Fluid injection system with illumination fluid reservoir

Abstract

A fluid injection system includes an injector housing, a sleeve, and an illumination assembly. The sleeve is coupled to the injector housing and is configured to receive and secure a fluid reservoir. The illumination assembly is coupled to the injector housing. The illumination assembly includes a light source configured to illuminate an interior of the fluid reservoir by directing light emitted by the light source into the fluid reservoir.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to fluid injection systems. Background Technology

[0002] Many medical imaging procedures, such as angiography, involve injecting contrast fluid into a patient's body. Angiography is a procedure used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions, including vascular abnormalities or limitations. During angiography, radiographic images of the heart or vascular structures are obtained by injecting contrast fluid through a catheter into the patient's vascular system, such as the coronary arteries. The injected contrast fluid can be delivered to the vascular structures connected to the fluid in the vessel through which the fluid was injected. X-rays pass through the area of ​​the body where the contrast fluid was injected. The X-rays are absorbed by the contrast fluid, resulting in a radiographic profile or image of the vascular system containing the contrast fluid. Contrast injection can also be used in conjunction with other medical procedures, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and interventional device procedures / placement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In general, this disclosure describes a fluid injection system with a light source specifically configured to illuminate the interior of a fluid reservoir. In some cases, the light source illuminates the interior of the fluid reservoir by passing light through one end of the fluid reservoir and refracting the light using the liquid inside the fluid reservoir. In other cases, the light source focuses the light and directs it toward a reflector that reflects the light downward along the peripheral wall of the fluid reservoir.

[0004] In any case, providing a light specifically configured to illuminate the interior of a fluid reservoir offers numerous benefits. For example, the presence of air bubbles in a fluid reservoir can be harmful to a patient receiving the fluid, as injecting air into the patient's body can have adverse effects on their health. In these situations, instead of relying on any ambient light that happens to enter the fluid reservoir from an external source, a light configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir facilitates the identification of such air bubbles within the reservoir.

[0005] In other cases, the lamp can provide additional functionality beyond simply illuminating the interior of the fluid reservoir for bubble detection, as described above. For example, the light source can be configured to alter characteristics of the lamp itself based on the operating state of the fluid infusion system. The light source can utilize various lamp characteristics, such as brightness, color, flashing pattern, the number of individual lamps to be lit within the light source, or some combination thereof, to provide information about one or more of the following: infusion rate, fluid volume contained in the fluid reservoir, bubble detection mode, infusion mode, refill rate, or fault status. When a user operates the fluid infusion system, they must monitor multiple objects, including the patient, infusion site, infused fluid, controller, any generated displays, and other personnel assisting the patient. By utilizing lamp characteristics to signal the operating state of the fluid infusion system, the system reduces the number of devices the user must monitor to derive critical information and also reduces the amount of data that must be generated and output by the controller.

[0006] In one example, this disclosure relates to a fluid injection system. The fluid injection system includes an injector housing. The fluid injection system also includes a sleeve coupled to the injector housing. The sleeve is configured to receive and secure a fluid reservoir. The fluid injection system also includes an illumination assembly coupled to the injector housing. The illumination assembly includes a light source configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir by directing light emitted by the light source into the fluid reservoir.

[0007] In another example, this disclosure relates to a method comprising controlling a light source in an illumination assembly of a fluid injection system by one or more processors of the fluid injection system to illuminate the interior of a fluid reservoir by directing light emitted by the light source into the fluid reservoir, wherein the fluid reservoir is secured by a sleeve coupled to an injector housing of the fluid injection system. The method further comprises determining an operating state of the fluid injection system by one or more processors of the fluid injection system. The method also comprises setting one or more characteristics of the light source by one or more processors to indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system.

[0008] In another example, this disclosure relates to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions. When executed, the instructions cause one or more processors to control a light source in an illumination assembly of a fluid injection system to illuminate the interior of a fluid reservoir fixed by a sleeve coupled to an injector housing of the fluid injection system. When executed, the instructions also cause one or more processors to determine the operating state of the fluid injection system. Furthermore, when executed, the instructions cause one or more processors to set one or more characteristics of the light source to indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system.

[0009] Details of one or more examples of this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an example of a power fluid injector according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating a more detailed example of a computing device configured to perform the techniques described herein.

[0012] Figures 3A-3E The following is a side view of various examples of a fluid reservoir and a lamp configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir, according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure.

[0013] Figures 4A-4B This is a side view of an additional example of a fluid reservoir and a lamp configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir, according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure.

[0014] Figures 5A-5F Multiple diagrams including one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure for configuring a light diffuser to diffuse light.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process by which a light source illuminates the interior of a fluid reservoir in a fluid injection system based on the operating state of the fluid injection system, according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an example of a powered fluid injector 100. In operation, the powered fluid injector 100 can inject a quantity of fluid into a patient, for example, via a catheter into a patient's blood vessels. The fluid injected by the powered fluid injector 100 can be, for example, angiographic fluid, non-angiographic fluid (e.g., saline), or a combination thereof. By injecting a quantity of fluid into a patient, the powered fluid injector 100 can facilitate a variety of medical diagnostic and / or interventional procedures, including the collection of image data representing anatomical regions of interest. As examples, these procedures may include optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, computed tomography (CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography procedures, and interventional device procedures / placement.

