Angiographic injector system with multiple processor redundancy

Abstract

An angiographic injector system and a method of controllably delivering medical fluid to a patient from an angiographic injector system are disclosed. A multiple processor control system is used to actively control the injection process and to monitor sensed functions of the system. The multiple processors provide dual redundancy safety circuits for critical control functions such as syringe motor drive speed and current. A motor/servo-amplifier nested control function is also disclosed. A unique method and apparatus are disclosed for establishing injection parameter default values just prior to an injection procedure that are based on physiological values of the patient to be treated. The injector system uses an interactive display panel that presents sequenced set-up screens to the user and which enables the user to select injection procedures, parameters and other modes of operation directly through the interactive panel.

1 . A method of controllably delivering medical fluid from an angiographic injection apparatus to a patient, comprising: a. providing the angiographic injection apparatus with a fluid delivery mechanism for injecting the medical fluid into a patient; and b. controlling the medical fluid injection from the fluid delivery mechanism with at least two computers operatively connected with said fluid delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including the steps of: monitoring key operative functions of said delivery mechanism with said computers; and controlling said medical fluid injection in response to said monitoring; wherein more than one of said computers can effect control of the injection. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said computers is a PC-type computer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said computers is an embedded core type computer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said computers is an embedded core type computer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , including the step of providing independent dual redundancy control of key operative functions of said delivery mechanism by separate ones of said at least two computers. 
     
     
         7 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A control system for use in combination with an angiographic injection system of the type having a syringe apparatus for discharging a medical fluid into a patient, a syringe control network operatively connected to the syringe apparatus for causing said syringe apparatus to controllably discharge said fluid; comprising: at least two computers of a type having independent intelligence processing capability, operatively connected to said syringe control network for monitoring operation of said syringe apparatus and said syringe control network for independently providing control signals to said syringe control network. 
     
     
         24 . The control system of  claim 23 , wherein a first of said computers is an embedded core type computer. 
     
     
         25 . The control system of  claim 24 , wherein a second of said computers is a PC type computer. 
     
     
         26 . The control system of  claim 25 , wherein said syringe control network includes a first dual redundancy safety circuit operatively connected to provided monitored signals to both said PC type and said embedded core type computers for preventing discharge of said fluid from said syringe apparatus above a predetermined delivery rate. 
     
     
         27 . The control system of  claim 25 , wherein said syringe control network includes a second dual redundancy safety circuit operatively connected to provide monitored signals to both said PC type and said embedded core type computers for preventing delivery of said fluid from said syringe apparatus above a predetermined volume. 
     
     
         28 . A method for injection of medical fluid into a patient, comprising the steps of: a. providing an angiographic injection machine; b. entering at least one patient value into the machine prior to an injection; c. calculating within the machine at least one injection parameter in response to said entered patient value; and d. displaying said calculated injection parameter to a user of the machine prior to the injection. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further including the step of entering said calculated injection parameter into the machine as a default value for said injection parameter, usable by the machine in performing an injection. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , including the step of performing an injection with the machine, using said entered injection parameter. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of entering said calculated injection parameter is performed automatically after the parameter has been calculated. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said patient value is weight. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said injection parameter is injection flow rate of said medical fluid. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said injection parameter is volume of said medical fluid. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said injection parameter is rise time of injection flow rate of said medical fluid. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said injection parameter is a pressure limit of said medical fluid. 
     
     
         37 - 57 . (canceled)