Device for automatic injection of radionuclide

An apparatus for automatically injecting a radionuclide into a patient in response to an epileptic seizure, said apparatus comprising:

• a first syringe for retaining a first quantity of a radionuclide;
• a first activation means for causing said first syringe to inject said radionuclide;
• a second syringe for injecting a saline solution;
• a second activation means for causing said second syringe to inject said saline solution;
• tubing connected to each of said first syringe and said second syringe for delivering fluids from each said syringe to said patient intravenously;
• at least one trigger means for providing a trigger signal indicative of occurrence of a seizure;
• and
• a computer means for receiving said trigger signal, introducing a verification delay for verifying said occurrence of a seizure, calculating a second quantity of said radionuclide less than or equal to said first quantity based upon a time delay between a filling of said first syringe and said occurrence of a seizure and a half-life of radionuclide, providing an inject signal to said first activation means to inject said second quantity and providing a flush signal to said second activation means to inject said saline solution to flush said tubing.

A device for injection of a radionuclide having a half-life to facilitate mapping of a cerebral blood flow pattern in a patient upon detection of a seizure, the device comprising:

• a plurality of syringes, a first syringe of said plurality containing a first quantity of said radionuclide;
• an electronically-controlled activation means corresponding to each syringe of said plurality of syringes for causing said each syringe to inject its contents;
• intravenous tubing having at least one first end connected to each of said plurality of syringes and a second end having a catheter attached thereto for insertion into the patient;
• a plurality of trigger means, each trigger means for generating a trigger signal in response to detection of the seizure;
• a computer controller connected to said plurality of trigger means for initiating an injection sequence in response to receiving said trigger signal, said injection sequence including calculating a second quantity of the radionuclide less than or equal to said first quantity said based upon the half-life of the radionuclide and a time delay between loading of the radionuclide into said first syringe and detection of the seizure, and generating an electrical signal for activating said activation means corresponding to said first syringe for injecting said second quantity.