[0017] The illustrated power fluid injector 100 includes a drive assembly housing 102 (also referred to herein as an "injector housing") and a sleeve 104. The sleeve 104 may be secured to the drive assembly housing 102. For example, the drive assembly housing 102 may include an opening, and the sleeve 104 may be secured to the drive assembly housing 102 at or near such an opening. The sleeve 104 may extend from the drive assembly housing 102 and may be configured to receive and retain a fluid reservoir 106 (also referred to herein as a "fluid reservoir"). The fluid reservoir 106 may have an internal reservoir volume containing fluid and may include a plunger 108 within the internal reservoir volume. The plunger 108 can be made of various components, including a wiper configured to move proximally and distally within the fluid reservoir 106, and a punch extending from the drive assembly housing 102 into the sleeve 104, the punch being configured to engage the wiper when the fluid reservoir 106 is received and secured in the sleeve 104 and to drive the wiper proximally and distally according to instructions received from a controller 110 coupled to the drive assembly housing 102. At least a portion of the drive assembly can be housed within the drive assembly housing 102.

[0018] The drive assembly can be configured to pressurize fluid within the internal reservoir volume. For example, the drive assembly can be coupled to plunger 108 at an opening in the drive assembly housing 102 and drive plunger 108 within the internal reservoir volume. As plunger 108 is progressively driven within the fluid reservoir 106, fluid within the internal reservoir volume can be output from the fluid reservoir 106 along conduit 109 leading to catheter 126 inserted into a patient's blood vessel to inject fluid into the vascular system. In some applications of the powered fluid injector 100, the output fluid, such as contrast agents, can be pressurized to any pressure of 1000-1500 psi (e.g., 1200 psi).

[0019] The illustrated example of a powered fluid injector 100 includes several features capable of pressurizing and delivering fluid during operation. The powered fluid injector 100 may include a controller 110. The controller 110 may include a user interface for various operational aspects. For example, a user can utilize the controller 110 to set various parameters and / or schemes for a given fluid injection procedure. In one example, a user can interact with the controller 110 to input fluid injection parameters such as flow rate, injection volume (e.g., maximum), injection pressure limit (e.g., maximum), fluid injection duration, rise time, and / or other injection parameters. In one example, the controller 110 includes a touchscreen panel display to allow the user to view and modify injection parameters. The controller 110 may also be used to initialize the powered fluid injector 100 (e.g., prepare the powered fluid injector for patient fluid injection) or to activate certain features or operational sequences. The controller 110 may also provide status information, including information related to past or currently ongoing injection procedures and any appropriate alarms. The controller 110 may include an imaging engine having one or more processors for controlling the operation of the powered fluid injector 100. Such a processor can also control other components, such as drive components, peristaltic pump 112 (when present), and / or any sensors and detectors included at the power fluid injector 100.

[0020] In addition to the controller 110, the illustrated power fluid injector 100 also includes a handheld device 113 for user input. The handheld device 113 can be wirelessly or wiredly connected to the controller 110. However, in other examples, the handheld device 113 can be connected to a component of the power fluid injector 100 other than the controller 110, such as the drive assembly housing 102. The handheld device 113 can generate various signals related to the injection procedure and send them to the controller 110 or other connected components. The user can actuate one or more interface components at the handheld device 113 to control the injection procedure. For example, the user can use the handheld device 113 as a variable rate control device to change the fluid flow rate output from the power fluid injector 100 and / or as a mechanism to start or stop fluid injection. The handheld device 113 may include an external body of the controller, the external body being sized to be held in the user's single hand. In other cases, the handheld device 113 can be sized in different ways, such as being held in both of the user's hands during operation or placed on a surface.

[0021] The powered fluid injector 100 may also include one or more components for supplying fluid to be used in the injection procedure. Container 114 may include a supply source of fluid such as a contrast agent and a first retainer 116 attached to the powered fluid injector 100. Fluid from container 114 may be supplied to fluid reservoir 106 for use during the injection procedure. For example, when plunger 108 retracts (e.g., moves in a direction toward drive assembly housing 102), fluid from container 114 may be aspirated into fluid reservoir 106, thereby refilling the internal reservoir volume. Similarly, when the powered fluid injector 100 includes a peristaltic pump 112, a second container 118 may include a supply source of fluid such as a flushing medium (e.g., saline) and a second retainer 120 attached to the powered fluid injector 100. The peristaltic pump 112, when present, can receive fluid from the second container 118 and deliver such fluid to the patient. Typically, the peristaltic pump 112 can be used to deliver non-contrast fluids (e.g., saline) at a lower pressure than the pressure at which the drive assembly delivers contrast fluid from the fluid reservoir 106. A valve system 124 may be included to selectively position either the fluid reservoir 106 or the peristaltic pump 112 in communication with the patient.

[0022] As described elsewhere herein, the controller 110 of the powered fluid injector 100 can control various functions of the powered fluid injector 100, which may include dispensing contrast fluid through conduits. In some examples, the controller 110 may be housed within the housing of the display device. In some examples, the controller may be housed within the injector housing.

