Liquid medicine injection device and injection protocol setting program

Abstract

To provide a liquid medicine injection device for setting an injection protocol capable of providing a contrast difference in a portion of interest and enhancing different kinds of blood vessels at the same timing.SOLUTION: A control unit of the liquid medicine injection device performs: processing for setting an injection protocol capable of simultaneously enhancing an artery and vein, the processing comprising reception of input of information on duration of an interval phase and setting the injection protocol based on the information; and processing for issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase is out of a predetermined range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid injector and an injection protocol setting program, and more particularly to a liquid injector and an injection protocol setting program that set an injection protocol that can simultaneously highlight different types of blood vessels, etc., while providing contrast differences in a region of interest. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, known medical imaging diagnostic devices include CT (Computed Tomography) scanners, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) devices, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) devices, ultrasound diagnostic devices, angiography imaging devices, etc. When using such imaging devices, a contrast agent, saline solution, etc. (hereinafter, these may be simply referred to as "medicinal liquids") may be injected into the subject.

[0003] Tomographic imaging by injecting a contrast agent is performed in various procedures. In recent years, it has also become common to check the running state of blood vessels before surgery, for example, using a three-dimensional model. For example, surgery simulations may be performed on the lung or liver to smoothly perform segmental resection. In such surgery simulations, it is usually desirable to be able to distinguish between arteries and veins. For this purpose, a procedure has been proposed in the past in which imaging is performed twice with different time phases for the arterial layer and the venous phase (see, for example, Patent Document 1, which is not a procedure itself, but is a technology that focuses on the different time phases in the arterial phase and the venous phase and makes it possible to classify the respective data). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-131421 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Due to differences in the time it takes for the contrast agent to reach each blood vessel after injection, the time it takes for the contrast effect to appear varies depending on the type of blood vessel and the type of organ. For example, the contrast effect usually appears earlier in arteries, whereas the contrast effect appears later in veins.

[0006] As described above, there is a method for imaging arteries and veins by imaging them at the timing of the arterial phase and the venous phase (two-time imaging), but with this method, since the venous phase imaging is performed a little later than the arterial phase imaging time, the arteries and veins may not be imaged in the correct positional relationship due to body movement, breathing, and organ movement. Although it is premised on combining an arterial image captured at a specific timing (time t1) in the arterial phase and a venous image captured at a specific timing (time t2) in the venous phase, these are not captured at the same time, so if the position of the blood vessel moves between time t1 and time t2, the correct positional relationship cannot be maintained.

[0007] On the other hand, in order to properly distinguish and depict arteries and veins (in other words, first and second types of blood vessels) from a tomographic image, it is desirable that there is a sufficient difference between the CT values ​​of the arteries and the CT values ​​of the veins (and that there is some degree of contrast compared to the normal state in which no contrast agent is injected). This makes it possible to properly distinguish each blood vessel, for example, even when creating a three-dimensional model on a workstation.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid injector and an injection protocol setting program that can set an injection protocol that can simultaneously highlight different types of blood vessels while providing contrast differences in a region of interest. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a liquid medicine injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention is as follows: one or more drive mechanisms for pushing the medicinal liquid in one or more storage containers toward the subject; A control unit having a function of setting an injection protocol of the drug solution; A liquid injection device for injecting at least a contrast medium as the liquid, The control unit A: A process for acquiring information on the amount of iodine required per body weight of the contrast agent to be injected into the subject; B: A process for acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on information on the components of the contrast agent, the amount of iodine required associated with the subject's physical characteristics, and information on the subject's weight; D: A process of setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the first and second contrast agent phases, and that can simultaneously highlight arteries and veins that are the subject of imaging, d1: receiving input of information on a ratio of allocation of the calculated amount of contrast agent to the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: receiving input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accept input of information on the duration of the interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on that information; The drug solution injection device is configured to perform the following:

[0010] (Terminology explanation) The "medicinal solution" refers to, for example, a contrast medium, a physiological saline solution, or a mixture thereof. An "infusion protocol" indicates what type of drug should be injected, in what amount, and at what rate. The term "container" refers to a container that contains a liquid medicine, and includes not only a syringe but also a liquid medicine storage bag and the like. The "simultaneously" in "highlighting (arteries and veins, etc.) simultaneously" does not necessarily mean exactly the same time, but refers to a state in which both blood vessels (target objects) are enhanced for a certain period of time (e.g., several seconds to tens of seconds). Regarding the phrase "same as," when referring to a certain numerical value, it includes not only the exact same numerical value, but also a certain numerical range obtained by adding or subtracting 10% of the numerical value to or from the numerical value. For example, "same as 10" means a range of 10±1. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid injector and an injection protocol setting program that set an injection protocol that can highlight different types of blood vessels (and even different objects including solid organs) in a region of interest at the same time while providing contrast differences. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a chemical liquid injector. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an injection head and a liquid syringe attached thereto. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a liquid injector and an imaging device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing some functions of a control unit of the console. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an injection protocol. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of setting an injection protocol in this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an example of a time density curve (TDC) that can visualize arteries and veins separately. [Figure 8] 1 is an example of a graphical user interface for receiving input from an operator. [Figure 9] 13 is another example of a graphical user interface for receiving input from an operator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, although the following description will be given using a liquid injector as an example, the present invention can also be applied to other information processing devices in terms of setting an appropriate injection protocol.

[0014] 1.Device configuration The liquid injector will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Liquid injector 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes injection head 110 held on top of movable stand 111, and console 150 electrically connected to injection head 110 by, for example, cable 102. In this example, two syringes 200C, 200P (see Figure 2) are removably attached in parallel to injection head 110.

[0015] In the following description, syringes 200C and 200P will sometimes be referred to simply as syringe 200 without distinction. The "injection head" is also called an injector or an injection head. In addition to the configuration in which they are connected via cable 102, for example, injection head 110 and console 150 may communicate with each other wirelessly, or injection head 110 may be held by, for example, a suspended arm (not shown).

[0016] [Syringe] Examples of the medicinal liquid filled in the syringes 200C and 200P (see FIG. 2) include a contrast medium and saline. For example, one syringe 200C may be filled with a contrast medium, and the other syringe 200P may be filled with saline. As another example, the first syringe and the second syringe may be filled with contrast mediums of different concentrations.

