Method and system for delivering contrast agent
OwnerKarl Q. Schwarz, Xucai Cheninventors
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Abstract
A contrast effect measuring unit 104 measures the contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in a patient 110. The control unit 106 determines a desired contrast agent infusion rate, based on the contrast effect measured by the contrast effect measuring unit 104 and programmed contrast effect parameters. The control unit 106 controls an infusion unit 102 to infuse the patient 110 with the determined infusion rate. An ultrasound imaging unit 108 performs an ultrasound imaging test on the patient 110. This process is continued through the course of the ultrasound imaging test, to maintain a steady contrast effect and a steady signal enhancement level for the patient 110.
Claims25
A system for controlling delivery of a contrast agent for ultrasound imaging, the system comprising:
- a contrast effect measuring unit configured to measure a contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in the blood or an organ of a patient;
- a control unit configured to determine a contrast agent infusion rate based on the measured contrast effect;
- and
- an infusion unit configured to infuse the patient with the ultrasound contrast agent at the determined contrast agent infusion rate.
A method of determining the infusion rate for delivery of a contrast agent for, ultrasound imaging, the method comprising:
- measuring a contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in the blood or an organ of a patient;
- and
- automatically determining an infusion rate of the ultrasound contrast agent based on the measured contrast effect.
A system for controlling the delivery of contrast agent for ultrasound imaging, the system comprising:
- a programming interface configured to accept input of one or more desired contrast effect parameters and one or more infusion rate adjustment parameters;
- a measuring unit configured to measure a contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in a patient during at least part of a duration of an ultrasound imaging test on the patient;
- a control unit configured to receive information regarding the measured contrast effect from the measuring unit, to make a comparison between the measured contrast effect and the desired contrast effect parameters, to generate an infusion rate based on the comparison, and to send information regarding the infusion rate to an infusion unit, wherein the infusion unit is configured to receive the information regarding the infusion rate and to infuse a contrast agent into the patient at the infusion rate.
A system for controlling the delivery of contrast agent for ultrasound imaging, the system comprising:
- a programming interface configured to program one or more desired contrast effect parameters and to program one or more infusion rate parameters;
- a measuring unit configured to continuously measure contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in a patient during at least a partial duration of performing an ultrasound imaging test on the patient;
- a control unit configured to receive the measured contrast effect from the measuring unit, to compare the measured contrast effect with the programmed contrast effect parameters, to select an infusion rate parameter based on the comparison, and to send the selected infusion rate parameter to an infusion unit, wherein the infusion unit is configured to receive the selected infusion rate parameter and to infuse the patient according to the received infusion rate parameter.
A system for controlling the delivery of contrast agent for ultrasound imaging, the system comprising:
- a measuring means for measuring contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in a patient and producing signals representing the measured contrast effect;
- a controlling means for determining a contrast agent infusion rate based on the produced signals and based on one or more programmed parameters;
- and
- an infusing means for infusing the patient with the ultrasound contrast agent at the determined infusion rate.
A system for controlling the delivery of contrast agent for ultrasound imaging, the system comprising:
- a programming interface configured to receive one or more programmed parameters and configured to display the programmed parameters;
- a signal processing unit configured to receive an ultrasound or Doppler signal representing a contrast effect of an ultrasound contrast agent in a patient and configured to process the received signal;
- and
- a computing unit configured to determine a contrast agent infusion rate based on the processed signal and based on the programmed parameters, and configured to send information regarding the determined infusion rate to an infusion device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.