[0023] A kinetic fluid injector can be fluidly and electrically connected to catheter 126, which is inserted into a patient's blood vessel (e.g., a coronary artery). When so connected, the kinetic fluid injector can inject contrast fluid or dispense non-contrast fluid into the patient's vascular system via the injector tubing and catheter 126. In many examples, catheter 126 may include an invasive blood pressure sensor. When the kinetic fluid injector is connected to catheter 126, the blood pressure sensor can be electrically communicated with a controller. When catheter 126 is fluidly connected to the kinetic fluid injector, the blood pressure sensor can provide a blood pressure signal to the controller; when catheter 126 is not fluidly connected to the kinetic fluid injector, the blood pressure sensor may not provide a blood pressure signal.

[0024] According to one or more techniques disclosed herein, the power fluid injector 100 may further include an illumination assembly coupled to the drive assembly housing 102. The illumination assembly may include a light source configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 by directing light emitted by the light source (e.g., in a manner substantially parallel to the long axis of the fluid reservoir 106) into the fluid reservoir 106.

[0025] In some cases, the light source illuminates the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 by guiding light through one end of the fluid reservoir 106 and reflecting and refracting the light using the fluid volume inside the fluid reservoir 106, thereby scattering the light throughout the fluid. In other cases, the light source illuminates the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 by focusing and guiding the light toward a reflector that reflects the light downwards along the peripheral wall of the fluid reservoir 106. In still other cases, a diffuser is mounted in the fluid injector 100, for example, in the drive assembly housing 102, pressure sleeve 104, or fluid reservoir 106, such that the diffuser separates the light source from the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 and diffuses the light emitted by the light source as it enters the interior of the fluid reservoir 106.

[0026] In any case, providing a light specifically configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 offers numerous benefits. For example, the presence of air bubbles within the fluid volume of the fluid reservoir 106 could be harmful to a patient receiving the fluid, as injecting air into the patient's body could have adverse effects on their health. In such cases, instead of relying on any ambient light that happens to enter the fluid reservoir 106 from an external source, a light configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 facilitates the identification of such air bubbles within the fluid reservoir 106.

[0027] In other cases, the lamp can provide additional functionality beyond simply illuminating the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 for bubble detection. For example, the light source can be configured to change characteristics of the lamp itself based on the operating state of the powered fluid injector 100. The light source can utilize various lamp characteristics, such as brightness, color, flashing pattern, the number of individual lamps to be lit within the light source, or some combination thereof, to provide information about one or more of the following: injection rate, fluid volume contained in the fluid reservoir, bubble detection mode, injection mode, refill rate, or fault status. When a user operates the powered fluid injector 100, the user must monitor multiple objects, including the patient, injection site, fluid volume, controller 110, any generated display content, and other personnel assisting the patient. By utilizing lamp characteristics to signal the operating state of the powered fluid injector 100, the powered fluid injector 100 reduces the number of devices the user must monitor to derive important information and also reduces the amount of data that must be generated and output by the controller 110.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary fluid injection system according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure, the fluid injection system being configured to illuminate a fluid reservoir using a light source. The following will... Figure 2 The power fluid injector 100 is described as follows Figure 1Example of a power fluid injector 100. Figure 2 Only one specific example of a power fluid injector 100 has been shown, and many other examples of the power fluid injector 100 can be used in other situations and may include a subset of the components included in the exemplary power fluid injector 100, or may include... Figure 2 Additional components not shown.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown in the example, the kinetic fluid injector 100 includes a fluid reservoir 106, one or more processors 240, one or more communication units 242, one or more input components 244, one or more output components 246, and one or more storage components 248. Input components 244 may include a sensor 252 and a controller 110. Output components 246 may include a light source 254 (also referred to herein as “lamp 254”) and one or more reflectors 256. The storage components 248 of the kinetic fluid injector 100 include an illumination module 220, an injector module 222, and a regular data storage 226.

[0030] One or more processors 240 may implement functions associated with the power fluid injector 100 and / or execute instructions associated with the power fluid injector 100 to operate lamp 254 to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 of the power fluid injector 100. That is, processor 240 may implement functions associated with the power fluid injector 100 and / or execute instructions associated with the power fluid injector 100 to control one or more characteristics of lamp 254 to illuminate the interior of fluid reservoir 106, thereby serving to reveal bubbles within the fluid volume held by fluid reservoir 106, or to convey the operating status of power fluid injector 100 (or both).

[0031] Examples of processor 240 include application processors, display controllers, auxiliary processors, one or more sensor hubs, and any other hardware configured to function as a processor, processing unit, or processing device. Modules 220 and 222 can be operated by processor 240 to perform various actions, operations, or functions of the power fluid injector 100. For example, processor 240 of the power fluid injector 100 can retrieve and execute instructions stored in storage unit 248 that cause processor 240 to perform the operations described for modules 220 and 222. Instructions, when executed by processor 240, can cause the power fluid injector 100 to activate lamp 254 to illuminate the interior of fluid reservoir 106 of the power fluid injector 100.