[0017] Syringe 200 has a hollow cylindrical cylinder member 221 and a piston member 222 slidably inserted into cylinder member 221. Cylinder member 221 has a cylinder flange 221a formed at its base end and a conduit portion 221b formed at its tip end. By pushing piston member 222 into cylinder member 221, the liquid medicine in the syringe is pushed out through conduit portion 221b. The syringe may be a prefilled type filled with the liquid medicine beforehand, or may be a suction type in which the liquid medicine is sucked into an empty syringe for use.

[0018] An extension tube 230 is connected to the conduit portion 221b of each syringe 200. The extension tube 230 may be a so-called T-shaped tube or Y-shaped tube. In this example, the extension tube 230 has a tube 231a extending from the conduit portion 221b of one syringe 200C to a branching portion, a tube 231b extending from the conduit portion 221b of the other syringe 200P to a branching portion, and a tube 231c extending from the branching portion toward the subject. An injection needle (not shown) is connected to the tip side of the tube 231c. The injection needle is inserted into the blood vessel of the subject, and the drug solution in the syringe 200C and / or the syringe 200P is pushed out, thereby injecting the drug solution into the blood vessel. The mixing device disclosed in International Publication No. WO2011 / 125303 may be used as the extension tube 230. This mixing device has a function of mixing the respective chemical solutions flowing from the two flow paths by using a swirling flow.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, an IC tag 225 may be attached to a part of the cylinder member 221. This IC tag 225 performs wireless communication and stores information about the syringe (identification information of the syringe, pressure resistance of the syringe, inner diameter of the cylinder member, stroke of the piston member, etc.) and information about the liquid medicine filled in the syringe (name (e.g., product name), component information such as iodine amount, expiration date, liquid medicine volume, etc.). The IC tag may have a unique ID that is specific to the tag. The IC tag may have at least one piece of information selected from the syringe size, the syringe serial number, and the drug standardization code. For example, an RFID (Radio frequency identification) tag can be used as the IC tag 225. The position where the IC tag 225 is attached may be, for example, the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder member 221, and specifically, may be near the cylinder flange on the outer circumferential surface.

[0020] [Injection head] 2, injection head 110 has a housing 120 that extends long in the front-rear direction, and the upper surface of this housing has two recesses 120a on which syringes 200C, 200P can be placed, respectively. Recesses 120a function as syringe holders.

[0021] Syringe 200 may be directly attached to recess 120a, or may be attached via a predetermined syringe adapter. In Fig. 2, syringe adapters S121 and S122 that hold cylinder flange 221a and the vicinity of each syringe 200 are shown as an example. The shape and function of the syringe adapter are not limited to a specific one, and may be any one.

[0022] Injection head 110 also has piston drive mechanisms 130 having at least the function of pushing in piston member 222 of syringe 200, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Two systems of piston drive mechanisms 130 are provided, and each mechanism 130 operates independently. Piston drive mechanisms 130 may have a function of retracting piston member 222, for example, to draw medicinal liquid into the syringe. The two piston drive mechanisms 130 may be driven simultaneously, or may be driven at different times.

[0023] Although not shown in detail, the piston driving mechanism 130 may include a driving motor (not shown), a motion conversion mechanism (not shown) that converts the rotational output of the driving motor into linear motion, and a syringe presser (ram member) that is connected to the motion conversion mechanism and moves the piston member 222 forward and / or backward. As such a piston driving mechanism, a known mechanism that is generally used in a liquid injector can be used.

[0024] The piston drive mechanism 130 may have a load cell (not shown) for detecting the force with which the syringe presser presses the piston member 220. For example, the detection result of the load cell can be used to obtain an estimated value of the pressure of the liquid medicine when the liquid medicine is being injected. The calculation of this estimated value is performed taking into consideration the size of the syringe and needle, the concentration of the liquid medicine, the injection conditions, and the like. Naturally, the calculation may be performed taking into consideration the configuration of the injection circuit (diameter and length of the tube, etc.). In addition to the above, the pressure may be calculated based on the motor current of a drive motor (not shown) instead of using a load cell (not shown).

[0025] 3, injection head 110 has a reader / writer 145 that reads information from IC tag 225 and / or writes information to IC tag 225. Reader / writer 145 may be provided in recess 120a in which syringe 200 is attached. Note that reader / writer 145 may only have the function of reading information from IC tag 225.

[0026] 3, injection head 110 may have a control unit 144 for controlling the operation of piston drive mechanism 130 and reader / writer 145. It may also have a storage unit 146 for temporarily storing information read from IC tag 225, for example. Control unit 144 can be configured as a control circuit having a processor, memory, etc.

[0027] A number of physical buttons for causing injection head 110 to perform various operations are also provided on the top and sides of housing 120 of injection head 110. Some of these physical buttons may be configured to emit light, for example, to notify the operator of certain information.

[0028] In addition to the above configuration, for example, a configuration that delivers the liquid medicine using a different method instead of the piston drive mechanism may be used. As an example, a drive mechanism such as a tube pump that delivers the liquid medicine by squeezing a tube connected to a liquid medicine container containing the liquid medicine with a roller or the like may be used.

[0029] [console] The console 150 may be used by being placed in an operation room adjacent to an examination room. The console 150 has a display unit 151 that displays a predetermined image, an operation panel 159 provided on the front surface of the housing, a control circuit (details below) arranged in the housing, and the like. The operation panel 159 is a portion on which one or more physical buttons are arranged, and is operated by an operator. The display unit 151 may be a touch panel display, or may simply be a display. The console 150 may have a speaker or the like (not shown) for outputting sound and / or audio.

[0030] 3, console 150 is depicted as having a control unit 155 that controls the operation of each connected unit, a storage unit 154 in which various data is stored, and an interface terminal 158 for connecting to a predetermined external device. Console 150 may have an interface for connecting to injection head 110 and an interface for connecting to an imaging device. Console 150 may have a hand unit 157 (not shown in FIG. 1) that is operated by the operator.

[0031] The control unit 155 may have a memory, a processor, etc., and may perform various processes according to a computer program implemented therein. As an example, the control unit 155 may include a setting screen display unit 155a, an injection protocol creation unit 155b, an injection control unit 155c, a history generation unit 155d, and a history output unit 155e, as shown in FIG.

[0032] The setting screen display unit 155a corresponds to a function of displaying information for setting an injection protocol and a graphical user interface on the display unit 151. In this embodiment, the setting screen display unit 155a is configured to be able to set at least an artery-vein separation visualization protocol, which will be described later.

