Medical fluid delivery using syringe

A flow control device for an automated fluid delivery system configured to deliver medical fluid to a patient, the flow control device comprising:

• a pump configured to be operatively coupled to a fluid administration set including a syringe containing the medical fluid, and tubing in fluid communication with the syringe,
• a fluid sensor in communication with a control unit, wherein the fluid sensor is configured to detect the medical fluid in the tubing at a location downstream of the syringe;
• a plunger displacement sensor in communication with the control unit, wherein the plunger displacement sensor is configured to detect linear displacement of the plunger relative to the barrel as the pump generates flow of the medical fluid from the syringe through the tubing,
• the control unit in communication with the pump, the fluid sensor, and the plunger displacement sensor, the control unit including a processor and memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• determine an estimated inner cross-sectional dimension of the barrel of the syringe based on the linear displacement of the plunger when the fluid sensor detects the medical fluid in the tubing at the location downstream of the syringe, and
• operate the pump based at least in part on the estimated inner cross-sectional dimension of the barrel of the syringe.

A method of estimating inner cross-sectional dimension of a barrel of a syringe for a fluid delivery system, the method comprising:

• pumping, via a pump, a known volume of medical fluid from a syringe through tubing connected to the syringe;
• detecting, via a plunger displacement sensor, linear displacement of a plunger of the syringe relative to a barrel of the syringe that corresponds to the known volume pumped from the syringe via the pump;
• determining an estimated inner cross-sectional dimension of the barrel of the syringe based on the linear displacement of the plunger and the known volume of medical fluid pumped from the syringe;
• and
• operate the pump based at least in part on the estimated inner cross-sectional dimension of the barrel of the syringe.