System, method, and computer program product for associating an injector protocol with an imager protocol

Abstract

Embodiments of a system, method, and computer program product for associating an injector protocol with an imager protocol are disclosed herein. For example, the method includes receiving imager protocol data related to an imager protocol configured such that an imaging system, which includes an imager configured to image a patient, controls imaging of the patient by the imager accordingly; the imaging system communicating with an injection system that includes an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient; receiving, via at least one user interface, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured such that the injection system controls delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector accordingly; and associating, in at least one database, the imager protocol with the injector protocol.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 336,492, filed Apr. 29, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 358,783, filed Jul. 6, 2022, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to medical imaging, and in some non - limiting embodiments or aspects, relates to associating an injector protocol with an imager protocol.

Background Art

[0003] The operation and adjustment of existing imaging devices and fluid delivery systems may be performed in a sequential order and involve interdependencies and manual synchronization efforts that are redundant, often manual entry, of input values such as patient selection, imager acquisition parameters such as computed tomography (CT) tube voltage, patient weight, selection of imager protocol and injector protocol, and contrast agent concentration. Such manual selection and data entry can cause errors in input values, delays in treatment or examination workflows, distraction from clinical tasks, examination quality issues, safety risks, and / or the like. Further, such manual selection and data entry may be considered to do little to fulfill the administrative tasks of radiologic technologists / technicians. Additionally, complexity and time constraints can potentially impact image quality and compliance with the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) radiation safety principle, compromising the degree of personalization of a patient's examination.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Accordingly, improved systems, devices, products, apparatuses, and / or methods are provided for associating an injector protocol with an imager protocol.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] According to some non - limiting embodiments or aspects, a system includes at least one processor coupled to a memory, which receives imager protocol data related to an imager protocol configured to control an imager of an imaging system configured to image a patient, from the imaging system for the treatment of the patient. The imaging system communicates with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, and receives, via at least one user interface, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured to control the delivery of at least one fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient by the injector for the treatment of the patient. The system is provided that includes at least one processor configured to associate the imager protocol with the injector protocol in at least one database.

[0006] In some non - limiting embodiments or aspects, the at least one processor is further configured to determine at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient based on the imager protocol data related to the imager protocol from at least one database, and to provide an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient via at least one user interface.

[0007] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from at least one database based on some previous procedures for which at least one proposed injector protocol was used together with an imager protocol therefor.

[0008] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, imager protocol data related to an imager protocol includes at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following procedure-specific imager parameters, namely, patient name, patient weight, tube current level, tube voltage level, image acquisition sequence, imager protocol identifier, or any combination thereof.

[0009] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one processor is further configured to automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter.

[0010] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol, and automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol is based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter to calculate at least one of the following smart injector protocol parameters: namely, the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the administration rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent, weight-based parameters, patient identifiers, patient body surface area, patient height, patient body mass index (BMI), patient gender, patient cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof.

[0011] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically entering at least one determined value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter into a prompt for at least one procedure-specific injector parameter within at least one user interface.

[0012] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one processor is further configured to receive, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol, and based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters, automatically determine one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters associated with an imager protocol.

[0013] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, automatically determining one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters associated with an imager protocol includes automatically entering the determined one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into a prompt for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface.

[0014] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters associated with an imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol.

[0015] According to some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, a computer-executed method includes receiving, by at least one processor, imager protocol data related to an imager protocol from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient, wherein the imaging system communicates with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, for the treatment of the patient, such that the imaging system controls the imaging of the patient by the imager according to the imager protocol; receiving, by at least one processor, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured such that, for the treatment of the patient, the injection system controls the delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector, via at least one user interface; and associating, by at least one processor in at least one database, the imager protocol with the injector protocol.

[0016] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the method further includes determining, by at least one processor, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient, based on the imager protocol data related to the imager protocol, from at least one database; and providing, by at least one processor, via at least one user interface, an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient.

[0017] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from at least one database based on some previous procedures for which at least one proposed injector protocol was used with an imager protocol therefor.

[0018] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, imager protocol data related to an imager protocol includes at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following procedure-specific imager parameters, namely, patient name, patient weight, tube current level, tube voltage level, image acquisition sequence, imager protocol identifier, or any combination thereof.

[0019] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the method further includes, on at least one processor, automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter.

[0020] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol, and the step of automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol is based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter, and includes calculating at least one smart injector protocol parameter of the following: the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the administration rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent, weight-based parameters, patient identifiers, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's gender, the patient's cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof.

[0021] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the step of automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically entering at least one determined value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter in a prompt for the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter within at least one user interface.

[0022] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the method further includes, on at least one processor, receiving, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol; and, on at least one processor, automatically determining, based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters associated with an imager protocol.

[0023] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the step of automatically determining one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters associated with an imager protocol includes automatically entering the determined one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into a prompt for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface.

[0024] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters associated with an imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol.

[0025] According to some non - limiting embodiments or aspects, a computer program product comprising at least one non - transitory computer - readable medium containing program instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive, from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient, imager protocol data related to an imager protocol according to which the imaging system is configured to control the patient imaging by the imager for patient treatment, the imaging system communicating with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, and, via at least one user interface, receive at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol according to which the injection system is configured to control the delivery of at least one fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient for patient treatment, and associate the imager protocol with the injector protocol in at least one database.

[0026] In some non - limiting embodiments or aspects, the program instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to determine, from at least one database, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in patient treatment based on the imager protocol data related to the imager protocol, and provide an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in patient treatment via at least one user interface.

[0027] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from at least one database based on some previous procedures for which at least one proposed injector protocol was used together with an imager protocol therefor.

[0028] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, imager protocol data related to an imager protocol includes at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following procedure-specific imager parameters, namely, patient name, patient weight, tube current level, tube voltage level, image acquisition sequence, imager protocol identifier, or any combination thereof.

[0029] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, when program instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor is further caused to automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter.

[0030] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol, and automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol is based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter, and includes calculating at least one smart injector protocol parameter of the following: the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the administration rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent, a weight-based parameter, a patient identifier, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's gender, the patient's cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof.

[0031] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically entering at least one determined value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter into a prompt for the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter within at least one user interface.

[0032] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, when program instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor is further caused to receive, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol, and based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters, automatically determine one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol.

[0033] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, automatically determining one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol includes automatically entering the determined one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into a prompt for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface.

[0034] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol.

[0035] Further non-limiting embodiments or aspects are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0036] Clause 1. A system, comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory, the system receiving imager protocol data related to an imager protocol from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient, the imaging system being configured to control the imaging of the patient by the imager accordingly for the treatment of the patient, the imaging system communicating with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, and receiving, via at least one user interface, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured such that the injection system controls the delivery of at least one fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient by the injector accordingly for the treatment of the patient, and comprising at least one processor configured to associate the imager protocol with the injector protocol in at least one database.

