also 5 σ applicable to other embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 described herein. With continuous reference to FIG. 15 and 16, the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus can be rotated approximately 180° from the injection position shown in FIG. 15 to the priming position, analogous to FIG. 5 or 14. In the injection position, the fluid outlet path 314 extends substantially vertically downward from the inner chamber 320. As such, a flow direction C of the injection fluid flowing out of the inner chamber 320 is substantially aligned with a gravity direction G. Since air is buoyant relative to the injection fluid, the buoyancy of the air bubbles 400, 402 in the inner chamber 320 induces one or more air bubbles 400, 402 to tend to float opposite the gravity direction G toward an upper region of the inner chamber 320, and thus the air bubbles 400, 402 remain suspended in the internal fluid vortex in the inner chamber 320.Furthermore, even air bubbles crossing the boundary formed by the flow path of fluid vortex B are induced to flow in the opposite direction to gravity G and through screen 328 and are therefore further delayed in reaching the outflow fluid path 314. In the priming position, the outlet fluid path 314 extends substantially vertically upward from the inner chamber 320 such that the flow direction C of the injection fluid flowing out of the inner chamber 320 is substantially opposite to the direction of gravity G. The buoyancy of the air bubbles 400, 402 in the inner chamber 320 induces the air bubbles 400, 402 to flow from the chamber 320 through the outlet fluid path 314, thereby purging the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 of air. With continued reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include a connector arm 360 extending from the housing 300. The connector arm 360 may be configured to connect to the injector housing 12 or to another feature associated with the flow path or the injector system 2000 (see FIGS. 1-2). In particular, the connector arm 360 may be configured to interface with an actuator communicating with the controller 900 (see FIG. 2) of the fluid injector system 2000. The controller 900 may be programmed or configured to rotate the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 between the injection position and the priming position via the connector arm 360 according to an injection protocol.Alternatively, the 360 ​​connector arm can be configured to attach to the fluid injector system in the injection or priming position and can be configured so that a user can manually rotate the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus between the injection position and the priming position via the 360 ​​connector arm, for example in response to a system indication in a GUI 11, to prepare the fluid injector for a fluid injection procedure. > wn c NN Referring now to FIG. 17-18, one embodiment of the Ξ σ air bubble suspension apparatus 300 is shown. The embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 17-18 may include many features and components common to various embodiments shown in FIG. 3-16 and particularly in FIG. 9-14, and any element not specifically described in connection with FIG. 17-18 is understood to be substantially similar to similar elements of any of the embodiments in FIG. 3-16. In the embodiment of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 17-18, the housing 310 may consist of a first housing section 302 and a second housing section 304, wherein the first housing section 302 includes the inlet fluid path 312, the extension tube 370, and the outlet fluid path 314. The inlet fluid path 312 may extend at an acute angle relative to the outlet fluid path 314. The second housing section 304 may be hemispherical or domed, such that the vortex fluid flow path B flows along the inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320 in a circular or otherwise continuous manner. The first 302 shell section may include a 306 flange configured to receive a 308 end feature, for example a lip, from the second 304 shell section.In some embodiments, the 306 flange may be provided on the second 304 housing section and the 308 end feature may be provided on the first 302 housing section. The first 302 housing section and the second 304 housing section may be joined by adhesive, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or similar means. With continued reference to FIG. 17-18, a screen 328 may be provided between the first housing section 302 and the second housing section 304. In some embodiments, the screen 328 may be received within the flange 306 such that the end feature 308 retains the screen 328 in position between the first housing section 302 and the second housing section 304. The screen 328 may divide the inner chamber 320 into an inlet portion 332 and an outlet portion 334. The screen 328 may include at least one opening 340 (as shown in FIG. 19-24) that provides fluid communication between the inlet portion 332 and the outlet portion 334. Injection fluid flowing into the inner chamber 320 from the inlet fluid path 312 must subsequently flow through the at least one opening 340 in the screen 328 to reach the outlet portion. outlet 334 and outlet fluid path 314.In some embodiments, the screen 328 may have a hydrophilic coating that induces air bubbles 400 in the injection fluid to adhere to the screen 328, for example, by increasing the surface tension or adhesion between them, and thus at least temporarily delaying the flow of such adhered air bubbles 400 toward the outlet fluid path 314. The extension tube 370 may be positioned within the inner chamber 320 such that the injection fluid entering the inner chamber is directed toward the vortex flow path B and away from the one or more openings 340 in the screen 328. For example, the one or more openings 340 of >. wn c NN screen 328 may