[0032] The lighting module 220 may include all the functions for operating the lamp 254 of the power fluid injector 100. For example, the lighting module 220 of the power fluid injector 100 may receive information from the injection module 222 and control one or more characteristics of the lamp 254, such as whether to turn on the lamp 254, the color of the lamp 254, or the pattern for making the lamp 254 blink.

[0033] The injection module 222 may include all the functions for controlling other aspects of the kinetic fluid injector 100. In some examples, the injection module 222 may communicate with the sensor 252 and the controller 110 via the communication unit 242 to determine the operating state of the kinetic fluid injector 100. In some examples, the injection module 222 may determine one or more of the following: injection rate for the kinetic fluid injector 100, fluid volume contained in the fluid reservoir, bubble detection mode, injection mode, refill rate, or fault condition.

[0034] One or more storage units 248 within the power fluid injector 100 may store information for processing during operation of the power fluid injector 100 (e.g., data accessed by modules 220 and 222 during execution at the power fluid injector 100). In some examples, the storage unit 248 is temporary memory, meaning that the primary purpose of the storage unit 248 is not long-term storage. The storage unit 248 on the power fluid injector 100 may be configured as volatile memory for short-term storage of information, so that the stored contents are not retained if power is lost. Examples of volatile memory include random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), and other forms of volatile memory known in the art.

[0035] In some examples, storage component 248 also includes one or more computer-readable storage media. Storage component 248 includes one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in some examples. Storage component 248 can be configured to store a larger amount of information than is typically stored by volatile memory. Storage component 248 can also be configured as a non-volatile memory space for long-term storage of information and to retain information after power-on / power-off cycles. Examples of non-volatile memory include magnetic hard disks, optical disks, floppy disks, flash memory, or electrically programmable memory (EPROM) or electrically erasable programmable memory (EEPROM). Storage component 248 can store program instructions and / or information (e.g., data) associated with modules 220 and 222 and data storage 226. Storage component 248 may include memory configured to store data or other information associated with modules 220 and 222 and data storage 226.

[0036] Communication channel 250 can interconnect each of components 106, 240, 242, 244, 246, and 248 for (physical, communicative, and / or operatively) inter-component communication. In some examples, communication channel 250 may include a system bus, a network connection, an inter-process communication data structure, or any other method for transmitting data.

[0037] One or more communication units 242 of the power fluid injector 100 can communicate with external devices via one or more wired and / or wireless networks by transmitting and / or receiving network signals on one or more networks. Examples of communication units 242 include network interface cards (e.g., Ethernet cards), optical transceivers, radio frequency transceivers, GPS receivers, or any other type of device that can transmit and / or receive information via wireless or wired connections. Other examples of communication units 242 may include shortwave radios, cellular data radios, wireless network radios, and Universal Serial Bus (USB) controllers.

[0038] One or more input components 244 of the kinetic fluid injector 100 can receive input. Examples of input are tactile, audio, and video input. In one example, the input component 244 of the kinetic fluid injector 100 includes a presence-sensitive input device (e.g., a touchscreen, PSD), a mouse, a keyboard, a voice response system, a camera, a microphone, or any other type of device for detecting input from a person or machine. For example, a controller 110 may be one of the input components 244. In some examples, the input component 244 may include one or more sensor components 252: one or more position sensors (GPS components, Wi-Fi components, cellular components), one or more temperature sensors, one or more motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes), one or more pressure sensors (e.g., barometers), one or more ambient light sensors, and one or more other sensors (e.g., infrared proximity sensors, hygrometer sensors, etc.). Several other non-limiting examples include a heart rate sensor, a magnetometer, a glucose sensor, an olfactory sensor, a compass sensor, or a step counter sensor.

[0039] One or more output components 246 of the kinetic fluid injector 100 can generate output in a selected modality. Examples of modalities may include tactile notifications, auditory notifications, visual notifications, machine-generated voice notifications, or other modalities. In one example, the output component 246 of the kinetic fluid injector 100 includes a presence-sensitive display, a sound card, a video graphics adapter card, a speaker, a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, a liquid crystal display (LCD), or any other type of device for generating output to a person or machine in a selected modality. The output component 246 may include a lamp 254, which may be one or more of various types of lamps, such as light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, or any other type of light source capable of illuminating the fluid reservoir 106. The output component 246 may also include one or more reflectors 256, which may be used to guide and / or focus the light emitted from the lamp 254 to more effectively illuminate at least a portion of the interior of the fluid reservoir 106.

[0040] According to the techniques described herein, a sleeve (e.g., sleeve 104) can be configured to receive and secure the fluid reservoir 106. A lamp 254 can be included within an illumination assembly coupled to the injector housing of the powered fluid injector 100. The lamp 254 can be configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 by guiding light emitted by a light source into the fluid reservoir 106 (e.g., by guiding light at least substantially parallel to the long axis of the fluid reservoir 106 after reflection from the lamp 254, either during emission from the lamp 254 or after reflection from the lamp 254). For the purposes of this disclosure, the long axis of the fluid reservoir 106 includes an axis that, when drawn from one end of the fluid reservoir 106 to the other, is the longest possible straight line, and when the fluid reservoir 106 is cylindrical, this longest straight line is also perpendicular to the end cap at each end of the fluid reservoir 106. Being substantially parallel to the major axis can mean that when light is emitted from lamp 254, the light is projected along a path that is within a small deviation from the major axis, for example, within fifteen degrees of a line parallel to the major axis of fluid reservoir 106.

