APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING AT LEAST ONE INJECTION PARAMETER FOR A CONTRAST AGENT INJECTOR FOR COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING AND METHOD USING SAME

Abstract

The disclosure concerns an apparatus for generating at least one injection parameter for a contrast agent injector. The apparatus includes a first data interface for receiving patient data and a second data interface for connection to a contrast agent injector. The apparatus also includes a data processing unit for generating at least one injection parameter in dependence on patient data received by way of the first data interface and for outputting the injection parameter at the second data interface. The disclosure further concerns a system comprising such an apparatus as well as a method therewith.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating at least one injection parameter for a contrast agent injector, the apparatus comprising: a first data interface configured to receive patient data; a second data interface configured to connect to a contrast agent injector; and a data processing unit configured to generate at least one injection parameter in dependence on patient data received by way of the first data interface and to output the injection parameter at the second data interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first data interface is adapted to be connected to one or more measuring devices.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first data interface is configured to be connected to a patient database to retrieve or receive further patient data, wherein the further patient data includes previous illnesses, diagnoses, sex, height, weight, age and/or body mass index values.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first data interface and the second data interface includes a wireless interface with a proprietary protocol.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one injection parameter includes a value for at least one of: an amount of contrast agent, an injection time, injection period, a flow rate, and a flow profile of a contrast agent.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a third data interface configured to receive data from a computer tomography scanner and to assess the received data, wherein the received data includes image data, wherein the third data interface is configured to send control signals to the computer tomography scanner, to cause an imaging scan.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second data interface or a fourth data interface is configured to receive data that includes implemented injection parameters, from the contrast agent injector.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the data processing unit is configured, in dependence on data received by a data interface chosen among the first data interface, the second data interface, and a third data interface to adapt the generation of the at least one injection parameter by machine learning means.

9. A system comprising: the apparatus according to claim 1; and a measuring device configured to be connected to the apparatus by way of the first data interface, and configured to detect physiological parameters, wherein the physiological parameters include a pulse rate and/or blood pressure.

10. The system according to claim 9 further comprising a contrast agent injector connected by way of the second data interface.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the measuring device is at least one device chosen among: a wrist pulse rate measuring device, an ankle pulse rate measuring device, a blood pressure measuring device for pulse rate, a blood pressure measurement at for a wrist and/or ankle, a thermometer, a body thermometer, a body temperature probe, an oximeter, and a pulse oximeter.

12. A method of generating an image recorded with a computer tomography scanner, the method comprising: detecting patient data by way of a first data interface; generating an injection parameter for a contrast agent injector with a data processing unit in dependence on the patient data; and outputting the injection parameter at a second data interface.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising at least one step chosen among: actuating a contrast agent injector with the output injection parameter or a modified generated injection parameter; actuating data from a computer tomography scanner; and receiving data from the computer tomography scanner.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the data received from the computer tomography scanner includes a computer tomography scanning image, the method further comprising assessing the computer tomography scanning image using image processing software, and storing at least the assessment with the implemented injection parameter.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the generating the injection parameter comprises generating the injection parameter in dependence on the patient data and in dependence on at least one previously stored assessment.

16. The method according to claim 12 wherein the generated injection parameter is represented by the contrast agent injector on a display and the generated injection parameter can be modified by way of a user interface.

17. The method according to claim 12 wherein detecting the patient data includes retrieving physiological parameters from a measuring device and transmitting the physiological parameters from the measuring device to the apparatus.

18. The method according to claim 12 wherein detecting the patient data includes accessing a patient database and retrieving further patient data.

19. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the one or more measuring devices are configured to detect physiological parameters and the patient data, wherein the patient data includes pulse rate and blood pressure measurement values.

20. The method according to claim 14 wherein storing at least the assessment with the implemented injection parameter comprises storing at least the assessment with the implemented injection parameter in a patient database or a documentation system through a network or an internet connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Further configurations will be apparent from the embodiments by way of example which are described in greater detail with reference to the Figures.