be located in a portion of screen 328 proximal to the distal outlet of the 5 σ 370 extension tube. Referring now to FIG. 19-24, several embodiments of the screen 328 are shown that are suitable for use in embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 described herein in connection with FIG. 9-13 and 17-18. Referring to FIG. 19, the screen 328 may include a plurality of openings 340 distributed substantially evenly over the screen 328. Referring then to FIGS. 20-24, the screen 328 may include a solid portion 380 impermeable to fluid and air, and one or more openings 340 located outside the solid portion 380, for example, located in the portion of the screen 328 proximal to the distal outlet of the extension tube 370 when assembled. The screen 328 may be positioned in the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 such that the solid portion 380 is adjacent to the extension tube 370. The injection fluid entering the inner chamber 320 through the extension tube 370 must, therefore, enter the vortex flow path B and circulate within the inner chamber 320 at least once before reaching the one or more openings 340. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the solid portion 380 occupies approximately half of the screen 328 and the one or more openings 340 occupy approximately half of the screen 328.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the solid portion 380 occupies a larger proportion of the screen 328 than the one or more apertures 340. In some embodiments, the one or more apertures 340 may be arranged in any pattern, such as a grid, an arc, or a line. In some embodiments, the one or more apertures 340 may be distributed unevenly over the screen 328. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the screen 328 includes a single opening 340 offset from a center line CL of the screen 328. The solid portion 380 occupies the remainder of the screen 328. The offset of the opening 340 from the center line CL of the screen 328 can force the air bubbles in the inner chamber 320 (see FIG. 17-18) to change direction in order to reach and pass through the opening 340, thereby delaying the flow of air bubbles out of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300. Referring to FIG. 23, the screen 328 may include at least one funnel 342 defining at least one opening 340. The funnel 342 may narrow from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion 332 of the inner chamber 320 to a minimum diameter extending into the outlet portion 334 of the inner chamber 320 (see FIG. 9-14 and 17-18). Referring to FIG. 24, in some embodiments of the screen 328 each of the one or more openings 340 may be partially obstructed by a bell 344. Each bell 344 may extend from the screen 328 into the entrance portion 332 of the chamber > wn c NN internal 320 (see FIG. 17-18), and against the direction of fluid flow such that the fluid S a and any associated air bubbles in the inlet portion 332 must flow around the bell t* 344 to pass through the associated opening 340. In some embodiments, the bells 344 may be configured so that air bubbles adhere to the bells 344, for example, through surface tension, to slow the flow of air bubbles out of the inlet portion 332. In all embodiments of the screen 328 shown in FIG. 19-24, the screen 328 may have a hydrophilic coating that induces air bubbles in the injection fluid to adhere to the screen 328, thereby at least temporarily delaying the flow of such air bubbles toward the fluid outlet 314. In various embodiments, other surfaces of the inner chamber 320 may be at least partially coated with a hydrophilic coating. Furthermore, any portion of the screen 328 or various features thereof may be configured so that air bubbles adhere to the screen 328, for example, through surface tension, to delay the flow of air bubbles through one or more openings 340. In some embodiments, the screen 328 may be a mesh, for example, made of a material that readily adheres air bubbles to its surface. According to certain embodiments, the change in fluid pressure across screen 328 can be substantially zero, so there is no significant change in fluid velocity across screen 328 that could dislodge any air bubbles adhering to it. Instead, the injection fluid can flow freely through other openings 340 or passages in the screen rather than dislodging any air bubbles adhering to screen 328. For example, the volume of the inlet portion 332 (see FIG. 17-18) upstream of screen 328 can be substantially the same as the volume of the outlet portion 334 (see FIG. 17-18) immediately downstream of screen 328, so there is no significant change in fluid pressure due to flow path restriction. It should be understood that the features of the various embodiments of screen 328 shown in the embodiments of FIG. 19-24 can be combined with each other and still be within the scope of this disclosure. Referring now to FIG. 25, various embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include a generally cylindrical housing 310 from which the inlet fluid path 312 and the outlet fluid path 314 extend. The inlet fluid path 312 and the outlet fluid path 314 may be in fluid communication with opposite ends of the inner chamber 320. As the injection fluid is introduced into the inner chamber 320 through the inlet fluid path 312 in a direction substantially tangential to the arc of the cylindrical housing 310, an internal fluid vortex is generated in the form of a spiral or helical vortex flow path B flowing along the inner wall 322 of the inner chamber 320. > wn c NN One or more air bubbles 400 carried by the injection fluid migrate towards the 5σ region Low pressure LP at the center of the vortex flow path B. The injection fluid in the u The vortex flow path B forms a boundary that prevents, at least temporarily, one or more air bubbles 400 from flowing into the outlet fluid path 314. The length of the spiral or