[0033] The protocol creation unit 155b corresponds to a function of accepting, for example, an input operation by the operator on the touch panel of the display unit 151, and creating an injection protocol reflecting the contents of the input. The conditions input by the operator in this way may be, for example, at least one selected from the type of medicinal liquid, the injection speed of the medicinal liquid, the injection amount of the medicinal liquid, the subject's physical information, the body part of the subject to be imaged, and the imaging site. Note that the input by the operator is not limited to an input operation via a touch panel, and other methods such as voice input, which obtains input information by analyzing the voice of the operator, and gesture input, which obtains input information by analyzing the body movement of the operator, can also be used (the input via a touch panel disclosed in this specification can be replaced with various other input methods such as voice input, gesture input, and combinations thereof).

[0034] The injection control unit 155c corresponds to a function of controlling the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 according to the created injection protocol. The injection control unit 155b may operate only one of the piston drive mechanisms 130, or may operate both of them simultaneously.

[0035] The history generating unit 155d corresponds to a function of generating injection history data. The "injection history data" may be, for example, an injection work ID, which is identification information unique to each injection work, the date and time of injection start and end, identification information of the liquid injector, identification information of the liquid medicine or the imaging site, which is the above-mentioned injection condition, or the like. These may be text data. In addition, one of the horizontal and vertical axes may be image data of a time-lapse graph of the injection pressure or injection rate, while the other axis may be elapsed time. The injection history data may be information on the liquid medicine or the syringe obtained from an IC tag of the syringe, manually input by the operator, or input from an external network, etc.

[0036] History output unit 155e corresponds to a function of transmitting injection history data to the outside. Specifically, it may transmit data to a predetermined external device and / or network. A system configuration is also possible in which information on the liquid medicine and syringe obtained from an IC tag of the syringe, manually input by an operator, or input from an external network is transmitted from the liquid injector to a medical information system in a hospital, and a system having an accounting function, for example, performs accounting based on the information.

[0037] The functions of the units 155a to 155e may be executed by the control unit 155 according to a program installed therein. The program may be stored in advance in a predetermined storage means (which may be the storage unit 154, for example) in the console.

[0038] The storage unit 154 may store, for example, data of images and graphical user interfaces to be displayed on the display unit 151. In addition, algorithms including calculation formulas for setting injection conditions and injection protocol data may be stored. The injection rate may be constant or may change over time.

[0039] Such information on the injection protocol may be input from an external device connected via the interface terminal 158. Alternatively, the console 150 may have a slot (not shown) and the information may be input through an information storage medium inserted into the slot.

[0040] [Imaging device] The imaging device 300 may be, for example, an X-ray CT scanner, and may have an imaging unit 303b for capturing a fluoroscopic image of the subject, a bed 304 on which the subject rests, and a control unit 303a for controlling the operations thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. In addition, a display device (e.g., a display) (not shown) may be provided, and various information may be displayed on the display device. As a specific example, information related to the injection of the liquid injector (information on the set injection conditions, information on the injection result when the injection is actually performed, etc.) may be displayed on the display device.

[0041] 2. An example of injection operation As a basic operation, the liquid injector of this embodiment operates, for example, as follows: First, a screen for setting an injection protocol is displayed on display unit 151 of console 150. On this screen, at least one of the following parameters is input, selected, or changed: the body part to be imaged, the part to be imaged (referred to as the imaging part), information such as the subject's weight, the type of liquid to be injected, etc.

[0042] The images for selecting these parameters may be displayed sequentially or all at once. The input, selection, or change of the parameters as described above may be performed automatically by the function of the device, or may be performed by the operation of the operator.

[0043] After completing the input of parameters, the operator presses a predetermined button on the screen (e.g., a confirmation button). When creating an injection protocol, the operator can follow the image for creating an injection protocol displayed on the screen, for example, by (i) selecting one of several basic patterns prepared in advance and confirming or changing the content as necessary, or (ii) creating an arbitrary injection protocol by plotting several reference points in the injection graph displayed on the screen.

[0044] Once the injection protocol has been created, the operator operates a predetermined injection start button, and the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 is then controlled based on the injection protocol, causing the drug solution to be injected into the subject.

[0045] [Arterial and venous separation visualization protocol] Next, with reference to Fig. 5, another injection protocol that can be set in the liquid injector of this embodiment will be described. This injection protocol is an example of an injection protocol suitable for, for example, separately depicting the hepatic artery and portal vein (portal vein) of an adult. Note that, although an example in which the objects to be imaged are roughly divided into two types and two phases are included is shown here, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more phases may be included. Conditions are set for each phase for the purpose of imaging a different object.

[0046] 5, the injection protocol includes a first contrast phase 701 (Ph1) and a second contrast phase 703 (Ph2), each of which injects a contrast agent, separated by an interval phase 702 (a phase that does not provide a contrast effect) of duration "x" seconds.

[0047] (First contrast phase) In the first contrast agent phase 701, the contrast agent is injected, for example, at an injection speed of 2.0 to 8.0 ml / sec (meaning 2.0 ml / sec or more and 8.0 ml / sec or less) for an injection time of 20 to 30 seconds. The injection amount is preferably about 60 to 150 ml. In particular, the contrast agent speed is preferably 2.0 ml / sec or more, since if it is too low, the desired contrast effect may not be obtained.

[0048] (Interval Phase) The main role of the interval phase 702 is to provide a sufficient time between the first and second contrast agent phases 701, 703. The time of the interval phase 702 is preferably, for example, 5 seconds or more, 10 seconds or more, or 20 seconds or more. In one embodiment, the time of the interval phase 702 is preferably, for example, 30 seconds or less, 60 seconds or less, 120 seconds or less, or 180 seconds or less, although it depends on the examination to be performed.

[0049] In the example of FIG. 5, the interval phase 702 further includes a phase 702a in which saline is injected. The interval phase 702 may be a completely non-injection phase without injecting saline. When saline is injected, it is preferable to inject saline at an injection speed of 2.0 to 8.0 ml / sec for an injection time of 5 to 10 sec (total injection amount is, for example, about 30 ml). This injection speed may be the same as the injection speed of the first contrast medium phase 701, for example. A part or all of the interval phase 702 may be an injection of saline. As another embodiment, a slow injection of saline (which may be less than 2.0 ml / sec) for the purpose of, for example, securing a route for a medicinal solution may be performed in a part or all of the interval phase 702. Such a slow injection may be performed in the injection of saline in phase 704 described below, or in other cases of saline injection.

