Power Injector Drip Mode for Vein Patency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power injectors in medical settings face challenges in maintaining fluid pathways open during suspended injection protocols, leading to potential clogging and inefficiencies in delivering contrast media and saline fluids.
Innovation Solution
A power injector system with a motorized syringe plunger driver and control logic that includes a drip mode injection protocol, which is activated upon suspension of the primary injection protocol, ensuring continuous fluid flow at a low rate to keep the vein open, preventing clogging and maintaining pathway integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the injection protocol is suspended to perform other tasks, then operational flexibility is improved, but the fluid pathway may close and cause clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically initiates a drip mode injection protocol when the primary injection protocol is suspended, performing a preliminary protective action to maintain fluid pathway patency before potential clogging can occur. This preliminary action ensures the vein remains open during operator tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The drip mode injection protocol provides continuous low-rate fluid delivery even when the primary injection is suspended, maintaining the useful action of keeping the fluid pathway open. This continuous action prevents the pathway from closing while allowing operational flexibility.
2Reliability
If a drip mode injection protocol is added to maintain fluid pathway open, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power injector control logic is designed to perform multiple functions: executing the primary injection protocol, detecting suspension conditions, and automatically initiating the drip mode injection protocol. This multi-functionality is achieved through integrated control logic that manages both protocols without requiring separate dedicated devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The control logic automatically detects when the primary injection protocol is suspended and self-initiates the drip mode injection protocol without requiring manual operator intervention. This self-service capability reduces the need for additional control elements while maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If contrast media and saline are alternately injected, then injection effectiveness is improved, but the risk of pathway clogging increases when suspension occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The drip mode injection protocol applies a preliminary anti-action by continuously delivering fluid at a low rate to prevent clogging before it can occur during suspension. This counteracts the harmful effect of pathway closure that would otherwise result from alternating contrast media and saline injections when the protocol is suspended.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for power injectors incorporating a keep vein open functionality that is operable when an injection protocol (112) is suspended. The injector includes control logic (110) configured to include the injection protocol (112), and a separate drip mode injection protocol (114) executable only during a suspension of the injection protocol (112). In one embodiment, the drip mode injection protocol (114) is automatically or manually initiated immediately after and in response to the suspension of the injection protocol (112). In another embodiment, the drip mode injection protocol (114) is automatically initiated after a predetermined delay from start of the suspension of the injection protocol (112). The configuration parameters for the drip mode injection protocol (114) may be programmable prior to the initiation of an injection procedure, immediately prior to the execution of the drip mode injection protocol (114), or hard-coded into the injector.