[0037] Clause 2. The system of Clause 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine, based on imager protocol data related to the imager protocol from at least one database, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient, and to provide an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient via at least one user interface.

[0038] Clause 3. The system of Clause 1 or 2, wherein the at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from at least one database based on several previous procedures in which the at least one proposed injector protocol was used with the imager protocol.

[0039] Clause 4. The imager protocol data related to the imager protocol includes at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following procedure-specific imager parameters, namely, the patient's name, the patient's weight, the tube current level, the tube voltage level, the image acquisition sequence, the identifier of the imager protocol, or any combination thereof, in the system described in any of Clauses 1 to 3.

[0040] Clause 5. The at least one processor is further configured to automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter, in the system described in any of Clauses 1 to 4.

[0041] Clause 6. The at least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol, and automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to the at least one proposed injector protocol includes calculating at least one smart injector protocol parameter of the following based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter, namely, the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the administration rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the weight-based parameter, the patient identifier, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's gender, the patient's cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof, in the system described in any of Clauses 1 to 5.

[0042] Clause 7. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically entering the determined at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter into a prompt for the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter within at least one user interface.

[0043] Clause 8. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein at least one processor is further configured to receive, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol, and automatically determine one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters.

[0044] Clause 9. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein automatically determining one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol includes automatically entering the determined one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into a prompt for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface.

[0045] Clause 10. The system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol.

[0046] Clause 11. A computer-executed method, comprising: receiving, by at least one processor, from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient, imager protocol data related to an imager protocol configured to control, accordingly, the imaging system to image the patient for the treatment of the patient, wherein the imaging system communicates with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient; receiving, by at least one processor, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured to control, accordingly, the injection system to deliver at least one fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient for the treatment of the patient via at least one user interface; and associating, by at least one processor in at least one database, the imager protocol with the injector protocol.

[0047] Clause 12. The computer-executed method according to Clause 11, further comprising: determining, by at least one processor, from at least one database, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient based on the imager protocol data related to the imager protocol; and providing, by at least one processor via at least one user interface, an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient.

[0048] Clause 13. The computer-executed method according to Clause 11 or 12, wherein at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from at least one database based on several previous procedures in which at least one proposed injector protocol was used with the imager protocol for that purpose.

[0049] Article 14. The imager protocol data related to the imager protocol includes at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following procedure-specific imager parameters, namely, the patient's name, the patient's weight, the tube current level, the tube voltage level, the image acquisition sequence, the identifier of the imager protocol, or any combination thereof, and is a computer-executed method described in any of Articles 11 to 13.

[0050] Article 15. The computer-executed method described in any of Articles 11 to 14 further includes the step of automatically determining, by at least one processor, at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter.

[0051] Article 16. At least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol, and the step of automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol is based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter and includes calculating at least one of the following smart injector protocol parameters, namely, the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the administration rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the weight-based parameter, the patient identifier, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's gender, the patient's cardiac output, the anatomical structure of the patient to be imaged, or any combination thereof, as described in Article 15.

[0052] The step of automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically inputting at least one determined value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter into a prompt for at least one procedure-specific injector parameter within at least one user interface, the computer-executed method according to clause 15 or 16.

[0053] Clause 18. The computer-executed method according to any one of clauses 11 to 17 further includes receiving, by at least one processor, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol, and automatically determining, by at least one processor, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters.

[0054] The step of automatically determining one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol includes automatically inputting the one or more determined values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into a prompt for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface, the computer-executed method according to clause 18.

[0055] Clause 20. The computer-executed method according to any one of clauses 11 to 19, wherein at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters related to an imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol.

[0056] A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive imager protocol data related to an imager protocol from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient, for the treatment of the patient, such that the imaging system is configured to control the imaging of the patient by the imager in accordance therewith; the imaging system communicates with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, and receives, via at least one user interface, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured such that the injection system controls the delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector for the treatment of the patient; and associate the imager protocol with the injector protocol in at least one database.

[0057] Clause 22. The program instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to determine, based on the imager protocol data related to the imager protocol from at least one database, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient, and provide an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient via at least one user interface. The computer program product according to Clause 21.

[0058] Clause 23. At least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from at least one database based on some previous procedures for which at least one proposed injector protocol is to be used together with the imager protocol, a computer program product as described in any of Clauses 21 and 22.

[0059] Clause 24. Imager protocol data related to the imager protocol is a computer program product as described in any of Clauses 21 to 23, including at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following procedure-specific imager parameters, namely, patient name, patient weight, tube current level, tube voltage level, image acquisition sequence, imager protocol identifier, or any combination thereof.

[0060] Clause 25. When executed by at least one processor, the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter, a computer program product as described in any of Clauses 21 to 24.

[0061] Clause 26. At least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol, and automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol is based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter to calculate at least one of the following smart injector protocol parameters: namely, the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent, the administration rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent, weight-based parameters, patient identifiers, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's gender, the patient's cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof. The computer program product according to any one of Clauses 21 to 25 is included.

[0062] Clause 27. Automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with the at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically entering at least one determined value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter into a prompt for the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter within at least one user interface. The computer program product according to any one of Clauses 21 to 26 is included.

[0063] Clause 28. When the program instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor is further caused to receive, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol, and based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters, automatically determine one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol, a computer program product according to any of Clauses 21 to 27.

[0064] Clause 29. Automatically determining one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol includes automatically entering the determined one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into the prompts for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface, a computer program product according to any of Clauses 21 to 28.

[0065] Clause 30. The at least one user interface provides, on the same display, multiple prompts for multiple procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol and multiple prompts for multiple procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol, a computer program product according to any of Clauses 21 to 29.

[0066] These and other features and characteristics of the present disclosure, as well as the methods of operation of the related elements of the structure, functions, and combinations of components and the economics of manufacture, all of which form a part of this specification, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims, which refer to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify corresponding parts throughout the several views. However, it is to be clearly understood that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0067] Additional advantages and details will be more particularly described hereinafter with reference to the illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying schematic drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0068]

Figure 1

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0069] It should be understood that this disclosure can contemplate various alternative variations and step sequences unless explicitly specified otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary and non-limiting embodiments or aspects. Accordingly, the specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments or aspects disclosed herein should not be regarded as limiting.