helical vortex flow path B can be proportional to the height of the housing 310. Therefore, the height of the housing 310 can be proportional to the time during which the flow of air bubbles 400 is delayed within the inner chamber 320. Thus, increasing the cylindrical height of the housing 310 can result in an increased suspension time of one or more air bubbles 400 in the helical vortex flow path B. With continued reference to FIG. 25, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 can be rotated from the injection position to the priming position by the controller 900 (see FIG. 2) or manually by a user. In the injection position shown in FIG. 25, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 can be oriented such that the outlet fluid path 314 is positioned below the inlet fluid path 312. As such, the buoyancy of one or more air bubbles 400 within the internal chamber 320 causes them to float upwards in the internal chamber 320, against the direction of gravity G and the direction of the vortex flow path B, and away from the outlet fluid path 314. In the priming position, the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 can be oriented such that the outlet fluid path 314 is positioned above the inlet fluid path 312, for example, by rotating the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 approximately 180° around a lateral axis. As such, the buoyancy of one or more air bubbles 400 within the inner chamber 320 causes them to float upward in the inner chamber 120 toward the outlet fluid path 314, thereby purging the inner chamber 320 of air under the flow of the priming fluid. The air bubble suspension apparatus 300 may include a connect arm 360 extending from the housing 300. The connect arm 360 may be configured to connect to the injector housing 12 or to another feature associated with the flow path or injection system 2000 (see FIG. 1-2). In particular, the connect arm 360 may be configured to interface with an actuator communicating with the controller 900 (see FIG. 2) of the fluid injection system 2000. The controller 900 may be programmed or configured to rotate the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 between the injection position and the priming position via the connect arm 360 according to an injection protocol.Alternatively, the 360 ​​connector arm can be configured to attach to the fluid injector system in the injection or priming position and can be configured to allow a user to manually rotate the 300 air bubble suspension apparatus between the injection position and the priming position via the arm. w Ki c NN connect 360, for example in response to a system indication on a GU111, to prepare the 2 σ fluid injector for an injection procedure. c In some embodiments, the distal surface of the housing 300 may include a protrusion 384 extending upward into the inner chamber 320. The protrusion 384 may be approximately domed, conical, and / or a Gaussian surface. The protrusion 384 may extend to any height within the inner chamber 320. In some embodiments, the protrusion 384 may extend to half the height of the inner chamber 320. The protrusion 384 may be configured to obstruct the flow of one or more air bubbles 400 toward the opening 315 of the fluid outlet path 314 by extending into the low-pressure region LP of the fluid vortex and preventing one or more air bubbles 400 in the low-pressure region LP from moving downward past the protrusion 384 into the fluid outlet path 314.Therefore, the protrusion 384 further suspends the one or more air bubbles 400 in the inner chamber 320 in tandem with the bubble suspension provided by the fluid vortex. In some embodiments, the housing 300 may include a conical or domed recess 326 extending from a proximal surface of the inner chamber 320, similar in function to the recess 326 of FIG. 7-8. The recess 326 can receive and retain one or more air bubbles 400 that float upward in the inner chamber 320 under the influence of buoyancy to remove the air bubble(s) 400 from the vortex flow path B. The recess 326 can also be adapted to receive and retain one or more air bubbles in the form of microbubbles generated by the degassing of a medical fluid. In some embodiments, an air purge valve 350, as described in relation to FIG. 6, may be arranged in the housing 300 in fluid communication with the recess 326, so that the one or more air bubbles 400 accumulated in the recess 326 may be removed from the recess 326 as described herein. In all embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 described herein, the housing 310 may be constructed, at least partially, of a transparent or semi-transparent light-transmitting material, such as polycarbonate, which can act as a light tube. By directing a light source at the housing 310, the one or more bubbles 400, 402, 404, 406, 408 can be illuminated so that the operator can more easily discern the presence of air bubbles in the air bubble suspension apparatus 300. It should be understood that the features of the various embodiments of the air bubble suspension apparatus 300 shown in the embodiments of FIG. 3-25 can be combined with each other and still fall within the scope of this disclosure. Although several examples of the disclosure herein have been provided in the preceding description, those skilled in the art may make modifications and alterations to these examples without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. For example, it should be understood that the features of various embodiments described herein may be adapted > ω n c N N to other embodiments described herein. Consequently, the description 5 σ The foregoing is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. The disclosure described herein is... defined by the attached claims, and all changes in disclosure that are within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims shall be included within its scope.

