Reservoir for collection and reuse of diverted medium

Abstract

A system allows for collection and re-use of a fluid medium derived from diverting at least some of the fluid medium of an injection. The system comprises a sterile container, an injector, a delivery catheter, a flow diverter assembly and a diversion reservoir assembly. The delivery catheter is in communication with a selected site within a patient's body. The flow diverter assembly is disposed in a flow path between the injector and the delivery catheter and is configured to divert at least a portion of a medium of the injection from the flow path. The diversion reservoir assembly has a reservoir chamber fluidly coupled to the flow diverter assembly. The reservoir chamber is configured to receive the diverted portion of the fluid medium to allow re-use by the medium injector of the diverted portion.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 storing a fluid medium in a sterile container;   at least partially filling an injector with a volume of the fluid medium from the sterile container;   forcing the fluid medium from the injector during an injection, wherein:
 a first portion of the fluid medium from the injector is directed to a delivery catheter configured to be in communication with a selected site within a patient's body; 
 a second diverted portion of the fluid medium from the injector is directed by a first valve of a flow diverter assembly in a one-way direction to a diversion reservoir, the flow diverter assembly disposed in a fluid medium flow path between the injector and the delivery catheter; and 
 the diversion reservoir is fluidly coupled to the sterile container, 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the diversion reservoir comprises a force element, wherein during filling of the injector, the force element is configured to preferentially fill the injector with the second diverted portion of the fluid medium within the diversion reservoir prior to the injector receiving fluid medium from the sterile container. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising moving a surface of the force element in a linear direction relative to the second diverted portion of the fluid medium within the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising elastically contracting a surface of the force element against the second diverted portion of the fluid medium within the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the diversion reservoir comprises an elastic bladder, and wherein the surface of the force element is defined by a wall of the elastic bladder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising limiting expansion of the elastic bladder with an outer shell configured to cover the elastic bladder. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising visually observing the expansion through the outer shell. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  comprising preventing the second diverted portion of the fluid medium from flowing to the sterile container from the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein preventing the second diverted portion of the fluid medium from flowing to the sterile container comprises using a check valve on a conduit connecting the sterile container and the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the conduit is in fluid communication with the diversion reservoir via one or more apertures through a portion of the conduit that resides within the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13  comprising using a second valve to selectively open and close a conduit disposed between the injector and the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13  wherein at least partially filling the injector with the volume of the fluid medium from the sterile container comprises pulling the volume through the diversion reservoir. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the first portion of the fluid medium is directed to the selected site within the patient's body, and wherein the first portion of the fluid medium is sufficient to achieve opacity of the selected site during a diagnostic treatment. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising measuring an amount of the second diverted portion of the fluid medium. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising expanding a chamber of the diversion reservoir by fluid pressure of the second diverted portion of the fluid medium. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first valve opens in response to a pressure level of the second diverted portion of the fluid medium flowing through the flow diverter assembly rising above a threshold pressure.