[0041] The lighting module 220 can be configured to operate the lamp 254 so that the lamp 254 illuminates the interior of the fluid reservoir 106. When illuminating the interior of the fluid reservoir 106, the processor 240 can control the lighting module 220 to control one or more characteristics of the lamp 254. The one or more characteristics of the lamp 254 may include brightness, color, flashing pattern, or one or more of the number of individual lamps to be lit within the light source.

[0042] The injection module 222 can further determine the operating state of the power fluid injector 100. The operating state of the power fluid injector 100 may include one or more of the following: injection rate, fluid volume contained in the fluid reservoir, bubble detection mode, injection mode, refill rate, or fault state. The lighting module 220 can set one or more characteristics of the light source to indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system according to the rule data storage 226. The lighting module 220 can also control one or more characteristics of the lamp 254 based on instructions received from the controller 110 coupled to the injector housing.

[0043] For example, injection module 222 can determine that a fault has occurred in the power fluid injector 100. Therefore, lighting module 220 can determine, based on rule data storage 226, that lamp 254 should illuminate in red in a slow flashing mode. Thus, lighting module 220 can control the lamps 254 to illuminate in a red color and flash according to the fault mode.

[0044] In other cases, injection module 222 can determine the fluid volume within fluid reservoir 106 as the maximum amount of fluid that can be held by fluid reservoir 106. Rule 226 may include a rule that the color moves along a gradient from green to red as the fluid volume within the reservoir decreases. Thus, lighting module 220 can control lamp 254 to illuminate in green.

[0045] In other cases, rule 226 may include a rule that the number of lamps in lamp 254 increases with the injection rate, thereby increasing the brightness of the light within fluid reservoir 106. Injection module 222 can determine that the powered fluid injector 100 is injecting fluid into the patient at a rate equal to 50% of the maximum injection rate. Therefore, illumination module 220 can control lamps 254 such that only half of lamps 254 are illuminated.

[0046] In other cases, rule 226 may include a rule that lamp 254 should illuminate with white light at maximum brightness when in bubble detection mode. Injection module 222 can determine that the power fluid injector 100 is in such bubble detection mode. Therefore, illumination module 220 can control lamp 254 such that lamp 254 illuminates with white light at maximum brightness.

[0047] In some cases, the fluid reservoir 106 includes a peripheral wall defining the interior of the fluid reservoir 106. The peripheral wall may extend between the proximal edge and the distal edge of the fluid reservoir 106. In some such cases, the lamp 254 may be configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir 106 by guiding light along the peripheral wall of the fluid reservoir 106. The lamp 254 may guide light by introducing light into the proximal edge of the fluid reservoir 106, along the peripheral wall of the fluid reservoir 106, and toward the distal edge of the fluid reservoir 106, and in many cases by guiding light along the peripheral wall of the fluid reservoir 106 into a reflector 256 that reflects light into the proximal edge of the fluid reservoir 106, along the peripheral wall of the fluid reservoir 106, and toward the distal edge of the fluid reservoir 106. Lamp 254 can also guide light along the peripheral wall of fluid reservoir 106 by directing light to the distal edge of fluid reservoir 106, along the peripheral wall of fluid reservoir 106, and toward the proximal edge of fluid reservoir 106. In the case of guiding light along the peripheral wall of fluid reservoir 106, the peripheral wall may include defects, such as notches, additional patterns of interfering light, or other diffusion mechanisms, so that light can escape from the peripheral wall to provide sufficient illumination of fluid reservoir 106.

[0048] In some cases, the fluid reservoir 106 may also include a plunger, for example Figure 1 The plunger 108. The plunger may include a wiper movable proximally and distally within the fluid reservoir 106. The plunger may also include a punch extending from the injector housing into a sleeve, the punch being configured to engage the wiper when the fluid reservoir 106 is received and secured in the sleeve, and to drive the wiper proximally and distally according to instructions received from a controller 110 coupled to the injector housing.

[0049] In some cases, the fluid injection system 100 may also include a diffusing element located between the lamp 254 and the fluid reservoir 106. In this manner, light emitted by the lamp 254 passes through the diffusing element in its path into the fluid reservoir 106. For example, the lamp 254 may be located outside the end cap of the fluid reservoir 106 or within a plunger inside the fluid reservoir 106. The diffusing element may be located between the lamp 254 and the location where light will enter the fluid reservoir 106, such as within the housing of the fluid injector 100, within the end cap of the fluid reservoir 106, within a pressure sleeve holding the fluid reservoir 106, or within the plunger of the fluid reservoir 106. The diffusing element may be configured to dilute the light emitted by the lamp 254 as it enters the fluid reservoir 106, thereby illuminating the entire fluid reservoir 106. To achieve this, the diffusing element may be made of a transparent material or at least include a pattern of a substantially translucent material (which dilutes light as it passes through the diffusing element). For example, the diffuser element can be made at least in part of a material such as transparent plastic, silicone, glass, frosted glass, or any other material that substantially allows light to pass through. Patterns in the diffuser element (such as waffle patterns or bubble patterns) can further enable light to diffuse as it passes through the diffuser element.