Claims

1. An apparatus for suspending air bubbles in the fluid path of a fluid injection system, wherein the apparatus comprises a housing; an inner chamber with a defined curved inner wall within the housing; a fluid inlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the fluid inlet path extending within the chamber tangent to the curved inner wall;and an outlet fluid path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the outlet fluid path being spaced from the inlet fluid path, such that fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the inlet fluid path is directed away from the outlet fluid path, wherein the inner chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid at the internal vortex and delays the passage of the air bubbles to the outlet fluid path; 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet fluid path extends from the inner chamber in a direction perpendicular to a fluid flow path within the inner chamber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a portion of the outlet fluid path has a larger cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path in order to reduce the fluid velocity in the outlet fluid path relative to the fluid velocity in the inlet fluid path.

4. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outlet fluid path extends substantially parallel to the inlet fluid path 5. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the inner chamber is at least partially spherical or semi-spherical.

6. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-5, further comprising a recess extending radially outward from the inner chamber.

7. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-6, further comprising a valve in fluid communication with the inner chamber for draining air accumulated in the inner chamber 8. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the housing comprises: a first housing section comprising the fluid inlet path and the fluid outlet path; and a second housing section comprising at least a portion of the internal chamber, wherein one of the first housing section and the second housing section comprises a flange for receiving the other of the first housing section and the second housing section.

9. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the housing comprises at least one reinforcing rib extending radially outward from the outlet fluid path.

10. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a screen disposed in the outlet fluid path such that the fluid exiting the inner chamber passes through the screen.

11. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the housing comprises a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber.

12. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-11, wherein the housing comprises a connecting arm configured for coupling to an injector housing of the fluid injector system.

13. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-12, further comprising an adjustable valve for changing a cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet paths.

