Automatic liquid injection system and method
AssigneeBracco Research S.A.
InventorsMichel Schneider, Christophe Golay, Laurent Jacob, Jean Brochot, Feng Yan, Christian Mathieu
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Abstract
A power assisted method and injector device for controllably delivering to patients a dispersion medicament or diagnostically active agent, the homogeneity of which is preserved throughout delivery. Diagnostically active agents disclosed are gas microbubble suspensions useful in ultrasonic diagnostic imaging and liposomal formulations in which liposome vesicles are loaded with iodinated compounds.
Claims38
A method of administering to patients by injection or infusion a suspension of microparticles homogeneously distributed in an aqueous liquid carrier by means of an injector system comprising a syringe containing said suspension and a power driven piston for injecting said suspension into a patient, characterised by subjecting the suspension in the syringe to a rotation or rocking motion, thereby maintaining said suspension homogeneous by preventing segregation of the microparticles by gravity or buoyancy, this being without damaging said particles or disturbing their distribution.
The method of anyone of preceding claims, in which said motion is alternating rotation the direction of which is reversed every 30°, 60°, 90°, 180°, 270° or 360°.
The method of anyone of preceding claims, in which said motion is carried out stepwise.
An injector system for administering to patients by injection or infusion a suspension or microparticles in an aqueous liquid carrier, said system comprising a syringe (22) whose barrel (25) contains said suspension, and automatic electromechanical power means (24, 31, 34) controllably acting on the syringe to inject the suspension into a patient, characterised in that said injector system further comprises means (30a, 30b) for agitating said microparticles in said suspension, said agitation keeping said suspension homogenous by preventing segregation of said particles by gravity or buoyancy without damaging said particles or disturbing their distribution.
21 The injector system of claim 20, in which said security means operate by monitoring the force applied to the syringe during injection, a sudden increase of that force producing a signal for stopping the injector operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.