[0050] (Second contrast phase) In the second contrast agent phase 703, the contrast agent is injected, for example, at an injection speed of 2.0 to 8.0 ml / sec for an injection time of 5 to 20 sec. The injection amount is preferably about 20 to 80 ml.

[0051] (Saline injection phase) 5, a phase 704 in which physiological saline is further injected is provided after the second contrast medium phase 703, although this is not essential. This phase 704 is preferably performed at an injection speed of, for example, 2.0 to 8.0 ml / sec for an injection time of, for example, 5 to 10 seconds. Phase 704 may be followed by a phase in which physiological saline is slowly injected (for example, at less than 2.0 ml / sec). This slow injection of physiological saline injected after phase 704 plays a role of, for example, protecting the kidneys and promoting the excretion of medicinal liquid, depending on the examination to be performed, etc.

[0052] In the injection protocol of Fig. 5, the injection speed of each phase does not necessarily have to be the same, and may be different. In particular, the injection speed of the contrast medium phases 701 and 703 is not limited to a constant injection speed, and may be a variable speed where the injection speed decreases (or increases) over time. As a more specific condition for the variable speed, the "variable constant" (the value obtained by dividing the injection speed at the end of the phase by the injection speed at the start. For example, if the speed decreases over time from 3.0 ml / sec to 1.5 ml / sec, the variable constant is 0.5) may be 0.3 or more and less than 1.0, or 0.5 or more and less than 1.0.

[0053] Regarding the change in speed, the speed may decrease or increase linearly, or may decrease or increase in a stepwise manner. As a specific embodiment, for example, the speed may change to a predetermined speed by setting a plurality of speeds within one phase (for example, 3.0 ml / sec→2.5 ml / sec→2.0 ml / sec→1.5 ml / sec).

[0054] As an example, in the first contrast agent phase 701, when the injection speed is changed from a "constant speed" to a "variable speed (decelerating over time)" without changing the amount of contrast agent injected, the following contrast effect can be obtained. That is, in the case of such variable injection, a large amount of contrast agent is injected at a relatively early timing after the start of injection compared to a constant speed injection, and as a result, the shape of the first peak of the "artery" in the time density curve (FIG. 7, TDC: Time Density Curve) is brought forward (the peak appears at an earlier timing). In this way, the fact that a sufficient amount of contrast agent is supplied into the blood vessel means that the contrast agent can be sent well to the peripheral side of the blood vessel thereafter, and also the effect of increasing the CT value of the vein and the parenchymal organs as a whole can be expected.

[0055] In the contrast medium phase, dilution injection may be performed in which multiple liquid drugs are pushed out simultaneously to inject liquid drugs of a desired concentration.

[0056] [Enhancement effect of arterial and venous separation protocol] According to the injection protocol in Fig. 5, it is possible to obtain the contrast effect shown in Fig. 7. The contrast medium injected from the blood vessels of the subject flows through the heart, aorta, arteries, and capillaries, then circulates to the veins, vena cava, and heart by systemic circulation (general circulation). As for the liver, venous blood that has passed through the intestines etc. flows in via the portal vein. Due to this systemic circulation, the timing of the contrast medium reaching the liver is such that the contrast medium via the artery first arrives, and then after a certain time (the timing when the contrast medium circulates through the intestines etc. and flows in via the portal vein), the contrast medium via the portal vein arrives.

[0057] In the time density curve of Fig. 7, the CT value of the artery shows the first peak at about 30 to 50 seconds, and in this example, the CT value rises to 350 (HU) or more. This peak corresponds to the contrast effect of the contrast agent in the first contrast agent phase 701 of Fig. 5.

[0058] On the other hand, the CT value of the veins starts to rise gradually after about 50 seconds. The CT value of the veins does not reach as high a value as the arteries, but in this example, it rises to 100 (HU) at around 70 to 80 seconds, and the CT value is about 50 (HU) higher than the unenhanced state (about 50 HU).

[0059] Focusing again on the CT value of the artery, a second peak is shown around 110 seconds. The CT value at this peak also rises to 350 HU or more. This second peak corresponds to the contrast effect of the second contrast agent phase 703 in FIG. 5.

[0060] The timing when the CT value of the artery shows the second peak (time t a ), the CT value of the artery is at least 300 (HU) or more, and the CT value of the vein is also 100 (HU) or more, and both are in a sufficiently emphasized state. Therefore, by taking an image at this timing, it is possible to obtain good contrast images of both blood vessels by taking an image once. That is, in the method of this embodiment, an image is not taken once at the timing of the arterial phase and again at the timing of the venous phase, but both blood vessels are imaged at the same time, so that the artery and the vein can be imaged in an accurate positional relationship. Moreover, while the CT values ​​of both blood vessels are increased by the contrast agent, there is a sufficient difference (about 200 HU in this example) between the CT values ​​of the artery and the vein. Therefore, the density difference between the artery and the vein can be obtained in the obtained tomographic image, and thus, for example, when the image is made into a three-dimensional image, it is possible to separate and depict both blood vessels well. Although the example of the artery and the vein has been given above, the present invention can also be applied to the case of separately depicting a first blood vessel and a second blood vessel, which have different arrival times of the contrast agent. Furthermore, it is useful for separating and extracting not only blood vessels but also solid organs.

[0061] Although not limited thereto, it is preferable that the second peak (arterial CT value) be, for example, 300 HU that continues for 5 seconds or more, preferably 8 seconds or more, in terms of creating imaging timing by the CT device.

[0062] As shown in Figure 7, after the arterial CT value passes the second peak, the arterial CT value gradually decreases, specifically to about 150 (HU) in this example. On the other hand, it takes time for the venous CT value to decrease, and in the range of elapsed time shown in Figure 7 (up to 200 sec), it still remains at 100 (HU) or more.

[0063] [Injection protocol creation procedure] The injection protocol as described above can be set in the following manner. The following description will be given with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 6, but the order in which the steps are executed is not necessarily limited to that shown in the figure.

[0064] First, in step S1, console 150 of liquid injector 100 sets the amount of iodine per body weight (mgI / kg) (i.e., a value indicating how much iodine, a component of the contrast agent, should be injected per body weight of the subject). In this example, the amount of iodine per body weight is 650 mgI / kg.