14. An apparatus for suspending air bubbles in a fluid path of a fluid injection system, wherein the apparatus comprises a housing defining an internal chamber; a fluid inlet path in fluid communication with the internal chamber; a fluid outlet path in fluid communication with the internal chamber; and an extension tube in fluid communication with the fluid inlet path and extending into the internal chamber, the extension tube comprising a tip separated from the fluid outlet path such that fluid flowing in the internal chamber through the extension tube is directed out of the fluid outlet path.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a screen dividing the inner chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, wherein the screen comprises at least one opening providing fluid communication between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, and wherein the fluid flowing into the inner chamber from the extension tube must flow through the at least one opening in the screen to reach the outlet fluid path.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a first portion of the screen adjacent to the tip of the fluid-impermeable extension tube, and wherein a second portion of the screen adjacent to the outlet fluid path comprises at least one opening.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the screen comprises a funnel defining at least one opening, the funnel narrowing from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion of the inner chamber to a minimum diameter extending towards the outlet portion of the inner chamber.

18. The apparatus according to any of claims 15-17, wherein the screen comprises a bell that at least partially obstructs the at least one opening, such that the fluid must flow around the bell to flow through the at least one opening.

19. The apparatus according to any of claims 15-18, wherein the screen comprises a mesh.

20. The apparatus according to any of claims 15-19, wherein the at least one opening comprises two or more openings arranged in an arc.

21. The apparatus according to any of claims 14-20, wherein the housing comprises: a first housing section comprising a flange configured to receive the screen; and a second housing section received within the flange of the first housing section to capture the screen between the first housing section and the second housing section.

22. The apparatus according to any of claims 14-21, wherein the inlet fluid path narrows from a smaller cross-sectional area to a larger cross-sectional area in a fluid flow direction through the inlet fluid path to reduce the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the inlet fluid path.

23. The apparatus according to any of claims 14-22, wherein the extension tube extends parallel to an inner wall of the inner chamber.

24. The apparatus according to any of claims 14-23, wherein the outlet fluid path extends at an acute angle with respect to the inlet fluid path.

25. The apparatus according to any of claims 14-24, wherein the housing comprises a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber.

26. The apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 25, wherein the housing comprises a connecting arm configured to couple to an injector housing of the fluid injector system.

27. The apparatus according to any of claims 14-26, further comprising an adjustable valve for changing a cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet paths.

28. A fluid injection system comprising: at least one fluid reservoir configured to inject medical fluid; at least one bubble suspension apparatus in fluid communication with the at least one fluid reservoir; the at least one bubble suspension apparatus comprising a housing defining an inner chamber; a fluid inlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber; a fluid outlet path in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the outlet fluid path being spaced from the inlet fluid path such that fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the inlet fluid path is directed out of the outlet fluid path; at least one air detector configured to detect one or more air bubbles in a fluid path connecting the at least one fluid reservoir to the at least one bubble suspension apparatus;and at least one shut-off valve downstream of the at least one bubble suspension apparatus and configured to move from an open position to a closed position in response to the air detector that detects one or more air bubbles in the fluid path, wherein the inner chamber is configured to create an internal fluid vortex in an injection fluid entering the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path, and wherein the internal fluid vortex at least temporarily suspends one or more air bubbles in the fluid within the internal vortex and delays the passage of the air bubbles to the outlet fluid path.

29. The fluid injector system according to claim 28, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus is movable between: an injection position wherein the outlet fluid path extends substantially vertically downwards from the inner chamber such that the buoyancy of the air bubbles in the inner chamber further induces one or more air bubbles to remain suspended in the internal fluid vortex in the inner chamber; and a priming position wherein the outlet fluid path extends substantially vertically upwards from the chamber such that the buoyancy of the air bubbles in the inner chamber induces the air bubbles to flow from the internal fluid vortex through the outlet fluid path.

30. The fluid injector system according to claim 28 or 29, wherein the inner chamber comprises at least one curved inner wall, and wherein the inlet fluid path extends into the inner chamber tangent to the curved inner wall.

31. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-30, wherein the outlet fluid path extends from the inner chamber in a direction substantially perpendicular to a fluid flow path in the internal fluid vortex within the inner chamber.

