Chemical liquid injector and injection protocol setting program

Abstract

To provide a chemical injection device for setting an injection protocol capable of emphasizing different kinds of blood vessels at the same timing while giving a contrast difference in a region of interest.SOLUTION: The control unit of the chemical liquid injector includes a process of acquiring information on a required amount of iodine associated with a physical feature of a subject, a process of acquiring information on a body weight of the subject, a process of calculating a contrast agent amount to be injected based on component information of the contrast agent and the information on the required amount of iodine and the body weight, and a process of setting an injection protocol capable of simultaneously enhancing arteries and veins. And processing for receiving input of information on d3: injection time of the second contrast medium phase, receiving input of information on d4: duration of the interval phase, and setting an injection protocol on the basis of the information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

[0003] Tomographic imaging using contrast medium injection is performed in various procedures. In recent years, it has also become common to check the state of blood vessels before surgery, for example, using a three-dimensional model. For example, surgical simulations are sometimes performed on the lungs or liver to ensure smooth segmental resection. In such surgical simulations, it is generally desirable to be able to distinguish between arteries and veins. To achieve this, a procedure has been proposed in which imaging is performed twice, with different time phases for the arterial and venous phases (see, for example, Patent Document 1, which is not a procedure itself, but is a technology that focuses on the different time phases between the arterial and venous phases and enables classification of the respective data). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-131421 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0006] As described above, there is a method for imaging arteries and veins by capturing images at the arterial phase and the venous phase (two-time imaging), but with this method, the venous phase imaging is performed a little later than the arterial phase imaging, so the arteries and veins may not be imaged in the correct positional relationship due to body movement, breathing, or organ movement.This is because although it is assumed that an arterial image captured at a predetermined time in the arterial phase (time t1) and a venous image captured at a predetermined time in the venous phase (time t2) are combined, these images are not captured at the same time, and if the position of the blood vessel moves between time t1 and time t2, the correct positional relationship cannot be maintained.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0018] An extension tube 230 is connected to the conduit portion 221b of each syringe 200. The extension tube 230 may be a so-called T-shaped tube or Y-shaped tube. In this example, the extension tube 230 has a tube 231a extending from the conduit portion 221b of one syringe 200C to the branching portion, a tube 231b extending from the conduit portion 221b of the other syringe 200P to the branching portion, and a tube 231c extending from the branching portion toward the subject. An injection needle (not shown) is connected to the tip side of the tube 231c. The injection needle is inserted into the subject's blood vessel, and the medicinal liquid in the syringe 200C and / or syringe 200P is pushed out, thereby injecting the medicinal liquid into the blood vessel. The mixing device disclosed in International Publication No. 2011-125303 (WO2011 / 125303) may be used as the extension tube 230. This mixing device has the function of mixing the respective chemical solutions flowing from the two flow paths by using a swirling flow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0028] In addition to the above configuration, a different system for discharging the liquid medicine may be used instead of the piston drive mechanism. For example, a drive mechanism such as a tube pump may be used, which uses a roller or the like to compress a tube connected to a liquid medicine container to discharge the liquid medicine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0035] The history generating unit 155d corresponds to a function for generating injection history data. Examples of the "injection history data" include an injection job ID, which is identification information unique to each injection job, the date and time of the start and end of injection, identification information for the liquid injector, and identification information for the liquid medicine and the imaging site, which are the aforementioned injection conditions. These may also be text data. Alternatively, the data may be image data of a time-varying graph, with one of the horizontal and vertical axes representing elapsed time and the other representing the injection pressure or injection rate. The injection history data may include information about the liquid medicine or syringe obtained from an IC tag on the syringe, manually entered by the operator, or entered from an external network, etc.

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

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

[0038] The storage unit 154 may store, for example, data on images and graphical user interfaces to be displayed on the display unit 151. It may also store algorithms including formulas for setting injection conditions and data on injection protocols. The injection rate may be constant or may vary over time.

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

[0040] [Imaging device] Imaging device 300 may be, for example, an X-ray CT scanner, and may include, as shown in Fig. 3, an imaging unit 303b that captures a fluoroscopic image of the subject, a bed 304 on which the subject rests, and a control unit 303a that controls the operations of these components. A display device (e.g., a display) (not shown) may also be provided, and various information may be displayed on this display device. As a specific example, information related to the injection of the liquid injector (such as information on the set injection conditions and information on the injection results when the injection is actually performed) may be displayed on the display device.