[0050] In some examples, depending on the type of bulb included in lamp 254, lamp 254 can also be very bright. While this may be beneficial in many cases, if lamp 254 is not covered and / or filtered, the brightness of lamp 254 may distract or even harm the user. When included in fluid injector 100, diffuser elements can reduce the intensity of glare produced by lamp 254, thereby creating a healthier and more pleasant user experience.

[0051] Figures 3A-3E These are views of various examples of a fluid reservoir 106 and a lamp 254 configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure. In each of examples 3A-3E, the fluid reservoir 106 includes a plunger 108 and a peripheral wall 330. Figures 3A-3E In one example, when the fluid reservoir 106 is substantially horizontal, the peripheral wall 330 is the topmost portion of the outer wall of the fluid reservoir 106. In other examples, when the fluid reservoir 106 is substantially horizontal, the peripheral wall 330 can be any other wall of the fluid reservoir 106, such as the bottommost portion or the outermost portion of the outer wall. In still other examples, the peripheral wall 330 includes the entire outer wall of the fluid reservoir 106, and the illuminated peripheral wall 330 includes the entire circumference of the outer wall of the illuminated fluid reservoir 106. Figures 3A-3E In any of them, according to the description of lamp 254 throughout this disclosure, lamp 254 can be operated by a fluid injection system to illuminate fluid reservoir 106.

[0052] Figure 3A A side view of the fluid reservoir 106 is shown. Figure 3A In this example, lamp 254 is located behind plunger 108 within the housing. Lamp 254 can be configured to direct light 332 radially outward into reflector 256. Reflector 256 can be angled such that light 332 received from lamp 254 is reflected through one or more transparent portions of the housing, fluid reservoir 106, and plunger 108 and enters the peripheral wall 330 of fluid reservoir 106. Reflector 256 can also be angled such that light 332 illuminates the interior of fluid reservoir 106 by traveling through the peripheral wall 330 as it is reflected from reflector 256. This particular embodiment may have the additional benefit of facilitating the identification of any air bubbles that may be present in the fluid contained within fluid reservoir 106. Bubbles may float to the top of fluid reservoir 106 such that they will stop along the topmost portion of peripheral wall 330, meaning that light 332 will pass through the bubble as it travels along peripheral wall 330.

[0053] Figure 3B This is a top view of the fluid reservoir 106 when bubbles 334A-334B are present in the fluid held within it. Similar to... Figure 3A In this example, the light source directs light 332 upward toward reflector 256. Reflector 256 reflects light 332 along the top peripheral wall 330 of the fluid reservoir 106. As light 332 travels along the peripheral wall 330, it passes through bubbles 334A and 334B. As light 332 passes through bubbles 334A and 334B, the bubbles become more visible to the operator of the fluid infusion system, allowing the operator to stop infusing fluid into the patient due to the presence of bubbles 334A and 334B.

[0054] Figure 3C A perspective view of the fluid reservoir 106 is shown. Figure 3CIn this example, lamp 254 forms a ring behind plunger 108 within the housing. Lamp 254 can be configured to direct light 332 outward into reflector 256, which forms a circle around the interior of fluid reservoir 106 behind plunger 108 and peripheral wall 330. Reflector 256 can be angled such that light 332 received from lamp 254 is reflected through one or more transparent portions of housing, fluid reservoir 106, and plunger 108 and into the entire circumference of peripheral wall 330. Reflector 256 can also be angled such that light 332 illuminates the interior of fluid reservoir 106 by traveling through the entire circumference of peripheral wall 330 as it is reflected from reflector 256. This particular embodiment can have the additional benefit of facilitating the identification of any air bubbles that may be present in the fluid contained within fluid reservoir 106. Bubbles can float to the top of fluid reservoir 106 such that they will stop along the topmost portion of peripheral wall 330, meaning that light 332 will pass through the bubble as it travels along peripheral wall 330.

[0055] Figure 3D A side view of the fluid reservoir 106 is shown. Figure 3D In the example, lamp 254 is located at the end of plunger 108. Because it is located at the center of fluid reservoir 106 and in contact with any fluid stored in fluid reservoir 106, light can be emitted from lamp 254 and diffused throughout the fluid when lamp 254 is activated. In this way, the operator of the fluid injection system will be aware of any characteristics of lamp 254, such as characteristics that may indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system. Furthermore, by positioning lamp 254 on plunger 108, lamp 254 will remain in contact with the fluid contained within fluid reservoir 106 throughout the process in which plunger 108 applies force to the fluid to expel fluid from fluid reservoir 106.

[0056] Figure 3E A side view of the fluid reservoir 106 is shown. Figure 3E In the example, lamp 254 is on receiver 340, and once the plunger 108 has completely moved through fluid reservoir 106 and discharged all fluid from fluid reservoir 106, plunger 108 will eventually remain on the receiver. Located at the center of fluid reservoir 106 and in contact with any fluid stored in fluid reservoir 106, when lamp 254 is activated, light can be emitted from lamp 254 and diffused throughout the fluid. In this way, the operator of the fluid injection system will be aware of any characteristics of lamp 254, such as characteristics that may indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system. Furthermore, by positioning lamp 254 on receiver 340 of plunger 108, lamp 254 will remain in contact with the fluid contained within fluid reservoir 106 throughout the process of plunger 108 applying force to the fluid to expel fluid from fluid reservoir 106.