[0065] The amount of iodine per body weight may be linked to information such as the body part (for example, "abdomen") or part (for example, "liver" or "stomach") to be imaged, and a numerical value may be set in advance. This setting by the console 150 may be, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (for example, a graphical user interface), through which the operator inputs, and the console accepts the input and sets a predetermined value, or (b) the setting may be made without a direct input by the operator; for example, when a body part and / or an imaged part is selected, a corresponding value may be automatically set. In addition to the above, the amount of iodine per body weight may be read into the liquid injector or the like from a predetermined device via a network or the like. The amount of iodine per body weight may also be input through a device such as a keyboard, voice input, gesture input, or the like. Such points regarding the input may be applicable not only to the input in step S1, but also to other steps.

[0066] Next, in step S2, the console 150 sets the subject's weight (kg), which is 60 kg in this example.

[0067] This setting may be the same as above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface) through which the operator inputs, and the console accepts the input and sets a predetermined value, or (b) the setting may be made without direct input by the operator, for example, the weight information of the subject may be read from another device connected to the console or the like and the setting may be made automatically. In addition to the weight information, additional information such as a predetermined formula and / or a predetermined coefficient used in the calculation may be read into the liquid injector depending on the patient or examination, but is not limited thereto. Height information and / or gender information, etc. may also be read.

[0068] Next, in step S3, the console 150 calculates the amount of contrast agent to be injected using the information on the amount of iodine per body weight obtained above and the body weight information. In this example, it is assumed that 300 mgI of contrast agent is used, and the injection amount is calculated to be 130 (ml).

[0069] Next, in step S4, the console 150 sets the ratio of the amount of contrast agent injected in the first contrast agent phase 701 (Ph1) and the second contrast agent phase 703 (Ph2), that is, the ratio of the "130 (ml)" calculated above to the first and second contrast agent phases. In this example, the ratio is 7:3. Therefore, in this example, the injection amount in the first contrast agent phase is 91 ml, and the injection amount in the second contrast agent phase is 39 ml.

[0070] This setting may also be similar to that described above, for example, (a) the console may provide a user interface (a graphical user interface as one example) through which the operator makes input and the console may accept the input and set a predetermined ratio, or (b) the setting may be made without direct input by the operator; for example, a value corresponding to a selected body part and / or imaging region may be automatically set.

[0071] Next, in step S5, the console 150 sets the injection times (duration times) of the contrast medium phases 701 and 703. In this example, they are 25 sec and 8 sec.

[0072] This setting may be similar to that described above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (a graphical user interface is one example) through which the operator makes input and the console accepts the input and sets a predetermined value, or (b) the setting may be made without direct input by the operator; for example, a value corresponding to a selected body part and / or imaging region may be automatically set.

[0073] Next, in step S6, the console 150 sets the interval time, which in this example is 20 seconds.

[0074] This setting may also be similar to that described above, for example, (a) the console may provide a user interface (a graphical user interface as one example) through which the operator makes input and the console may accept the input and set a predetermined value, or (b) the setting may be made without direct input by the operator; for example, a value corresponding to a selected body part and / or imaging region may be automatically set.

[0075] In particular, in the injection protocol of this embodiment, it is important to provide a sufficient time between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase in order to obtain a time density curve as shown in FIG. 7 while preventing the injection of more contrast agent than necessary. Therefore, in one embodiment, it is preferable that the console 150 has data on the lower limit of the interval time, and compares the input time with the lower limit to set the time so that it does not fall below the minimum of 15 seconds (for example, a configuration may be used in which a predetermined alert is issued if the input time falls below the lower limit). Similarly, it is also preferable that the console 150 has data on the upper limit, and compares the input time with the upper limit to set the time so that it does not exceed the maximum of 30 seconds (for example, a configuration may be used in which a predetermined alert is issued if the input time exceeds the upper limit). With such a configuration, it is possible to set the interval time within an appropriate range such as not falling below 15 seconds, and as a result, it is possible to obtain a time density curve as shown in FIG. 7 that contributes to the separation and extraction of arteries and veins. If the interval time is too short, the first and second peaks of the time density curve cannot be sufficiently separated (in other words, the contrast effect of the first contrast agent phase will remain and affect the second peak), which may not be suitable for separately depicting each blood vessel.

[0076] In the example of FIG. 5, saline injection is performed in two phases 702a and 704. The console 150 may be configured to accept input of these phases and set them. With regard to setting these phases, (a) the console 150 may be configured to accept input of at least one piece of information, such as the amount of saline injected, the injection time, and the injection rate, by the operator, and set the injection conditions of the phases based on the input. Alternatively, for example, (b) predetermined injection conditions corresponding to the injection conditions of the contrast medium phases 701 and 703 may be automatically set as the conditions of the phases 702a and 704, respectively (e.g., the same injection rate).

[0077] [An example of a graphical user interface] Although not limited thereto, this embodiment may utilize a graphical user interface 720 as shown in FIG.

[0078] This graphical user interface 720 includes an icon 721 for setting the amount of iodine, an icon 722 for setting the amount ratio, an icon 723 for setting the injection time of the first contrast agent phase, an icon 724 for setting the injection time of the second contrast agent phase, an icon 725 for setting the interval time (pause time), and an icon 726 for setting the pressure limit. Note that the specific numerical values ​​shown in Fig. 8 are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. Also, any one or some of the icons 721 to 726 may be omitted.

[0079] Each icon 721-726 may be configured so that the numerical value changes when the icon itself is touched, or may be configured so that when touched a numeric keypad or the like appears through which the operator can input a numerical value, or may be configured so that the numerical value can be changed by touching up and down arrow icons as shown (the same is true for the example in Figure 9 described below).

[0080] [Adjusting the amount of contrast agent according to the tube voltage value of the imaging device] When calculating the injection amount of the contrast medium, the amount may be increased or decreased taking into account the tube voltage value of the imaging device. Although not limited to this, for example, the method disclosed in International Publication No. 2016 / 152841 may be used. An example of an injection protocol setting procedure will be described below in which the tube voltage value is selected from 120 kV, 100 kV, and 80 kV.

[0081] As an example, a predetermined control unit of the liquid injector displays on a predetermined display the name of the contrast medium, the amount of iodine required per subject's weight, the pressure limit value of the syringe, the remaining volume of the liquid in each syringe, the subject's weight, and the injection time of the contrast medium. Here, the name of the contrast medium and the pressure limit value of the syringe may be data read from an IC tag of each syringe. The subject's weight, the amount of iodine required per subject's weight, and the injection time of the contrast medium are, as an example, default values, and these values ​​can be arbitrarily changed by the operator as necessary.