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

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

[0043] Once the input of parameters is complete, the operator presses a predetermined button on the screen (e.g., a confirmation button). To create an injection protocol, the operator follows the image for creating an injection protocol displayed on the screen, for example, (i) selecting one of several basic patterns prepared in advance and confirming or changing its contents as necessary, or (ii) creating an arbitrary injection protocol by plotting several reference points on the injection graph displayed on the screen.

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

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

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

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

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

[0049] In the example of FIG. 5, the interval phase 702 further includes a phase 702a in which saline is injected. The interval phase 702 may be a completely injection-free phase without such saline injection. When saline is injected, it is preferable to use an injection rate of 2.0 to 8.0 ml / sec for an injection time of 5 to 10 seconds (total injection volume of, for example, approximately 30 ml). This injection rate may be the same as the injection rate of the first contrast agent phase 701, for example. A portion or all of the interval phase 702 may be an injection of saline. Alternatively, a slow injection of saline (which may be less than 2.0 ml / sec) for the purpose of securing a drug route may be performed in a portion or all of the interval phase 702. Such a slow injection may be performed in the injection of saline in phase 704 described below or in other cases of saline injection.

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

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

[0052] In the injection protocol of Figure 5, the injection rates of each phase do not necessarily have to be the same, and may be different. In particular, the contrast agent phases 701 and 703 are not limited to a constant injection rate, but may be variable, decreasing (or increasing) over time. A more specific condition for the variable rate is the "variable constant" (the value obtained by dividing the injection rate at the end of the phase by the injection rate at the start. For example, if the rate decreases over time from 3.0 ml / sec to 1.5 ml / sec, the variable constant is 0.5). However, the variable constant may be greater than or equal to 0.3 and less than 1.0, or greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than 1.0.

[0053] The speed may be increased or decreased linearly or in a stepwise manner. Specifically, for example, a plurality of speeds may be set within one phase (e.g., 3.0 ml / sec → 2.5 ml / sec → 2.0 ml / sec → 1.5 ml / sec) to change to a predetermined speed.

[0054] As an example, if the injection rate is changed from a "constant rate" to a "variable rate (decelerating over time)" without changing the amount of contrast agent injected in the first contrast agent phase 701, the following contrast effect can be obtained. That is, in the case of such variable injection, a large amount of contrast agent is injected relatively early after the start of injection compared to a constant rate injection. As a result, the shape of the first peak of the "artery" in the time density curve (TDC: Time Density Curve in FIG. 7) is brought forward (the peak appears earlier). The fact that a sufficient amount of contrast agent is supplied into the blood vessels in this way means that the contrast agent can then be successfully delivered to the peripheral side of the blood vessels, and can also be expected to have the effect of increasing the CT value of the veins and parenchymal organs overall.

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

[0056] [Enhancement effect of arterial and venous separation protocol] The injection protocol in Figure 5 can produce the contrast effect shown in Figure 7. The contrast agent injected through the subject's blood vessels flows through the systemic circulation (macrocirculation) through the heart, aorta, arteries, and capillaries, then circulates to the veins, vena cava, and heart. With regard to the liver, venous blood that has passed through the intestines and other organs flows into the liver via the portal vein. Due to this systemic circulation, the contrast agent that has passed through the arteries reaches the liver first, and then, after a certain time has passed (when the contrast agent has circulated through the intestines and other organs and flowed in via the portal vein), the contrast agent that has passed through the portal vein reaches the liver.

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

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

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

[0060] The timing when the CT value of the artery shows the second peak (time t a In the image, the CT value of the artery is at least 300 HU, and the CT value of the vein is at least 100 HU, so both are sufficiently enhanced. Therefore, a single imaging session at this timing allows for excellent contrast-enhanced images of both blood vessels to be obtained. In other words, the method of this embodiment does not involve imaging once during the arterial phase and again during the venous phase. Instead, both blood vessels are imaged simultaneously, allowing for accurate positional relationships between the artery and vein. Furthermore, while the CT values ​​of both blood vessels are enhanced by the contrast agent, there is a sufficient difference between the CT values ​​of the artery and vein (approximately 200 HU in this example). Therefore, the density difference between the artery and vein can be obtained in the acquired tomographic image, enabling excellent separation and visualization of the two blood vessels, for example, when creating a three-dimensional image. While the above example illustrates an artery and a vein, the present invention can also be applied to the separate visualization of first and second blood vessels, which have different arrival times for the contrast agent. Furthermore, the present invention is useful for separating and extracting not only blood vessels but also solid organs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0070] This setting may also be similar to the above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface) through which the operator inputs information, and the console accepts the input and sets a predetermined ratio, or (b) the setting may be made without direct input by the operator; for example, the corresponding value may be automatically set when a body part and / or imaging region is selected.