[0041] In the Figures:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the apparatus according to the disclosure,

[0043] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a system with the apparatus, and

[0044] FIG. 3 shows steps in the method according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 10 for generating at least one injection parameter for a contrast agent injector according to a first embodiment. The apparatus 10 includes a first data interface 12 and a second data interface 14. The first data interface 12 is adapted to receive patient data 16 and the second data interface 14 is adapted to be connected to a contrast agent injector. The second data interface 14 is also adapted to output at least one injection parameter 18 to a connected contrast agent injector. An injection parameter 18 includes for example an injection time and/or an injection period as well as an amount of contrast agent and/or a flow rate of a contrast agent and/or a flow profile.

[0046] The apparatus 10 further includes a data processing unit 20 adapted to generate at least one injection parameter 18 in dependence on the patient data 16 received by way of the first data interface 12.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows the apparatus 10 for generating at least one injection parameter 18 within a system 22 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Besides the apparatus 10 the system includes a measuring device for detecting physiological parameters 24, which here is a pulse rate and/or blood pressure measuring device and outputs patient data 16, more specifically physiological parameters 16a, more specifically here pulse rate and/or blood pressure measurement values, and feeds same to the first data interface 12 of the apparatus.

[0048] In addition there is a patient database 26 also connected to the apparatus 10 by way of the first data interface 12 so that further patient data 16b like for example previous illnesses, diagnoses, sex, height, weight, age and/or body mass index can be output. The patient data 16, more specifically including currently measured patient data like the physiological parameters 16a, as well as the further patient data 16b, are then passed to a data processing unit 20 and with the data processing unit 20 at least one injection parameter 18 for a contrast agent injector 28 is generated and output by way of the second data interface 14.

[0049] In this arrangement the contrast agent injector 28 includes a contrast agent injector actuating means 30 as well as a contrast agent injection unit 32. The contrast agent injector actuating means 30 is preferably adapted to optically represent the injection parameters 18 with a display 34 and also has input means 36 with which the injection parameters 18 can be modified or adapted. In addition the contrast agent injector 28 is adapted on the basis of the generated injection parameters 18 or the adapted generated injection parameters to actuate the contrast agent injection unit 32. The injection parameters 37 used in that actuating means 30, in accordance with this preferred embodiment, are made available to the apparatus 10 by way of the second data interface 14.

[0050] In addition the apparatus 10 includes a third data interface 38 to which a computer tomography scanner 40 is connected. The computer tomography scanner 40 also includes a computer tomography scanner actuating means 42 as well as a computer tomography scanning unit 44. The third data interface 38 is adapted to control the computer tomography scanner 40 or at least supply moments in time for the implementation of a scan. In addition the third data interface 38 is adapted to receive data 39, in particular including an image from the computer tomography scanner 40, with picture data.

[0051] The apparatus 10 is further connected by way of a further data interface 46 which is preferably connected to a network or an Internet connection to a database 48 in which the received images as well as the injection parameters 37 implemented are stored together with an assessment effected by the data processing unit 20. Data from that database 48 can also be received by way of the further data interface 46 in order to optimize the generation of injection parameters 18 with the data processing unit 20 by machine learning.

[0052] In addition the apparatus 10 includes input means (not shown) in order to predetermine a region of interest, for which a computer tomography scan is wanted.

[0053] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the method according to the disclosure.

[0054] In a first step 50 patient data 16 of a selected patient are loaded or retrieved from a patient database 26 into the apparatus 10 by way of a first data interface 12.

[0055] In a step 52 a region for which the computer tomography scan is to be carried out is predetermined for the apparatus 10. Such a region is for example a part of the body or an organ of a patient. Presetting of the region of interest is effected for example by retrieval by a computer tomography scanner control means 42 or by input means connected to the apparatus.

[0056] In a step 54 current physiological parameters 16a like for example pulse rate and/or blood pressure measurement values are then received from a measuring device 24 and injection parameters 18 are determined in dependence on all received data in the step 56. Those injection parameters 18 are fed to a contrast agent injector 28 in a step 58. The contrast agent injector 28 represents the injection parameters 18 on a display 34 in a step 60 and in a step 62 waits until manual input is effected in order to adapt the injection parameters 18 or confirm same. Thereupon in a step 64 the apparatus 10 waits until an imaging scan has been carried out with the computer tomography scanner 40 and receives the image from the computer tomography scanner 40. That image is assessed in a step 66 and stored together with the injection parameters 18 used received from the contrast agent injector 28 in the database 48 in a step 68.

[0057] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.