[0082] A predetermined control unit of the liquid injector uses these data to calculate the injection amount L (mL) and injection speed S (mL / sec) of the contrast agent. The injection amount L (mL) of the contrast agent is given below, where W (kg) is the subject's weight, I (mgI / kg) is the amount of iodine per kg of the subject's weight, C (mgI / mL) is the iodine content per unit amount of the contrast agent, and T (sec) is the injection time of the contrast agent.

[0083]

number

[0084] The injection rate of the contrast agent, S (mL / sec), is S(mL / sec)=L(mL) / T(sec)...Equation (2) For example, if W = 60 (kg), I = 600 (mgI / kg), C = 300 (mgI / mL), and T = 30 (sec), the injection amount of contrast agent L is calculated to be 120 (mL) from formula (1), and the injection speed of contrast agent S is calculated to be 4.0 (mL / sec) from formula (2).

[0085] In the above formula (1), the injection amount L of the contrast medium is calculated using the amount of iodine I required per subject's body weight, but depending on the imaging site (e.g., the heart, etc.), the injection amount can also be calculated using the amount of iodine I' (mgI / kg / sec) required per subject's body weight and time. In this case, the following formula (1') can be used to calculate the injection amount.

[0086]

number

[0087] If the injection amount of the contrast agent is too small or the injection rate of the contrast agent is too slow, the contrast agent may diffuse into the blood or be absorbed by the surrounding tissues before reaching the target site. Therefore, lower limits of the injection amount and injection rate of the contrast agent may be preset, and a predetermined control unit may compare these values ​​with the calculated injection amount and injection rate, and issue a warning if at least one of the calculated injection amount and injection rate is smaller than the preset value.

[0088] Depending on the symptoms of the subject, imaging may be performed at a lower tube voltage in order to reduce the amount of radiation exposure to the subject during imaging. In this case, the injection protocol can be set taking into account the tube voltage value. Setting of the injection protocol taking into account the tube voltage can be performed at a stage where all data required for setting the injection protocol has been input but the injection protocol has not yet been finalized.

[0089] When setting an injection protocol that takes the tube voltage into consideration, in one example, the operator changes the tube voltage value of the imaging device to be used as necessary. When imaging is performed at a tube voltage lower than the normal tube voltage, an injection protocol is set in which the contrast agent and physiological saline are simultaneously injected, that is, a dilution injection protocol in which the amount of contrast agent is reduced and the contrast agent is diluted with physiological saline by the reduced amount. In this case, the reduction rate of the contrast agent is set to be higher the lower the tube voltage value (in other words, the rate of the contrast agent is lower).

[0090] An example of setting an injection protocol in which the reduction rate of the contrast medium is predetermined according to the tube voltage value will be described below. For example, the ratio of the contrast medium to the physiological saline is determined according to the tube voltage value as shown in the following table. Of course, the correspondence between the tube voltage value and the increase / decrease rate may be determined by a predetermined formula or algorithm other than the table.

[0091] [Table 1]

[0092] In Table 1, when the tube voltage value is 120 kV, the contrast agent is not diluted with saline, and an injection protocol is obtained in which only the contrast agent is injected with the injection volume L (mL) calculated by the above-mentioned formula (1) and the injection rate S (mL / sec) calculated by the formula (2).

[0093] Here, when the tube voltage value is lower than 120 kV, the calculated injection amount and injection rate of the contrast agent are reduced by a predetermined ratio according to the tube voltage value, and the reduced amount is calculated as the injection amount and injection rate of the saline.

[0094] Specifically, when the tube voltage value is 100 kV, the ratio of contrast agent to saline is 8:2, and a predetermined control unit reads out a contrast agent ratio of 0.8 and a saline ratio of 0.2 from the table. The injection amount and injection speed of the contrast agent are calculated by the control unit as 0.8 times the injection amount and injection speed of the contrast agent when only the contrast agent is injected. Similarly, the injection amount and injection speed of saline are calculated as 0.2 times the injection amount and injection speed of the contrast agent when only the contrast agent is injected.

[0095] As described above, when imaging is performed at a lower tube voltage in order to reduce the subject's exposure to X-rays, the amount of contrast agent injected can be reduced according to the tube voltage value, thereby reducing the physical burden on the subject while ensuring a desired CT value.

[0096] Although an example of the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above specific configuration and procedure. For example, the following modifications are also possible: (a1) In the above, the weight of the subject is input, and the amount of medicinal liquid to be injected into the subject is calculated using the weight information and the amount of iodine required per body weight (for example, unit: mgI / Kg). However, other conventionally known calculation methods may be used to calculate the amount of medicinal liquid to be injected. For example, a lean body weight (LBW) calculation method, a body surface area (BSA) calculation method, a blood volume (BV) calculation method, an adjusted body weight (AdBW) calculation method, etc. may be used. In addition, when setting the injection conditions of the contrast medium, the heart rate, etc. may be taken into consideration as a parameter of the subject's physical characteristics. (a2) In the present invention, it is desirable that an operator can predict in advance that a time density curve as shown in FIG. 7 will be obtained as a result of an injection protocol as shown in FIG. 5. In this regard, for example, a simulator disclosed in International Publication No. 2016 / 084373 may be used to predict captured images for the injection protocol. In another embodiment, conversely to the above, a device that can suggest one or more ideal injection protocols for obtaining a time density curve as shown in FIG. 7 when the time density curve is input may be used.

[0097] (b1) In the above, a liquid injector has been shown in which the injection head and the console are configured separately, as shown in Fig. 1. However, a liquid injector in which the injection head and the console are integrated, in other words, a single device can be used to set the injection protocol, display various states during liquid injection, and control the operation of the piston drive mechanism. (b2) In the above, control unit 155 has the function of creating an injection protocol, and control unit 144 has the function of controlling the operation of piston drive mechanism 130, but it is possible to appropriately change which control unit has what function. (b3) If saline injection is not required, a single-cylinder injection head may be used instead of a two-cylinder type. (b4) In the above, an example was shown in which the console 150 of the liquid injector 100 creates the injection protocol, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Other information processing devices (for example, a portable tablet terminal, a workstation connected to a network, a computer provided as a part of an imaging device, etc.) may create the injection protocol. The other information processing device may create an injection protocol using the method according to the present invention, and the injection protocol may be transferred to the liquid injector to perform a desired liquid injection according to the injection protocol. With regard to the transfer of the injection protocol and other data, (i) data may be exchanged between a specific device and the liquid injector via a network, or (ii) data may be exchanged by connecting a portable information storage medium (which may be in any form, such as a stick or card) to a slot (interface) of a specific device of the liquid injector, rather than via a network.