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

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

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

[0074] This setting may also be similar to the above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface) through which the operator inputs information, and the console accepts the input and sets a predetermined value, or (b) the setting may be made without direct input by the operator; for example, when a body part and / or an imaging region is selected, the corresponding value may be automatically set.

[0075] In particular, in the injection protocol of this embodiment, it is important to provide a sufficient time between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase in order to obtain a time density curve such as that shown in FIG. 7 while preventing the injection of more contrast agent than necessary. Therefore, in one embodiment, the console 150 preferably has data on a lower limit of the interval time, compares the input time with the lower limit, and sets the time so that it does not fall below, for example, 15 seconds (for example, a configuration may be configured to issue a predetermined alert if the input time falls below the lower limit). Similarly, it is also preferable that the console 150 has data on a predetermined upper limit, compares the input time with the upper limit, and sets the time so that it does not exceed, for example, 30 seconds (for example, a configuration may be configured to issue a predetermined alert if the input time exceeds the upper limit). This configuration makes it possible to set the interval time within an appropriate range, such as not falling below 15 seconds, thereby obtaining a time density curve useful for arteriovenous separation and extraction, such as that shown in FIG. 7. If the interval time is too short, the first and second peaks of the time density curve may not be sufficiently separated (in other words, the contrast effect of the first contrast agent phase may remain and affect the second peak), which may make it unsuitable for separate depiction of each blood vessel.

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

[0077] [An example of a graphical user interface] Although not limited to this embodiment, a graphical user interface 720 as shown in FIG. 8 may be used.

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

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

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

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

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

[0083]

number

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

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

[0086]

number

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

[0088] Depending on the patient's symptoms, imaging may be performed at a lower tube voltage to reduce the patient's exposure to radiation during imaging. In such cases, the injection protocol can be set taking into account the tube voltage value. Setting of the injection protocol taking into account the tube voltage can be performed at a stage where all data required for setting the injection protocol have been entered but the injection protocol has not yet been finalized.

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

[0090] Below, we will explain an example of setting an injection protocol when the reduction rate of the contrast agent is predetermined according to the tube voltage value. For example, assume that the ratio of contrast agent to saline is determined according to the tube voltage value as shown in the following table. Of course, instead of using a table, the correspondence between the tube voltage value and the increase / decrease rate may be determined using a predetermined formula or algorithm.

[0091] [Table 1]

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

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

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

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

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

[0097] (b1) The above describes a liquid injector in which the injection head and console are separate components, as shown in Figure 1. However, a liquid injector in which the injection head and console are integrated into one device, in other words, a single device capable of setting the injection protocol, displaying various statuses during liquid injection, and controlling the operation of the piston drive mechanism, may also be used. (b2) In the above, the control unit 155 has the function of creating an injection protocol, and the control unit 144 has the function of controlling the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130, but it is possible to change as appropriate which control unit has what function. (b3) If injection of saline is not required, a single-cylinder injection head may be used instead of a two-cylinder type. (b4) In the above example, the console 150 of the liquid injector 100 creates the injection protocol. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. Another information processing device (e.g., a portable tablet terminal, a workstation connected to a network, a computer provided as part of an imaging device, etc.) may also create the injection protocol. Another information processing device may create the injection protocol using the method of the present invention, and the injection protocol may be transferred to the liquid injector, thereby performing the desired liquid injection according to the injection protocol. With regard to the transfer of the injection protocol and other data, (i) data may be exchanged between a predetermined device and the liquid injector via a network, or (ii) data may be exchanged by connecting a portable information storage medium (which may be in any form, such as a stick or card) to a slot (interface) of a predetermined device in the liquid injector, rather than via a network.

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

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

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

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

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

[0103] The second row (see icons 822 and 822') and the third row (see icon 823) from the top of Fig. 9 are for inputting information used to determine the conditions for the interval phase. In this example, the injection volume of saline (e.g., 20 mL) is input via icon 822. Furthermore, the time for which the liquid medicine injection is temporarily stopped after the injection of saline (e.g., 10 seconds) is input via icon 823.