[0070] As used herein, aspects, components, elements, structures, operations, steps, functions, instructions, and / or the like should not be construed as important or essential unless so explicitly described. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items and can be used interchangeably with “one or more” and “at least one”. Further, as used herein, the term “set” is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related and unrelated items, etc.) and can be used interchangeably with “one or more” or “at least one”. The term “one” or similar language is used when only one item is intended. Also, as used herein, terms such as “has”, “have”, “having”, etc. are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based at least partially on” unless otherwise specified.

[0071] As used herein, the term "communication" can refer to the reception, receipt, transmission, transfer, provision, and / or the like of data (e.g., information, signals, messages, instructions, commands, and / or the like). For one unit (e.g., a device, a system, a component of a device or system, combinations thereof, and / or the like) to communicate with another unit means that one unit can receive information directly or indirectly from the other unit and / or transmit information directly or indirectly to the other unit. This can refer to direct or indirect connections (e.g., direct communication connections, indirect communication connections, and / or the like) that are essentially wired and / or wireless. Further, two units can communicate with each other even if the transmitted information can be modified, processed, relayed, and / or routed between the first unit and the second unit. For example, a first unit can communicate with a second unit even if the first unit receives the information passively and does not actively transmit the information to the second unit. As another example, when at least one intermediate unit processes the information received from the first unit and communicates the processed information to the second unit, the first unit can communicate with the second unit.

[0072] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein can be implemented in different forms of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specific control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limiting of the embodiments. Thus, since the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed based on the description herein to implement the systems and / or methods.

[0073] Several non-limiting embodiments or aspects may be described herein in relation to a threshold. As used herein, meeting a threshold can refer to a value being greater than, exceeding, higher than, at or above, below, less than, lower than, at or below, equal to, etc. the threshold.

[0074] As used herein, the term "computing device" can refer to one or more electronic devices configured to process data. A computing device can, in some examples, include components necessary to receive, process, and output data, such as a processor, a display, memory, an input device, a network interface, and / or the like. A computing device can be a mobile device. As an example, a mobile device can include a cellular phone (e.g., a smartphone or a standard cellular phone), a portable computer, a wearable device (e.g., a watch, glasses, lenses, clothing, and / or the like), a PDA, and / or other similar devices. A computing device can also be a desktop computer or other form of non-mobile computer.

[0075] As used herein, the term "mobile device" can refer to one or more portable electronic devices configured to communicate with one or more networks. By way of example, mobile devices can include cellular phones (e.g., smartphones or standard cell phones), portable computers (e.g., tablet computers, laptop computers, etc.), wearable devices (e.g., watches, glasses, lenses, clothing, and / or the like), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and / or other similar devices. As used herein, the terms "client device" and "user device" refer to any electronic device configured to communicate with one or more servers or remote devices and / or systems. A client device or user device can include mobile devices, network-enabled devices (e.g., network-enabled televisions, refrigerators, thermostats, and / or the like), computers, infusion systems, and / or other devices or systems capable of communicating with a network.

[0076] As used herein, the terms "server" and / or "processor" can refer to, or include, one or more computing devices that are operated by, or facilitate communication and processing for, a number of parties within a network environment such as the Internet, although communication can be facilitated through one or more public or private network environments and various other arrangements are possible. Further, a number of computing devices (e.g., servers, injectors, mobile devices, etc.) that communicate directly or indirectly within a network environment can constitute a "system". References herein to a "server" or "processor" can refer to the servers and / or processors enumerated earlier as performing a previous step or function, different servers and / or processors, and / or combinations of servers and / or processors. For example, as used in this specification and the claims, a first server and / or a first processor enumerated as performing a first step or function can refer to the same or different servers and / or processors enumerated as performing a second step or function.

[0077] As used herein, the term "user interface" or "graphical user interface" refers to a generated display, such as one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs), with which a user can interact directly or indirectly (e.g., via a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, etc.).

[0078] Non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure relate to imager protocol data associated with an imager protocol for controlling, by an imaging system, imaging of a patient with an imager, for treatment of the patient, from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient. The imaging system communicates with an injection system including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, and receives, via at least one user interface, for treatment of the patient, at least one of selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured to control, by the injection system, delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector. In at least one database, the imager protocol can be associated with the injector protocol. In such an example, non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure can determine, from at least one database, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in treatment of the patient based on the imager protocol data associated with the imager protocol, and provide an option to select, program, or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used with the imager protocol in treatment of the patient via at least one user interface.

[0079] In this way, data (e.g., patient selection, patient weight, CT tube voltage, etc.) can be automatically acquired and / or entered only once by a user or operator. Accordingly, non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure can result in a reduction in data errors and an improvement in data consistency, a reduction in user fatigue due to a reduction in distraction from manual tasks enabling more user focus for clinical tasks, an increase in protocol personalization for a patient including automatic consideration and pre-calculation of protocol parameters, an acceleration of the workflow, and / or the like.

[0080] Referring now to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example environment 100 in which the systems, devices, methods, and / or products described herein may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1, the environment 100 may include an imaging system 120 that includes an imager or scanner 122, an injection system 130 that includes an injector 132, and / or a management system 140, and / or a database system 150. For example, the environment 100 may include a hospital, an imaging center, a mobile imaging trailer, an emergency vehicle (e.g., an ambulance), a mobile imaging device (e.g., Hyperfine's Swoop (registered trademark) Portable MR Imaging System (trademark)), a mobile CT device, and / or the like.

[0081] The imaging system 120 including an imager or scanner 122, the injection system 130 including an injector 132, the management system 140, and / or the database system 150 can be interconnected (e.g., establish a connection for communication, etc.) via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of a wired connection and a wireless connection (e.g., via a communication network, etc.). For example, the communication network can include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, the communication network can be a cellular network (e.g., Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, 3rd generation (3G) network, 4th generation (4G) network, 5th generation (5G) network, 6th generation (6G) network, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, etc.), a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Controller Area Network (CAN), a telephone network (e.g., Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, an optical fiber-based network, a cloud computing network, a short-range wireless communication network (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark) network, Near Field Communication (NFC) network, etc.), and / or the like, and / or a combination of these or other types of networks.

[0082] The imaging system 120 can receive data and / or information from the injection system 130, the management system 140, and / or the database system 150 (e.g., via a communication network, etc.), and / or can transmit data and / or information to the injection system 130, the management system 140, and / or the database system 150. For example, the imaging system 120 can include one or more devices such as one or more computers, portable computers (e.g., tablet computers, etc.), mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, wearable devices (such as wristwatches, glasses, lenses, and / or clothing, etc.), PDAs, and / or the like), servers, server clusters, and / or other similar devices. The imaging system 120 can include a user interface 123 of an imager or scanner configured to receive data and / or information from a user or operator and / or provide data and / or information to the user or operator.