32. The fluid injector system according to any of claim 2831, wherein at least a portion of the outlet fluid path has a larger cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet fluid path in order to reduce the fluid velocity in the outlet fluid path relative to the fluid velocity in the inlet fluid path. > w 45 nc NN 33. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-5 σ 32, wherein the outlet fluid path extends substantially parallel to the inlet fluid path.

34. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 2833, wherein the inner chamber is at least partially spherical or semi-spherical.

35. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-34, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus further comprises a recess extending radially outward from the inner chamber in a direction substantially opposite to the outlet fluid path.

36. The fluid injection system according to claim 35, further comprising a valve in the recess and in fluid communication with the internal chamber for draining the air accumulated in the recess.

37. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-36, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises: a first housing section comprising at least one fluid inlet path and fluid outlet path; and a second housing section comprising at least one part of the internal chamber where one of the first housing section and the second housing section comprises a flange for receiving the other of the first housing section and the second housing section.

38. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 2837, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises at least one reinforcing rib extending radially outward from the outlet fluid path.

39. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 2838, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus further comprises a screen disposed proximal to the outlet fluid path such that the fluid flowing out of the inner chamber passes through the screen.

40. The fluid injector system according to claim 39, wherein one or more of the air bubbles temporarily adhere to a screen surface as the fluid passes through the screen. > ω 46 nc NNC -J σ 41. The fluid injector system according to claim 39, wherein the screen £ comprises a hydrophilic coating on at least a portion of a screen surface.

42. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-41, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus further comprises an extension tube in fluid communication with the inlet fluid path and extending into the inner chamber, the extension tube comprising a tip separated from the outlet fluid path, such that the fluid flowing into the inner chamber through the extension tube is directed away from the outlet fluid path.

43. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 39-41, wherein the screen divides the inner chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, wherein the screen comprises at least one opening providing fluid communication between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, and wherein the fluid flowing into the inner chamber from the inlet fluid path must flow through the at least one opening in the screen to reach the outlet fluid path.

44. The fluid injector system according to claim 43, wherein a first portion of the screen adjacent to the tip of the extension tube is fluid-impermeable, and wherein a second portion of the screen adjacent to the outlet fluid path comprises at least one opening.

45. The fluid injector system according to claim 43 or 44, wherein the screen comprises a funnel defining at least one opening, the funnel narrowing from a maximum cross-sectional area adjacent to the inlet portion of the inner chamber to a minimum diameter extending towards the outlet portion of the inner chamber.

46. ​​The fluid injector system according to any of claims 43-45, wherein the screen comprises a bell that at least partially obstructs the at least one opening, such that the fluid must flow around the bell to flow through the at least one opening.

47. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 43-46, wherein the screen comprises a mesh. > ω 47 nc NN 48. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 43-2 and 47, wherein the at least one opening comprises two or more openings arranged in an arc.

49. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-48, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus delays the passage of one or more air bubbles to the outlet fluid path by at least 100 milliseconds.

50. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 43-49, wherein the housing comprises: a first housing section comprising a flange configured to receive the screen; a second housing section received within the flange of the first housing section to capture the screen between the first housing section and the second housing section.

51. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-50, wherein the inlet fluid path narrows from a smaller cross-sectional area to a larger cross-sectional area in a fluid flow direction through the inlet fluid path to reduce the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the inlet fluid path.

52. The fluid injector system according to claim 42, wherein the extension tube extends parallel to an inner wall of the inner chamber.

53. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-52, wherein the outlet fluid path extends at an acute angle with respect to the inlet fluid path.

54. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-53, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises a light-transmitting material configured to illuminate the air bubbles in the inner chamber.

55. The fluid injector system according to any of claims 28-54, wherein the bubble suspension apparatus housing comprises a connecting arm configured for coupling to an injector housing of the fluid injector system.

56. The fluid injector system according to any of claim 2855, further comprising an adjustable valve for changing a cross-sectional area of ​​at least one of the inlet fluid paths and the outlet fluid paths.

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