Fluid Injector Pre-Pressurization for Stable Multi-Fluid Ratios
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid injector systems struggle with unintended deviations from the desired ratio of a first fluid to a second fluid during multi-phase injection protocols, leading to non-diagnostic or reduced-quality medical imaging results.
Innovation Solution
A fluid injector system with a control device that includes processors to actuate drive components for precise control of fluid pressures and ratios, ensuring a steady-state ratio is reached by adjusting the actuation of drive components and valves during phase transitions, and implementing pressure and flow rate adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-phase injection protocol is used to deliver multiple fluids, then the versatility of the injection system is improved, but the ratio precision between first fluid and second fluid deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-pressurizes the second fluid during the first phase before the second phase begins. This preliminary action ensures that when the second phase starts, the second fluid is already pressurized and ready for immediate injection, eliminating pressure imbalances that would otherwise cause ratio deviations. The controller actuates the second drive component during the first phase to build pressure in the second fluid reservoir before transitioning to simultaneous injection in the second phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses flow sensors to monitor the actual flow rates of both fluids in real-time and feeds this information back to the controller. The controller continuously adjusts the drive component actuation based on this feedback to maintain the desired ratio. This closed-loop control compensates for pressure variations, viscosity differences, and other factors that could affect fluid delivery accuracy during multi-phase injection.
2Productivity
If the second phase injection begins immediately after the first phase, then the productivity is improved, but the ratio stability between fluids deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary pressurization of the second fluid during the first phase, preparing it for immediate injection in the second phase. This pre-preparation eliminates the need for gradual pressure buildup during the second phase, allowing immediate transition while maintaining stable fluid delivery ratios from the start of the second phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the actuation of drive components based on the injection phase. During the first phase, the second drive component is actuated to pressurize fluid. During the second phase, both drive components are actuated with coordinated speeds to maintain the desired ratio. The controller modifies drive component speeds and pressures in real-time to maintain stability during the rapid phase transition, ensuring high productivity without compromising ratio stability.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressure of second fluid is increased relative to first fluid before phase transition, then the ratio performance in second phase is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing drive components and control system are utilized for multiple functions: the second drive component both pressurizes the second fluid during the first phase and controls injection during the second phase. The same controller manages both phases and both drive components, eliminating the need for separate dedicated pressurization mechanisms. This multi-functional approach improves ratio performance while minimizing additional device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (pressure, flow rate, actuation speed) of the existing drive components based on the injection phase. During the first phase, the second drive component operates at a higher speed to pressurize fluid. During the second phase, both components operate at coordinated speeds to maintain the desired ratio. These parameter changes are managed by the existing controller through programmed sequences, improving ratio performance without requiring additional hardware complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a quicker and more accurate steady-state ratio of fluids, reducing the likelihood of overly concentrated or diluted doses, thereby enhancing the quality of medical imaging outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a first drive component configured to pressurize and inject a first fluid from a first fluid reservoir through a fluid conduit, a second drive component configured to pressurize and inject a second fluid from a second fluid reservoir through the fluid conduit
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid injector system includes a control device operatively associated with a first drive component configured to pressurize and inject a first fluid and a second drive component configured to pressurize and inject a second fluid. The control device includes at least one processor programmed or configured to: during a first phase of a multi-phase injection protocol, actuate at least the first drive component to inject the first fluid; during the first phase of the multi-phase injection protocol and prior to transitioning to a second phase of the multi-phase injection protocol, actuate the second drive component to pressurize the second fluid relative to a pressure of the first fluid; and during the second phase of the multi-phase injection protocol, actuate the second drive component to inject at least the second fluid so that a desired steady-state ratio of the first fluid and the second fluid in the second phase is reached.