[0083] Imaging system 120 can include one or more devices, software, and / or hardware configured to set up an imaging protocol (e.g., scan time, scan sequence, scan energy level, etc.) and acquire non-contrast scans and / or contrast-enhanced scans of a patient. For example, imaging system 120 can include an imager 122 configured to image a patient according to one or more imaging protocols. As an example, imaging system 120 can include a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, a computed tomography (CT) system, a positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET / CT) system, a positron emission tomography / magnetic resonance (PET / MR) system, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system, an ultrasound system, a radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) system, and / or the like. In such examples, imager 122 can include a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner, a computed tomography (CT) scanner, a positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET / CT) scanner, a positron emission tomography / magnetic resonance (PET / MR) scanner, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanner, an ultrasound scanner, a radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) scanner, and / or the like. As an example, imaging system 120 can include the imaging system described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 710,118, filed on December 11, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, imaging system 120 can include the Somatom Go CT system of Siemens Healthineers, the Magnetom Free.Star of Siemens Healthineers, the syngo Virtual Cockpit of Siemens Healthineers, the Signa MR Systems of General Electric, and / or the like.In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the imaging system 120 includes a system for a standardized MRI examination having patient-centered scan workflow conformance, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 458,753, filed August 27, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0084] The injection system 130 can receive data and / or information from the imaging system 120, the management system 140, and / or the database system 150 (e.g., via a communication network, etc.), and / or can transmit data and / or information to the imaging system 120, the management system 140, and / or the database system 150. For example, the injection system 130 can include one or more devices such as computing devices such as one or more computers, portable computers (e.g., tablet computers, etc.), mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, wearable devices (such as watches, glasses, lenses, and / or clothing, etc.), PDAs, and / or the like), servers, server groups, and / or other similar devices.

[0085] The injection system 130 sets up one or more injector protocols and administers to a patient one or more fluids (e.g., saline, contrast agents, etc.) and / or imaging agents (e.g., non-fluid-based imaging agents (CO for angiography 2 CO for angiography 2One or more devices, software, and / or hardware configured to deliver an imaging agent, a xenon imaging agent for hyperpolarized xenon lung imaging using MRI, and / or the like). The injector protocol generally includes one or more steps, each step specifying two of the fluid and / or imaging agent, optionally the fluid concentration and / or imaging agent to be injected, and the flow rate (or administration rate), volume, and duration of that step of the injection (for example, since the injected volume = flow rate × duration, or the integral of the flow rate over the injection duration for a more complex protocol, only two independent variables of these three parameters can exist). Other injection parameters that can be different at different steps or constant at all steps can include at least one of the ratio of the fluids being injected (such as the proportion of contrast in the total fluid flow), pressure limits, flow rate limits, occlusion indicators, or any combination thereof. Some injectors can be configured to have one, some, or all of the time-varying values of the injection parameters. For example, the injection system 130 can include an injector 132 (such as a contrast agent injector, a medical fluid injector, etc.) configured to deliver one or more fluids (such as saline, contrast agent, etc.) to a patient according to one or more injector protocols. As an example, the injection system 130 can be configured to inject, deliver, or administer a contrast solution containing a contrast agent to a patient and, in some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, inject or administer saline or other fluid to the patient before, during, or after administration of the contrast solution. The injection system 130 can include a user interface 133 of the injector configured to receive data and / or information from and / or provide data and / or information to a user or operator.

[0086] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infusion system 130 can include one or more exemplary infusion systems or injectors disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 715,330, filed Nov. 17, 2000, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,537; U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 982,518, filed Oct. 18, 2001, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,216; U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 825,866, filed Apr. 16, 2004, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,619; U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 437,011, filed May 7, 2009, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,456; U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 476,513, filed Jun. 2, 2009, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,147,464; and U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 004,670, filed Dec. 3, 2004, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,540,698, the disclosure of each of the above U.S. patent applications being hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infusion system 130 can include a MEDRAD® Centargo CT Injection System, a MEDRAD® Stellant CT Injection System With Certegra® Workstation, a MEDRAD® Stellant FLEX CT Injection System, a MEDRAD® MRXperion MR Injection System, a MEDRAD® Mark 7 Arterion Injection System, a MEDRAD® Intego PET Infusion System, a MEDRAD® Spectris Solaris EP MR Injection System, and / or the like.

[0087] The management system 140 can receive data and / or information from the imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the database system 150 (e.g., via a communication network, etc.), and / or can transmit data and / or information to the imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the database system 150. For example, the management system 140 can include one or more devices such as computing devices like one or more computers, portable computers (e.g., tablet computers, etc.), mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, wearable devices (such as wristwatches, glasses, lenses, and / or clothing, etc.), PDAs, and / or the like), servers, server groups, and / or other similar devices. As an example, the management system 140 can be implemented by and / or associated with a hospital, an imaging center, a mobile imaging trailer, an emergency vehicle (e.g., an ambulance, etc.), a mobile imaging device (e.g., Hyperfine's Swoop (registered trademark) Portable MR Imaging System (trademark), etc.), a portable or mobile CT device (e.g., Siemens Healthineers SOMATOM (registered trademark) On.site), a radiology information system (RIS), and / or the like. The management system 140 can include a management system user interface 143 configured to receive data and / or information from a user or operator and / or provide data and / or information to the user or operator.

[0088] The database system 150 can receive information and / or data from the imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the management system 140 (e.g., via a communication network, etc.), and / or can transmit information and / or data to the imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the management system 140 (e.g., via a communication network, etc.). For example, the database system 150 can include one or more devices, such as one or more data storage devices and / or one or more processors (e.g., one or more computing devices, one or more server computers, one or more mobile computing devices, etc.) included in one or more computing systems. As an example, the database system 150 can include an electronic medical record (EMR) system, a radiology information system (RIS), a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a hospital information system (HIS), a hospital enterprise information system, an insurance or payment information system, a national health information system, a cross-location network, an imager protocol database, a fixed injector protocol database, a smart injector protocol database, an imaging / injector protocol mapping database, any combination thereof, and / or the like.

[0089] The imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the management system 140 can communicate with one or more data storage devices of a database system 150 that can be local or remote to one or more of the imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the management system 140. The imaging system 120, the injection system 130, and / or the management system 140 can receive data and / or information from one or more data storage devices, store data and / or information in one or more data storage devices, transmit data and / or information to one or more data storage devices, or retrieve data and / or information stored in one or more data storage devices.

