Medical Fluid Injection Device Automatic Pressurizing Unit Replenishment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical fluid injection devices often require manual intervention to replenish fluid in pressurizing units during procedures, leading to interruptions and inefficiencies, as they lack automated mechanisms to detect and refill fluid levels accurately without knowing the exact amount needed for a procedure.
Innovation Solution
The medical fluid injection device automatically replenishes pressurizing units, such as syringes, by using operational state information to determine when a refill is necessary, allowing for continuous operation without user intervention, even if the exact fluid amount for the procedure is unknown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual intervention is used to replenish fluid in pressurizing units, then the device can maintain operation, but procedural interruptions and inefficiencies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pressurizing unit automatically monitors its own fluid level and initiates replenishment when needed, without requiring manual intervention from the operator. The system self-detects low fluid conditions and self-corrects by triggering the replenishment mechanism, enabling continuous operation and eliminating procedural interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors fluid level information and uses this feedback to automatically trigger replenishment operations. The feedback loop detects when fluid levels are low and initiates the appropriate replenishment action, maintaining optimal fluid levels without manual intervention and improving procedural efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the device requires knowing the exact fluid amount for a procedure, then replenishment can be precisely controlled, but operation is halted until user input is received
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of fluid levels continuously during the procedure and is prepared to initiate replenishment immediately when low fluid conditions are detected. This preliminary detection and preparedness eliminates the need to halt operation for user input, as the system is already positioned to act automatically when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The device autonomously determines when replenishment is needed based on its own operational state and fluid level monitoring, without requiring user knowledge of the exact fluid amount required. The system self-manages the timing and initiation of replenishment, maintaining continuous operation and improving ease of use.
3Productivity
If automated fluid replenishment is implemented, then procedural continuity is maintained, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressurizing unit incorporates self-monitoring and self-triggering capabilities that automatically detect low fluid levels and initiate replenishment without requiring complex external control systems. This self-service approach maintains procedural continuity while minimizing the added system complexity by using integrated, autonomous functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses straightforward feedback from fluid level sensors to trigger replenishment operations, creating a simple control loop that maintains operational efficiency without requiring complex decision-making algorithms or user intervention. The feedback mechanism directly translates fluid level information into automated replenishment actions.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, this disclosure relates to techniques for automatically supplying a pressurizing unit (e.g., syringe) that is used with a powered medical fluid injection device with fluid. An example method performed by the medical fluid injection device includes obtaining operational state information of the medical fluid injection device, wherein the operational state information includes information other than a fluid delivery amount for a subsequent injection procedure. The example method further includes using the operational state information to determine whether the powered medical fluid injection device permits a fluid replenishment operation for the pressurizing unit. If the fluid replenishment operation is permitted, the method further includes automatically supplying the pressurizing unit with an amount of medical fluid. If the device includes multiple pressurizing units, the device may initiate an automatic fluid replenishment procedure for one or more of the pressurizing units during operation.