[0098] (Automatic image capture timing detection function) In order to allow the imaging device to operate automatically in response to the contrast effect of the contrast agent, the device may be configured to monitor changes in the CT value of a specified target location, and when the CT value reaches a certain threshold, imaging may automatically begin after a specified period of time.

[0099] (Input multiple iodine amounts per weight, etc.) In the above embodiment, an example in which a single iodine amount per body weight common to phase 1 and phase 2 is input has been described, but the present invention may also be configured to input a plurality of iodine amounts per body weight (mgI / kg). Also, the iodine amounts required per body weight and per time (mgI / kg / sec) may be input, or both the iodine amount per body weight and the iodine amount per body weight per time may be input. The number of phases for angiography is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

[0100] 9 is another example of a graphical user interface for inputting information required for setting an injection protocol. In this example, the amount of iodine per body weight used to determine the conditions for the first contrast agent phase is input via icon 821. The injection time for the first contrast agent phase is input via icon 821'. Regarding input via these icons and input via icons described below, the method of inputting values ​​is not particularly limited, and may be input using a numeric keypad (not shown), may be a method in which one is selected from several candidates registered in advance, or may be a method in which values ​​are changed or candidates are selected using up and down keys.

[0101] Although not shown in Fig. 9, it is assumed that the weight information of the subject has been input in advance. In addition, it is assumed that the shape of the injection pattern of the first contrast medium phase (specifically, whether it is a constant speed, a variable speed, or a speed that changes in multiple steps) has also been determined by default settings or by selection of an icon, etc.

[0102] Under these conditions, by inputting the information on the amount of iodine per body weight and the injection time as described above, conditions such as the injection amount and injection rate in the first contrast medium phase are calculated.

[0103] 9 (see icons 822, 822') and the third row (see icon 823) are for inputting information used to determine the conditions for the interval phase. In this example, the injection volume of saline (e.g., "20" mL) is input via icon 822. Also, the time for which the drug solution injection is temporarily stopped after the injection of saline (e.g., "10" sec) is input via icon 823.

[0104] 9, the amount of iodine per body weight used to determine the conditions for the second contrast phase is also input via icon 824. In this example, it is "120" mgI / kg, but of course a value different from that for the first contrast phase may be input. The injection time for the second contrast phase is input via icon 824'.

[0105] In this way, it is possible to input different amounts of iodine per body weight for the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase, so that conditions can be set under which the objects to be contrasted in each phase (blood vessels, solid organs, etc.) are well imaged.

[0106] For the physiological saline phase after the second contrast agent phase, the injection amount can be input via icon 825. The input via icon 826 for the pressure limit is the same as that in the above-mentioned embodiment, so a detailed description will be omitted. In the example of Fig. 9, the input related to the link with the imaging device (input of time as one example) can be made using icon 827.

[0107] 9, in the case where a contrast medium is injected in a plurality of phases, and a different amount of iodine per body weight (one example) can be set for each phase, there is an advantage that different objects having different contrast characteristics can be well imaged. Also, a different method of deriving the liquid condition may be used between a given phase and other phases (for example, a calculation based on the amount of iodine per body weight and body weight in one phase, and a calculation based on the body surface area in another phase).

[0108] In the graphical user interfaces such as those shown in Figures 8 and 9, selection of numerical values, etc. is performed via icons, but the numerical values ​​displayed as default on the icons may be configured so that the operator can freely set them.

[0109] (Additional Note) This specification discloses the following inventions (the symbols in parentheses are not intended to limit the invention): 1. One or more drive mechanisms (130) for pushing medicinal liquids in one or more storage containers toward a subject; A control unit (155) having a function of setting an injection protocol of the drug solution; A liquid injector (100) for injecting at least a contrast medium as the liquid, The control unit (155) A: A process for obtaining information on the iodine requirement associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process for acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on the component information of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the weight information; D: A process of setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase (701), a second contrast agent phase (703), and an interval phase (702) between the first and second contrast agent phases, and that can simultaneously highlight arteries and veins to be imaged, d1: receiving input of information on the ratio (70:30) of the calculated amount of contrast agent to be allocated to the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Receive input of information on the injection time (25 sec) of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Receive input of information on the injection time (8 sec) of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accept input of the duration information (20 sec) of the above interval phase, setting an injection protocol based on that information; The drug solution injection device is configured to perform the following:

[0110] 2. The liquid injection device as described above, wherein the control unit sets the duration of the interval phase to at least 10 seconds.

[0111] 3. The liquid medicine injection device described above, wherein the required amount of iodine associated with the subject's physical characteristics is the required amount of iodine per unit of body weight.

[0112] 4. The liquid injector described above, wherein the control unit (155) further sets a phase (702a) for injecting physiological saline during the interval phase (702).

[0113] 5. The liquid injection device described above, wherein the control unit (155) further sets a phase (704) of injecting physiological saline after the second contrast agent phase.

[0114] 6. The injection rate of the first and / or second contrast phase is (i) a variable rate that increases or decreases over the duration of the injection; or (ii) The liquid injection device as described above, wherein the speed is a constant speed that does not change.

[0115] 7. The liquid injector as described above, wherein the container is a syringe having a piston member slidably inserted into a cylinder member, and the drive mechanism is a piston drive mechanism that moves the piston member.

[0116] 8. The liquid injection device described above, comprising: an injection head (110) configured to hold the syringe and provided with the piston drive mechanism; and a console (150) provided with the control unit.

[0117] 9. A data processing device for creating an injection protocol for injecting a liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, comprising: A: A process for obtaining information on the iodine requirement associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process for acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on the component information of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the weight information; D: A process of setting an injection protocol including at least a first contrast agent phase, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the phases, and capable of simultaneously highlighting a first blood vessel and a second blood vessel that are the imaging target, d1: receiving input of information on the ratio (70:30) of the calculated amount of contrast agent to be allocated to the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accept input of information on the duration of the above interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on that information; A data processing device configured to:

[0118] A "data processing device" is a processing device including one or more processors, a memory, a storage device, etc., and may be, for example, a portable tablet terminal, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a workstation, etc. In addition, it does not necessarily have to be a stand-alone device, and may be incorporated as part of another device.