[0090] The imager protocol database can store one or more imager protocols including imager protocol parameters configured so that the imaging system 120 controls imaging or scanning of a patient by the imager 122 accordingly. The fixed injector protocol database can store one or more fixed injector protocols including fixed injector protocol parameters configured so that the injection system 130 controls delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to a patient in an injection by the injector 132 accordingly. The smart injector protocol database can store one or more smart injector protocols including smart injector protocol parameters configured so that the injection system 130 controls delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to a patient in an injection by the injector 132 accordingly. The imaging / injector protocol mapping database can include one or more imager protocols mapped or associated with one or more injector protocols (e.g., one or more fixed injector protocols, one or more smart injector protocols, etc.).

[0091] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the imager protocol includes one or more scan or imaging times, one or more scan or imaging sequences, one or more voltage levels (e.g., tube current level, tube voltage level, kVp, etc.), any combination thereof, and / or the like.

[0092] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the fixed injector protocol includes (and / or consists of) the flow rate of at least one fluid to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection (e.g., a fixed flow rate, etc.) and the volume of at least one fluid to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection (e.g., a fixed volume, etc.). For example, the fixed injector protocol can include (and / or consist of) a first fixed flow rate and a first fixed volume of a first fluid to be delivered to the patient at a first stage of the injection and a second fixed flow rate and a second fixed volume of a second fluid to be delivered to the patient at a second stage of the injection.

[0093] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, for example, in the case of CT-based imaging, the smart injector protocol includes an iodine dose / load (IDL)-based protocol or algorithm, or an iodine delivery rate (IDR)-based protocol or algorithm. The smart injector protocol can include the flow rate of at least one fluid to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of a contrast agent or imaging agent (e.g., iodine load in mg, gadolinium dosage in mmol, etc.), the administration rate of a contrast agent or imaging agent (e.g., iodine delivery rate in mg / s, gadolinium delivery rate in mmol / s, etc.), weight-based parameters, patient identifiers, patient body surface area, patient height, patient body mass index (BMI), patient gender, patient cardiac output, the anatomical structure of the patient to be imaged, or any combination thereof. For example, the smart injector protocol can include a protocol for delivering a fluid volume over time, provided that the fluid volume includes at least the volume of a first fluid (e.g., fluid A) such as a contrast agent that can vary over time and can be delivered at a flow rate that can be zero at a specific time, and the volume of a second fluid (e.g., fluid B) such as physiological saline that can also vary over time and can be delivered at a flow rate that can be zero at a specific time. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the smart injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol that includes one or more smart injector protocol parameters described in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2022 / 164831, published on August 4, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0094] The number and arrangement configuration of the devices and systems shown in FIG. 1 are provided as an example. Compared with what is shown in FIG. 1, additional devices and / or systems, fewer devices and / or systems, different devices and / or systems, or devices and / or systems with different arrangement configurations can exist. Further, two or more devices and / or systems shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented within a single device and / or system, or the single device and / or system shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented as a plurality of distributed devices and / or systems. Additionally or alternatively, a set of devices and / or systems of environment 100 (e.g., one or more devices or systems) can perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of devices and / or systems of environment 100.

[0095] Referring now to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example configuration of device 200. Device 200 can correspond to one or more of the devices of imaging system 120, injection system 130, management system 140, and / or database system 150. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more of the devices of imaging system 120, injection system 130, management system 140, and / or database system 150 can include at least one device 200 and / or at least one component of device 200. As shown in FIG. 2, device 200 can include bus 202, processor 204, memory 206, storage component 208, input component 210, output component 212, and communication interface 214.

[0096] Bus 202 can include components that enable communication among the components of device 200. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, processor 204 can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. For example, processor 204 can include a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), etc.), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and / or any processing component that can be programmed to perform functions (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.). Memory 206 can include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic storage device or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, etc.) for storing information and / or instructions for use by processor 204.

[0097] Storage component 208 can store information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 200. For example, storage component 208 can include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a solid state disk, etc.), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive device.

[0098] The input component 210 can include components that enable the device 200 to receive information via user input (such as a touch screen display, keyboard, keypad, mouse, button, switch, microphone, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the input component 210 can include sensors for sensing information (such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) component, accelerometer, gyroscope, actuator, etc.). The output component 212 can include components that provide output information from the device 200 (such as a display, speaker, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.).

[0099] The communication interface 214 can include components such as a transceiver (such as a transceiver, separate receiver and transmitter, etc.) that enable the device 200 to communicate with other devices via a wired connection, wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. The communication interface 214 can enable the device 200 to receive information from and / or provide information to another device. For example, the communication interface 214 can include an Ethernet interface, optical interface, coaxial interface, infrared interface, radio frequency (RF) interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) interface, cellular network interface, and / or the like.

[0100] Device 200 can execute one or more processes described herein. Device 200 can execute these processes based on a processor 204 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc.) that executes software instructions stored by a computer-readable medium such as memory 206 and / or storage component 208. A computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) is defined herein as a non-transitory memory device. A non-transitory memory device includes a memory space disposed within a single physical memory device or a memory space spanning multiple physical memory devices.

[0101] The software instructions may be read into memory 206 and / or storage component 208 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communication interface 214. When executed, the software instructions stored in memory 206 and / or storage component 208 can cause processor 204 to execute one or more processes described herein. Additionally or alternatively, instead of software instructions or in combination with software instructions, a wired circuit may be used to execute one or more processes described herein. Accordingly, the embodiments or aspects described herein are not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0102] Memory 206 and / or storage component 208 can include a data storage device or one or more data structures (e.g., a database, etc.). Device 200 can receive information from the data storage device or one or more data structures within memory 206 and / or storage component 208, store information in the data storage device or one or more data structures, transmit information to the data storage device or one or more data structures, or retrieve information stored in the data storage device or one or more data structures.

[0103] The number and arrangement of the components shown in FIG. 2 are provided as an example. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, device 200 can include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components with a different arrangement configuration compared to those shown in FIG. 2. Additionally or alternatively, one set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 200 can perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 200.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of process 300 for associating an injector protocol and an imager protocol. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more of the steps of process 300 can be performed (e.g., fully, partially, etc.) by injection system 130 (e.g., one or more devices of injection system 130). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more of the steps of process 300 can be performed (e.g., fully, partially, etc.) by a device or group of devices separate from injection system 130 or including injection system 130, such as imaging system 120 (e.g., one or more devices of imaging system 120), management system 140 (e.g., one or more devices of management system 140), and / or database system 150 (e.g., one or more devices of database system 150).

[0105] As shown in FIG. 3, in step 302, process 300 includes receiving imager protocol data associated with an imager protocol configured to control the imager of the imaging system to image a patient accordingly. For example, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can receive, from imaging system 120 including imager 122 configured to image a patient (and / or via at least one user interface (e.g., via user interface 123 of the imager or scanner, via user interface 133 of the injector, via user interface 143 of the management system, and / or via the like, etc.)), imager protocol data associated with an imager protocol configured to control the imaging of the patient by imager 122 of imaging system 120 accordingly for a patient treatment (e.g., a CT examination, etc.). In such an example, imaging system 120 can communicate with injection system 130 including injector 132 configured to deliver fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient (e.g., communicate directly with injection system 130, communicate indirectly with injection system 130 via management system 140, etc.).

