Fluid Injector Reservoir Vacuum Bubble Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid injector systems face challenges in effectively removing air bubbles from fluid reservoirs, which can lead to air embolisms, imaging artifacts, and inaccurate fluid delivery during medical procedures, as existing methods do not determine the necessary actuator displacement for creating a vacuum to dislodge air bubbles prior to purge protocols.
Innovation Solution
A fluid injector system with an actuator configured to change the internal volume of a fluid reservoir, driven by a processor to partially fill the reservoir, generate a partial vacuum, dislodge and coalesce air bubbles, and expel them, while also considering surface tension, texture, and buoyancy to determine the required vacuum and adjust pressure accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional purge protocols are used to remove air bubbles from fluid reservoirs, then some air removal is achieved, but air bubbles adhering to interior surfaces remain, causing air embolisms and imaging artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by determining the specific actuator displacement required to create a vacuum sufficient to dislodge air bubbles before executing the purge protocol. This preliminary calculation ensures that when the purge is performed, the vacuum force will be adequate to overcome surface tension and buoyancy forces holding bubbles to the reservoir interior surfaces, thereby preventing air embolisms and imaging artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical parameters by calculating and applying a specific vacuum pressure (through controlled actuator displacement) to counteract surface tension and buoyancy forces. By adjusting the vacuum pressure parameter to a sufficient level, the system overcomes the forces that cause air bubbles to adhere to the reservoir interior, enabling complete air bubble removal and eliminating harmful effects.
2Ease of operation
If existing purge methods are applied without determining necessary actuator displacement, then the purge protocol can be executed, but insufficient vacuum pressure fails to dislodge adhered air bubbles
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by using a processor to calculate the specific actuator displacement needed to generate sufficient vacuum pressure. This feedback mechanism ensures that the purge protocol uses the precise amount of vacuum force required to dislodge air bubbles, rather than using arbitrary or insufficient vacuum levels, thereby achieving both ease of operation and high dislodgement effectiveness.
3Productivity
If air bubbles are present in the fluid injector system, then fluid can be delivered, but transient fluid dynamics occur causing inaccurate fluid delivery amounts
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary air bubble removal through vacuum generation before fluid delivery begins. By removing air bubbles in advance, the system eliminates the source of transient fluid dynamics that would cause inaccurate delivery amounts, ensuring both productivity and measurement precision during the actual fluid delivery process.
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
This approach ensures efficient removal of air bubbles, preventing air embolisms and improving the accuracy and perception of fluid delivery in medical procedures by effectively addressing the challenges of air bubble presence in fluid injector systems.
Implementation Method 1
drive the actuator to generate an at least partial vacuum within the internal volume to dislodge one or more gas bubbles adhered to the at least one interior surface
Implementation Method 2
drive the actuator to pressurize the coalesced bubble
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A fluid injector system includes at least one fluid reservoir having at least one interior surface and defining an internal volume, at least one actuator configured to change the internal volume of the at least one fluid reservoir, and at least one processor. The at least one processor may be programmed or configured to drive the actuator to at least partially fill the at least one fluid reservoir with a fluid from a fluid source, drive the actuator to generate a least a partial vacuum within the internal volume to dislodge one or more gas bubbles adhered to the at least one interior surface and to cause the one or more gas bubbles to coalesce into a coalesced bubble, and drive the actuator to expel the coalesced bubble from an outlet of the at least one fluid reservoir.