[0119] 10. A computer program for creating an injection protocol for injecting a liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, comprising: One or more processors A: A process for obtaining information on the iodine requirement associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process for acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on the component information of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the weight information; D: A process of setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the phases, and that can simultaneously highlight a first blood vessel and a second blood vessel that are imaging targets, d1: receiving input of information on the ratio (70:30) of the calculated amount of contrast agent to be allocated to the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accept input of information on the duration of the above interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on that information; A computer program that executes the following:

[0120] The "one or more processors" may be housed in a single housing or in separate housings.

[0121] The present specification further discloses a method for setting an injection protocol including a plurality of injection phases, which allows input of at least two pieces of "information on the required iodine amount associated with the subject's physical characteristics." Specifically, the method includes: S1. One or more drive mechanisms (130) for pushing the medicinal liquid in one or more storage containers toward the subject; A control unit (155) having a function of setting an injection protocol of the drug solution; A liquid injector (100) for injecting at least a contrast medium as the liquid, The control unit (155) A process of receiving input of information on a first required iodine amount associated with a physical characteristic of the subject; A process of receiving input of information on a second required iodine amount associated with a physical characteristic of the subject; A process of receiving input of information on the physical characteristics; calculating injection conditions for a first contrast phase (reference numeral 701) based at least on the first iodine requirement information and the physical characteristic information; calculating injection conditions for a second contrast phase (reference numeral 703) based at least on the second iodine requirement information and the physical characteristic information; The drug solution injection device is configured to perform the following:

[0122] When there are three or more contrast medium phases, information on a third required iodine amount may be input. This allows good imaging even when imaging different objects (for example, arteries, veins, and solid organs) with different imaging characteristics in each phase. Examples of three phases are not particularly limited, and may include three selected from arteries, veins, portal vein, solid organs, bladder, etc.

[0123] The technical idea of ​​the above-mentioned injection protocol setting is characterized in that a separate "information on the required amount of iodine associated with the subject's physical characteristics" can be used for each contrast agent phase. Therefore, the technology can be expressed as an invention of a method or computer program for setting an injection protocol, without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, since the execution subject is not necessarily limited to a liquid injector, it can also be described as an invention such as an injection protocol setting device. In addition, the technical idea can be used in combination with one or more technical features of other embodiments disclosed in this specification, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0124] The "information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject" may be, for example, the amount of iodine required per body weight and / or the amount of iodine required per body weight per time. With this configuration, it is possible to set an appropriate amount of contrast agent according to the body weight of the subject, etc.

[0125] With respect to the device of S1. above, the control unit has an injection protocol template for creating a series of injection protocols; The above-mentioned device, wherein the injection protocol template includes the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase, and the operator can confirm or change parameters of the injection protocol template to create a final series of injection protocols.

[0126] Although a series of injection protocols can be created by the operator manually inputting each phase, this work is cumbersome, and whether an appropriate protocol is created may depend on the operator's knowledge, skill, etc. Therefore, by preparing a protocol including a plurality of contrast medium phases as a template in this way, the operator can create a desired injection protocol by confirming and changing predetermined parameters of the template (such as, but not limited to, the injection rate, injection amount, information regarding dilution, whether the injection rate is constant or variable, etc.).

[0127] Furthermore, the injection protocol template includes: a first saline phase (referenced 702a) immediately following the first contrast phase; and / or a second saline phase (referenced 704a) immediately following the second contrast phase; The apparatus described above.

[0128] Furthermore, the injection protocol template includes: a parameter for the interval time between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; and a parameter of the time from the end of the first saline phase to the start of the second contrast phase; and allowing an operator to input and / or change the parameters thereof.

[0129] The invention disclosed as S1 above can of course be expressed as a method invention, a computer program invention, etc. Any technical matter disclosed in this specification can also be used in combination with this invention. Conversely, the technical matter described here in relation to S1 may be combined with other embodiments of the present invention described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 100 Chemical injection device 102 Cable 110 Injection Head 120 Case 120a Recess 111 Movable Stand 130 Piston drive mechanism 200 Syringes 221 Cylinder parts 222 Piston parts 225 IC tag 230 Extension tube 300 Imaging device 303a Control section 300b Imaging unit 304 Bed 701, 703 Contrast Phase 702 Interval Phase 702a, 704 Saline phase 720, 820 Graphical User Interface

Claims

1. one or more drive mechanisms for pushing the medicinal liquid in one or more storage containers toward the subject; A control unit having a function of setting an injection protocol of the drug solution; A liquid injection device for injecting at least a contrast medium as the liquid, The control unit A process for setting an injection protocol capable of emphasizing a plurality of imaging targets among blood vessels and organs, the injection protocol including at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the first and second contrast agent phases, the process receiving input of information on the duration of the interval phases, and setting the injection protocol based on the information; a process of issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase falls outside a predetermined range; 4. The method of claim 3, Chemical injection device.

2. The liquid injector according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets the duration of the interval phase to at least 10 seconds.

3. The liquid injector according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit further sets a phase for injecting physiological saline during the interval phase.

4. 4. The liquid injector according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further sets a phase for injecting physiological saline after the second contrast medium phase.

5. The injection rate of the first and / or second contrast agent phase may be (i) a variable rate that increases or decreases over the duration of the injection; or (ii) The velocity is a constant velocity, where the velocity does not change; The drug solution injector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the container is a syringe having a cylinder member and a piston member slidably inserted into the cylinder member, The drive mechanism is a piston drive mechanism that moves the piston member. The drug solution injector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. an injection head configured to hold the syringe and provided with the piston drive mechanism; a console provided with the control unit; The chemical liquid injector according to claim 6 .

8. A data processing device for creating an injection protocol for injecting a medicinal liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, comprising: A process for setting an injection protocol capable of emphasizing a plurality of imaging targets among blood vessels and organs, the injection protocol including at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the first and second contrast agent phases, the process receiving input of information on the duration of the interval phases, and setting the injection protocol based on the information; a process of issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase falls outside a predetermined range; A data processing device configured to:

9. A computer program for creating an injection protocol for injecting a liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, comprising: One or more processors, A process for setting an injection protocol capable of emphasizing a plurality of imaging targets among blood vessels and organs, the injection protocol including at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the first and second contrast agent phases, the process receiving input of information on the duration of the interval phases, and setting the injection protocol based on the information; a process of issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase falls outside a predetermined range; Run the injection protocol setup program.

Images