[0106] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the imager protocol data associated with the imager protocol includes at least one procedure-specific imager parameter of the following: a patient's name, a patient's weight, a voltage level (e.g., a tube current level, a tube voltage level, a kilovolt peak (kVp), etc.), an identifier of the imager protocol, an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of the patient, or any combination thereof.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 3, in step 304, process 300 includes determining at least one proposed injector protocol to be used with the imager protocol based on imager protocol data related to the imager protocol from at least one database. For example, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can determine at least one proposed injector protocol (e.g., a single proposed injector protocol, multiple proposed injector protocols, etc.) to be used with the imager protocol in a patient's treatment based on imager protocol data related to the imager protocol from at least one database (e.g., from database system 150, from an imaging / injector protocol mapping database, etc.). As an example, database system 150 can include an imaging / injector protocol mapping database that includes one or more imager protocols that are mapped or associated with one or more injector protocols (e.g., one or more fixed injector protocols, one or more smart injector protocols, etc.). In such an example, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can determine at least one proposed injector protocol from one or more injector protocols that are mapped or associated with the imager protocol associated with or identified by the imager protocol data.

[0108] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol can include each of one or more injector protocols that are mapped or associated with the imager protocol associated with or identified by the imager protocol data (e.g., multiple proposed injector protocols, etc.).

[0109] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined based on at least one database and based on some previous procedures for which at least one proposed injector protocol was used together with an imager protocol. For example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can rank a plurality of injector protocols that are mapped or associated with an imager protocol in an imager / injector protocol mapping database according to some previous procedures for which each injection protocol was used together with an imager protocol. As an example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can determine at least one proposed injector protocol as a single highest-ranked or lowest-ranked injector protocol, or as part of a plurality of injector protocols that meet a threshold number of uses by the imager protocol.

[0110] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) determines at least one proposed injector protocol based on machine learning techniques (e.g., pattern recognition techniques, data mining techniques, heuristic techniques, supervised learning techniques, unsupervised learning techniques, etc.). For example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can generate a model (e.g., an estimator, a classifier, a prediction model, etc.) based on a machine learning algorithm (e.g., a decision tree algorithm, a gradient-boosted decision tree algorithm, a neural network algorithm, a convolutional neural network algorithm, etc.). In such an example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can use the model to determine at least one proposed injector protocol.

[0111] The injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can generate a model based on training data including imager protocol data related to multiple imager protocols and / or injector protocol data related to multiple injector protocols. For example, the model can be designed to receive, as input, imager parameters related to an imager protocol, procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol, injector parameters related to an injector protocol, procedure-specific injector parameters related to the injector protocol, some previous procedures for which each injector protocol was used with each imager protocol, and / or the like, and provide, as output, at least one proposed injector protocol. As an example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can analyze the training data using machine learning techniques to generate a model (e.g., a prediction model, a classification model, a recommendation model, etc.). Machine learning techniques can include, for example, supervised techniques and / or unsupervised techniques such as decision trees (e.g., gradient-boosted decision trees), logistic regression, artificial neural networks (e.g., convolutional neural networks), Bayesian statistics, learning automata, hidden Markov modeling, linear classifiers, quadratic classifiers, association rule learning, and / or the like. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can generate or train a model using machine learning techniques to optimize an objective function or a loss function (e.g., an objective function or a loss function that depends on, for example, one or more labels for the output and / or input of the model). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can save the trained model (e.g., save the trained model for later use).In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) stores the trained model in a data structure (e.g., a database, a linked list, a tree, etc.). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the data structure is located within the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) or is located external to the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) (e.g., far away from this system).

[0112] As shown in FIG. 3, at step 306, process 300 includes providing an option to select, program, and / or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed for use with an imager protocol in a patient's treatment via at least one user interface. For example, the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can provide an option to select, program, and / or modify at least one proposed injector protocol proposed for use with an imager protocol in a patient's treatment via at least one user interface (e.g., via the user interface 123 of the imager or scanner, via the user interface 133 of the injector, via the user interface 143 of the management system, etc.).

[0113] Referring also to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 shows a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of a user interface 400 for associating an injector protocol with an imager protocol, and the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can display, on the same display (e.g., on the user interface 123 of the imager or scanner, on the user interface 133 of the injector, on the user interface 143 of the management system, etc.), a plurality of prompts or cells 455 for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol (e.g., a prompt or cell for the patient's name, a prompt or cell for the scanner protocol name, a prompt or cell for the patient's weight, a prompt or cell for the scanner kV level, etc.) and a plurality of prompts or cells 460 for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters related to at least one proposed injector protocol (e.g., a prompt or cell for the patient's name, a prompt or cell for the scanner protocol name, a prompt or cell for the patient's weight, a prompt or cell for the scanner kV level, a prompt or cell for the contrast brand name, a prompt or cell for the fluid and / or imaging agent volume, a prompt or cell for the contrast concentration, a prompt or cell for the contrast lot number, a prompt or cell for the contrast expiration date, etc.).

[0114] As further shown in FIG. 4, a user interface 400 for associating an injector protocol and an imager protocol can include an activation / deactivation button 465. As will be described in more detail herein, a user or operator can, via the activation / deactivation button 465, automatically associate / dissociate an imager protocol with at least one proposed injector protocol (or an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user, etc.) with the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120), and / or can instruct to automatically input / remove the corresponding prompt or cell. The user interface 400 for associating an injector protocol and an imager protocol can include a smart protocol button 470. A user or operator can, via the smart protocol button 470, instruct the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) to automatically display additional information and / or data related to the smart protocol (such as a plurality of prompts or cells 471 for a plurality of smart protocol parameters that can be input by the user or operator and / or can be automatically determined by the smart protocol). The user interface 400 for associating an injector protocol and an imager protocol can include a treatment or examination start button 475. A user or operator can, via the treatment or examination start button 475, instruct the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) to control the imager 122 and / or the injector 132 to start a treatment or examination for a patient (e.g., to start imaging the patient, to start delivering a fluid and / or an imaging agent to the patient, etc.).A user interface 400 for associating an injector protocol and an imager protocol can include a first visit patient button 480, and a user or operator can, via the first visit patient button 480, instruct the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) to automatically erase or re-initialize all parameters and / or values related to the imager protocol and / or the injector protocol (e.g., set them to invalid or 0, etc.). The user interface 400 for associating an injector protocol and an imager protocol can include an auto-documentation button 485, and a user or operator can, via the auto-documentation button 485, instruct the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) to automatically save and / or record in a document all parameters and / or values related to the imager protocol and / or the injector protocol in relation to the patient and the procedure.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 3, at step 308, process 300 includes automatically determining at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter. For example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter.