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

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

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

[0107] 9, when a contrast agent is injected in a plurality of phases, and a different amount of iodine per body weight (for example) can be set for each phase, there is an advantage that different objects with different contrast characteristics can be well imaged. Also, different methods of deriving the liquid conditions for a given phase and other phases may be used (for example, calculations may be performed based on the amount of iodine per body weight and body weight in one phase, and calculations may be performed based on body surface area in another phase).

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

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

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

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

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

[0113] 5. The liquid medicine injector according to the above, wherein the control unit (155) further sets a phase (704) for injecting physiological saline after the second contrast agent phase.

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

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

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

[0117] 9. A data processing device for creating an injection protocol when injecting a medicinal liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, A: A process for obtaining information on the iodine requirement associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process for acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on information on the components of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the subject's physical characteristics, and the weight information; D: A process of setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the phases, and that can simultaneously highlight a first blood vessel and a second blood vessel that are imaging targets, d1: Accepting input of information on the ratio (70:30) of the calculated amount of contrast agent to be allocated to the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Accept input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accept input of information on the duration of the interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on the information; 10. A data processing device configured to:

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

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

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

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

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

[0123] One of the features of the above-described technical concept of injection protocol setting is that it utilizes separate "information on the required iodine amount associated with the subject's physical characteristics" for each contrast agent phase. Therefore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, this technology can be expressed as an invention of a method or computer program for setting an injection protocol. Furthermore, since the execution entity is not necessarily limited to a liquid injector, it can also be described as an invention such as an injection protocol setting device. Furthermore, this technical concept can be combined with one or more technical features of other embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

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

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

[0126] Although a series of injection protocols can be created by an operator manually inputting each phase, this work is cumbersome, and whether an appropriate protocol is created may depend on the operator's knowledge, proficiency, etc. Therefore, by providing a protocol template containing multiple contrast agent phases in this way, the operator can create a desired injection protocol by checking and changing certain parameters of the template (for example, but not limited to, the injection rate, injection amount, information regarding dilution, whether the injection rate is constant or variable, etc.).

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

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

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

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

Claims

1. one or more drive mechanisms for pushing the medicinal liquids in the one or more storage containers toward the subject; a control unit having a function of setting an injection protocol for the drug solution; A liquid medicine injector that injects at least a contrast agent as the liquid medicine, The control unit A: A process for obtaining information on the required iodine amount associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process of acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on information on the components of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and information on the subject's weight; D: A process of setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the phases, and that can simultaneously highlight arteries and veins that are imaging targets, d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of allocation of the calculated amount of contrast agent between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on the information; configured to: Chemical injection device.

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

3. The liquid injector according to claim 1 , wherein the required amount of iodine associated with the subject's physical characteristics is a required amount of iodine per unit of body weight.

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

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

6. The injection rate of the first and / or second contrast agent phases may be: (i) a variable rate that increases or decreases over the duration of the injection; or (ii) The velocity is constant and does not change. The chemical liquid injector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the container is a syringe in which a piston member is slidably inserted into a cylinder member, the drive mechanism is a piston drive mechanism that moves the piston member; The chemical liquid injector according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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

9. A data processing device for creating an injection protocol when injecting a medicinal liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, comprising: A: A process for obtaining information on the required iodine amount associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process of acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on information on the components of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and information on the subject's weight; D: A process for setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the phases, and that can simultaneously highlight a first blood vessel and a second blood vessel that are imaging targets, d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of allocation of the calculated amount of contrast agent between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on the information; 10. A data processing device configured to:

10. A computer program for creating an injection protocol for injecting a medicinal liquid containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, the computer program comprising: one or more processors, A: A process for obtaining information on the required iodine amount associated with the subject's physical characteristics; B: A process of acquiring information on the subject's weight; C: A process of calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected based on information on the components of the contrast agent, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and information on the subject's weight; D: A process for setting an injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase for injecting a contrast agent, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between the phases, and that can simultaneously highlight a first blood vessel and a second blood vessel that are imaging targets, d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of allocation of the calculated amount of contrast agent between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase; d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase; d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase; d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase; setting an injection protocol based on the information; Run the injection protocol setup program.

Images