[0057] Figures 4A-4BThis is a side view of an additional example of a fluid reservoir and a lamp configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir, according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure. Figure 4A and 4B In each of these, housing 402 holds pressure sleeve 404 in place. Inside pressure sleeve 404, fluid reservoir 406 (also referred to as syringe) is installed. When plunger 408 is activated, fluid held in fluid reservoir 406 exits the reservoir through conduit 409.

[0058] exist Figure 4A In the example, lamp 454 is included in housing 402 at a location near the end of fluid reservoir 406 opposite plunger 408 (e.g., the end of plunger 408 that moves toward it when activated to discharge fluid from fluid reservoir 406). Lamp 454 is angled such that it emits light substantially parallel to the long axis of fluid reservoir 406. Substantially parallel to the long axis can mean that when light is emitted from lamp 454, the light lies on a projection path within a small deviation from the long axis (e.g., within 15 degrees of the line parallel to the long axis of fluid reservoir 406).

[0059] A diffuser element 456 may be located between the lamp 454 and the fluid reservoir 406, such that light emitted from the lamp 454 is diffused, thereby dispersing throughout the fluid in the fluid reservoir 406 to illuminate its interior. For example, the diffuser element 456 may be mounted in any space between the housing 402, the pressure sleeve 404, the fluid reservoir 406, or any of these elements, such that light reaches the diffuser element 456 before entering the fluid reservoir 406. The diffuser element 456 may be made of a transparent material, or at least include a pattern of a substantially translucent material that diffuses light as it passes through the diffuser element. For example, the diffuser element 456 may be made at least partially of a material such as transparent plastic, silicone, glass, frosted glass, or any other material that substantially allows light to pass through. Patterns in the diffuser element 456 (e.g., waffle patterns or bubble patterns) may further enable light to diffuse as it passes through the diffuser element 456.

[0060] Figure 4B Examples include with Figure 4A The example uses the same components, except that lamp 454 is mounted within plunger 408. In this way, as plunger 408 moves through fluid reservoir 406, light emitted by lamp 454 leaves plunger 408 and enters fluid reservoir 406. In this example, diffuser element 456 is also located within plunger 408, either between the surfaces of lamp 454 and plunger 408, or directly on the surface of plunger 408. In this way, diffuser element 456 can disperse the light emitted by lamp 454 throughout fluid reservoir 406.

[0061] Figures 5A-5F Multiple diagrams include feasible patterns of light diffusers configured to diffuse light according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure. For example, diffuser 556A includes a square waffle pattern embedded in the material of diffuser 556A. Diffuser 556B includes a rectangular pattern embedded in the material of diffuser 556B. Diffuser 556C includes a square waffle pattern embedded in the material of diffuser 556C, but the squares are larger than the squares of diffuser 556A. Diffuser 556D includes a diamond pattern embedded in the material of diffuser 556D. Diffuser 556E includes a herringbone pattern embedded in the material of diffuser 556E. Diffuser 556F includes a bubble pattern embedded in the material of diffuser 556F.

[0062] In some cases, the pattern in the diffuser elements 556A-556F may be a texture, where lines represent portions of the respective diffuser element that rise or fall from the white space in the respective diffuser element. In other cases, the lines in the pattern may be a solid material, and the white space may represent a translucent material. In still other cases, the lines in the pattern may be a translucent material, and the white space may be a solid material. The diffuser elements 556A-556F are also just a few examples of possible patterns in diffuser elements. Diffuser elements made according to the technology of this disclosure may include any pattern or arrangement of translucent material capable of sufficiently diffusing light entering the fluid reservoir, such that the light illuminates the interior of the fluid reservoir after diffusing.

[0063] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operating mode. Specifically, Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process by which a light source illuminates the interior of a fluid reservoir in a fluid injection system based on the operating state of the fluid injection system, according to one or more aspects of the technology described in this disclosure. Figure 6 The technology can be executed by one or more processors of a computing device, for example... Figure 1 The power fluid injector 100 and / or Figure 2 The power fluid injector 100 is shown. For illustrative purposes only, in... Figure 2 The context of the power fluid injector 100 is described Figure 6 The technology, but a computing device with a configuration different from that of the power fluid injector 100 can execute it. Figure 6 The technology.

[0064] According to the technology described herein, the lighting module 220 controls a light source in the lighting assembly of the fluid injection system to illuminate the interior (600) of a fluid reservoir fixed by a sleeve attached to the injector housing of the fluid injection system. The injection module 222 determines the operating state of the fluid injection system (602). The lighting module 220 sets one or more characteristics of the light source to indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system (604).