[0116] Referring also to FIG. 4, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically input imaging data (e.g., at least one value such as at least one procedure-specific imager parameter) and / or information or data retrieved from the database system 150 based on the imaging data (e.g., the patient's weight determined from the patient database within the database system 150 based on the name of the patient known from the imaging data) into a prompt or cell 455 for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol.

[0117] The injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter based on imaging data, information or data related to at least one proposed injector protocol (such as an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user), information or data retrieved from the database system 150 based on the imaging data and / or at least one proposed injector protocol (such as an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user), and / or information or data calculated using one or more algorithms (such as one or more smart protocol algorithms) based on information or data related to the imaging data, at least one proposed injector protocol (such as an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user), and / or information or data retrieved from the database system 150. The injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically input the determined at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter into a prompt or cell 460 for at least one procedure-specific injector parameter.

[0118] For example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically assign the patient's name, the patient's weight, the imager protocol name, and / or the voltage level associated with the imager protocol to corresponding procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol (or an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user, etc.). As an example, as shown in FIG. 4, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically enter, in the user interface, the patient's name, the patient's weight, the imager protocol name, and the voltage level associated with the imager protocol into a prompt or cell 460 for the corresponding procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol (or an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user, etc.).

[0119] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, at least one proposed injector protocol (such as, for example, an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by a user) includes a smart injector protocol. For example, the injection system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter associated with at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of at least one imager parameter specific to the procedure (and / or based on imager data, information or data associated with at least one proposed injector protocol (such as, for example, an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by a user), and / or information or data retrieved from the database system 150) by calculating at least one smart injector protocol parameter, namely, the flow rate (or dosing rate) of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the volume of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the injection, the dosage of the contrast agent or imaging agent (such as, for example, iodine load in mg, gadolinium dosage in mmol, etc.), the dosing rate of the contrast agent or imaging agent (such as, for example, iodine delivery rate in mg / s, gadolinium delivery rate in mmol / s, etc.), weight-based parameters, patient identifier, patient body surface area, patient height, patient body mass index (BMI), patient gender, patient cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged (such as, for example, liver, heart, brain, etc.), or any combination thereof.In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) is configured to calculate at least one smart injector protocol parameter according to one or more of the equations or algorithms described in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2022 / 164831, published on August 4, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, based on at least one value of at least one procedure-specific imager parameter (and / or based on imager data, information or data related to at least one proposed injector protocol (such as an injector protocol selected, programmed, and / or modified by the user), and / or information or data retrieved from the database system 150).

[0120] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) receives, via at least one user interface, one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol, and automatically determines one or more values of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters associated with the imager protocol based on the one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters. For example, the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically enter the determined one or more values of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters into a prompt or cell for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters within at least one user interface. As an example, a user or operator can select, program, and / or modify one or more values of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters associated with at least one proposed injector protocol (such as after receiving and / or entering into the user interface based on imager data), and the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically update the values of any procedure-specific imager parameters affected by the selection, programming, and / or modification of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters. For example, if a user or operator changes the name of a patient associated with at least one proposed injector protocol, the infusion system 130 (and / or the management system 140 and / or the imaging system 120) can automatically update the name of the patient associated with the imager protocol to the changed name.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 3, in step 310, process 300 includes receiving, via at least one user interface, at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol for a patient's treatment. For example, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) is configured, via at least one user interface (e.g., via user interface 123 of an imager or scanner, via user interface 133 of an injector, via user interface 143 of a management system, etc.), to control, in accordance therewith, the delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to a patient by injector 132 for a patient's treatment, and can receive at least one of a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol (e.g., of at least one proposed injector protocol, of an injector protocol different from at least one proposed injector protocol, of a non-proposed injector protocol, etc.). As an example, a user or operator can select, program, and / or modify an injection system 130 and / or any injector protocol available in database system 150 to be used with an imager protocol for a patient's treatment.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 3, in step 312, process 300 includes associating an imager protocol with an injector protocol in at least one database. For example, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can associate an imager protocol with an injector protocol in at least one database (e.g., in database system 150, in an imaging / injector protocol mapping database, etc.). As an example, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can store an imager protocol and / or its identifier in at least one database in relation to an injector protocol and / or its identifier.

[0123] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, also referring to FIG. 4, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can associate (or disassociate) an imager protocol with an injector protocol in at least one database in response to activation / deactivation of an activation / deactivation button 465 within at least one user interface. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, injection system 130 (and / or management system 140 and / or imaging system 120) can associate an imaging protocol with an injection protocol in at least one database in response to starting, executing, and / or completing a patient treatment with an imager protocol and an injector protocol. For example, imaging system 120 can control imaging of a patient by imager 122 according to an imager protocol, and injection system 130 can control delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by injector 132 according to an injector protocol.

[0124] In this way, a library of related protocols can be built over time by the normal use of the imaging system 120 and the injection system 130 for patient treatment. The related protocols may be maintained for a particular pair of scanner and injector and / or may be shared among multiple pairs of scanners and injectors. Thus, non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure can continuously build and refine a library or database of mappings or associations between imager protocols and injector protocols by tracking statistics related to the injector protocols used for a given scanner protocol, thereby increasing the likelihood of correct pre-selection or proposal of injector protocols for the user or operator. In such an example, an administrator can review the library or database of mappings or associations and manually generate or modify the mappings or associations.

[0125] Although embodiments or aspects have been described in detail for purposes of illustration and explanation, such details are for those purposes only, and embodiments or aspects are not limited to the disclosed embodiments or aspects. On the contrary, it is to be understood that they are for the purpose of covering modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment or aspect can be combined with one or more features of other embodiments or aspects. In fact, any of these features can be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or not disclosed herein. Each of the dependent claims listed below may directly depend on only one claim, but the disclosure of possible embodiments includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

Description of the Reference Numerals

[0126] 100 Environment 120 Imaging System 122 Imager or Scanner 123 User Interface of Imager or Scanner 130 Injection System 132 Injector 133 User Interface of Injector 140 Management System 143 User Interface of Management System 150 Database System 200 Device 202 Bus 204 Processor 206 Memory 208 Storage Component 210 Input Component 212 Output Component 214 Communication Interface 300 Process 400 User Interface 455 Prompt or Cell 460 Prompt or Cell 465 Activation / Deactivation Button 470 Smart Protocol Button 471 Prompt or Cell 475 Treatment or Inspection Start Button 480 First Visit Patient Button 485 Automatic Documentation Button