[0065] It should be recognized that, depending on the example, certain actions or events in any of the techniques described herein can be performed in a different sequence, and can be added, combined, or omitted entirely (e.g., not all described actions or events are necessary for practicing the techniques described). Furthermore, in some examples, these actions or events can be performed simultaneously rather than sequentially, for example, through multithreaded processing, interrupt handling, or multiple processors.

[0066] In one or more examples, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. A computer-readable medium may include a computer-readable storage medium, which corresponds to a tangible medium such as a data storage medium, or a communication medium that includes any medium facilitating the transfer of a computer program from one place to another (e.g., according to a communication protocol). In this way, a computer-readable medium may generally correspond to (1) a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium, or (2) a communication medium, such as a signal or carrier wave. A data storage medium may be any available medium accessible by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, code, and / or data structures for implementing the techniques described in this disclosure. Computer program products may include computer-readable media.

[0067] By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that is accessible by a computer. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (e.g., infrared, radio, and microwave), then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (e.g., infrared, radio, and microwave) is included in the definition of medium. However, it should be understood that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carrier waves, signals, or other transient media, but rather actually refer to non-transient tangible storage media. As used herein, disks and optical discs include compact optical discs (CDs), laser optical discs, optical discs, digital versatile optical discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. The above combinations should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0068] Instructions can be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Therefore, the term "processor" as used herein can refer to any of the foregoing structures or any other structures suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. Furthermore, in some aspects, the functionality described herein can be housed within dedicated hardware and / or software modules configured for encoding and decoding, or incorporated into combined codecs. Moreover, the technology can be implemented entirely within one or more circuit or logic elements.

[0069] The techniques disclosed herein can be implemented in a wide variety of devices or apparatuses, including wireless handheld devices, integrated circuits (ICs), or a set of ICs (e.g., chipsets). The various components, modules, or units described in this disclosure are intended to emphasize functional aspects of a device configured to perform the disclosed techniques, but do not necessarily need to be implemented by different hardware units. Rather, as described above, the various units may be combined with appropriate software and / or firmware within a codec hardware unit or provided by a collection of interoperable hardware units, including one or more processors as described above.

[0070] Various examples of this disclosure have been described. Any combination of the described systems, operations, or functions can be contemplated. These and other examples fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fluid injection system (100), comprising: Injector housing (402); A pressure sleeve (404) is coupled to the injector housing, wherein the pressure sleeve is configured to receive and hold a fluid reservoir (406), wherein the fluid reservoir (406) includes a plunger (408) having a wiper and a punch, the wiper being movable proximally and distally within the fluid reservoir, the punch extending from the injector housing into the pressure sleeve, the punch being configured to engage the wiper when the fluid reservoir is received and held in the pressure sleeve and to drive the wiper proximally and distally according to instructions received from an injection controller (110) coupled to the injector housing; as well as An illumination assembly, comprising a light source (454), is included in the injector housing near the end of the fluid reservoir opposite the plunger. The light source is configured to illuminate the interior of the fluid reservoir by directing light emitted by the light source into the fluid reservoir substantially parallel to its long axis. The fluid injection system is characterized in that it further includes a light diffuser (456) located between the light source and the fluid reservoir, wherein light emitted by the light source passes through the light diffuser in the path of light entering the fluid reservoir, and wherein the light diffuser is configured to diffuse the light emitted by the light source as it enters the fluid reservoir to illuminate the entire fluid reservoir, wherein the light diffuser includes a pattern of a substantially translucent material that diffuses the light emitted by the light source as it passes through the light diffuser, the pattern of the light diffuser having raised or lowered portions.

2. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 1 further includes one or more processors (240) configured to control one or more characteristics of the light source (454) when illuminating the interior of the fluid reservoir (406).

3. The fluid injection system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the one or more characteristics of the light source (454) include one or more of brightness, color, flashing pattern, or the number of individual lamps to be lit within the light source.

4. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors (240) are further configured to: Determine the operating status of the fluid injection system; and The one or more characteristics of the light source (454) are set to indicate the operating state of the fluid injection system.

5. The fluid injection system (100) according to claim 4, wherein the operating state of the fluid injection system includes one or more of the following: injection rate, fluid volume contained in the fluid reservoir, bubble detection mode, injection mode, refill rate, or fault state.

6. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors (240) control the one or more characteristics of the light source (454) based on instructions received from the injection controller (110) coupled to the injector housing (402).

7. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir (406) includes a peripheral wall (330) defining the interior of the fluid reservoir. The peripheral wall extends between the proximal edge and the distal edge of the fluid reservoir.

8. The fluid injection system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the light source (454) comprises one or more light-emitting diodes.

9. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 1, wherein the pattern of the light diffuser element (456) is a texture, and the lines in the texture represent the raised or lowered portions.

10. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 9, wherein the line defines an adjacent space within the light diffuser (456) for diffusing light emitted by the light source (454) into the interior of the fluid reservoir (406).

11. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 10, wherein the line is made of a solid material and the space is made of a translucent material.

12. The fluid injection system (100) of claim 10, wherein the line is made of a translucent material and the space is made of a solid material.

13. The fluid injection system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the pattern of the light diffuser (456) includes a square pattern (556A, 556C), a rectangular pattern (556B), a diamond pattern (556D), a herringbone pattern (556E) or a bubble pattern (556F).

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