Claims

1. It is a system, At least one processor coupled to memory, The imaging system includes an imager configured to image a patient, and receives imager protocol data related to an imager protocol configured to control the imaging of the patient by the imager for the treatment of the patient, and the imaging system communicates with an injector including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient, The system receives, via at least one user interface, a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured to control the delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector for the treatment of the patient, In at least one database, the imager protocol is associated with the injector protocol, From the at least one database, based on the imager protocol data relating to the imager protocol, at least one proposed injector protocol is determined which is proposed to be used in conjunction with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient, and the at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from the at least one database, across a plurality of imager-injector pairs, including imager-injector pairs comprising the imager of the imaging system and the injector of the injection system, based on several previous procedures in which the at least one proposed injector protocol was used for that purpose in conjunction with the imager protocol. The at least one user interface provides the option to select, program, or modify the at least one proposed injector protocol proposed for use in conjunction with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient. at least one processor configured as follows A system that includes these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the imager protocol data related to the imager protocol includes at least one of the following procedure-specific imager parameters: namely, the patient's name, the patient's weight, tube current level, tube voltage level, image acquisition sequence, the identifier of the imager protocol, or any combination thereof.

3. The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the value of at least one of the at least one procedure-specific imager parameters, the value of at least one of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameters related to the at least one proposed injector protocol is automatically determined. The system according to claim 2, further configured as follows.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol that includes an iodine dose / load (IDL) based protocol or algorithm, or an iodine delivery rate (IDR) based protocol or algorithm, and the automatic determination of the at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter relating to the at least one proposed injector protocol includes calculating at least one smart injector protocol parameter from the following, based on the at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific imager parameter: namely, the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of infusion, the volume of the at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at the at least one stage of infusion, the dose of contrast agent or imaging agent, the dose rate of contrast agent or imaging agent, a weight-based parameter, a patient identifier, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's sex, the patient's cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein automatically determining the at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter relating to the at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically inputting the determined at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter to a prompt for the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter in the at least one user interface.

6. The aforementioned at least one processor is The system receives one or more values ​​of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters related to the at least one proposed injector protocol via the user interface described above. Based on the one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters, the system automatically determines one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol. The system according to claim 3, further configured as follows.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein automatically determining the one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol includes automatically inputting the determined one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters to prompts for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters in at least one user interface.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters relating to the imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters relating to the at least one proposed injector protocol.

9. A computer execution method, A step of receiving imager protocol data relating to an imager protocol, which is configured to control the imaging of the patient by the imager, from an imaging system including an imager configured to image a patient, wherein the imaging system communicates with an injector including an injector configured to deliver a fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient. The steps include receiving, via at least one user interface, on at least one processor, at least one selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured to control the delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector for the treatment of the patient, The steps include: associating the imager protocol with the injector protocol in at least one database and at least one processor; A step of determining from the at least one database, based on the imager protocol data relating to the imager protocol, at least one proposed injector protocol proposed to be used in conjunction with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient, wherein the at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from the at least one database, across a plurality of imager-injector pairs, including imager-injector pairs comprising the imager of the imaging system and the injector of the injection system, based on several previous procedures in which the at least one proposed injector protocol was used for that purpose in conjunction with the imager protocol, The steps include: providing the at least one processor with the option to select, program, or modify the at least one proposed injector protocol proposed for use with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient via the at least one user interface; A computer execution method, including...

10. A computer program product comprising at least one non-temporary computer-readable medium containing program instructions, wherein, when the program instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor receives The imaging system, which includes an imager configured to image a patient, receives imager protocol data related to an imager protocol, which is configured to control the imaging of the patient by the imager accordingly, for the treatment of the patient, and the imaging system communicates with an injector, which includes an injector configured to deliver fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient, The system receives, via at least one user interface, a selection, programming, modification, or any combination thereof of an injector protocol configured to control the delivery of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to the patient by the injector for the treatment of the patient. In at least one database, the imager protocol is associated with the injector protocol, From the at least one database, based on the imager protocol data relating to the imager protocol, determine at least one proposed injector protocol proposed for use with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient, and the at least one proposed injector protocol is further determined from the at least one database, across a plurality of imager-injector pairs, including imager-injector pairs comprising the imager of the imaging system and the injector of the injection system, based on several previous procedures in which the at least one proposed injector protocol was used for that purpose in conjunction with the imager protocol. A computer program product that, via the at least one user interface, provides the option to select, program, or modify the at least one proposed injector protocol proposed for use in conjunction with the imager protocol in the treatment of the patient.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the imager protocol data relating to the imager protocol includes at least one of the following procedure-specific imager parameters: name of the patient, name of the patient, name of the patient, name of the tube current level, name of the tube voltage level, name of the image acquisition sequence, name of the imager protocol identifier, or any combination thereof.

12. When the program instruction is executed by the at least one processor, the at least one processor further: The computer program product according to claim 11, which causes the computer program product to automatically determine at least one value of at least one procedure-specific injector parameter related to at least one proposed injector protocol based on at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific imager parameter.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the at least one proposed injector protocol includes a smart injector protocol that includes an iodine dose / load (IDL) based protocol or algorithm, or an iodine delivery rate (IDR) based protocol or algorithm, and the automatic determination of the at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter relating to the at least one proposed injector protocol includes calculating at least one smart injector protocol parameter from the following, based on the at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific imager parameter: namely, the flow rate of at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at at least one stage of the infusion, the volume of the at least one fluid and / or imaging agent to be delivered to the patient at the at least one stage of the infusion, the dose of contrast agent or imaging agent, the dose rate of contrast agent or imaging agent, a weight-based parameter, a patient identifier, the patient's body surface area, the patient's height, the patient's body mass index (BMI), the patient's sex, the patient's cardiac output, the patient's anatomical structure to be imaged, or any combination thereof.

14. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein automatically determining the at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter relating to the at least one proposed injector protocol includes automatically inputting the determined at least one value of the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter at a prompt for the at least one procedure-specific injector parameter in the at least one user interface.

15. When the program instruction is executed by the at least one processor, the at least one processor further: The user interface receives one or more values ​​of one or more procedure-specific injector parameters related to the at least one proposed injector protocol, The computer program product according to claim 12, which automatically determines one or more values ​​of one or more procedure-specific imager parameters related to the imager protocol based on one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific injector parameters.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein automatically determining the one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters relating to the imager protocol includes automatically inputting the determined one or more values ​​of the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters to prompts for the one or more procedure-specific imager parameters in at least one user interface.

17. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the at least one user interface provides, on the same display, a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific imager parameters relating to the imager protocol and a plurality of prompts for a plurality of procedure-specific injector parameters relating to the at least one proposed injector protocol.

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