Granted Patent B2

US 7,258,681 · App. 10/262,924 · Granted Aug 21, 2007

Abstract

Claims (79)

1. A fluid control system for controlling fluid flow between a catheter, a saline supply, a contrast supply and an injector, the fluid control system comprising:

a saline input line coupling the saline supply to the injector, the saline input line passing through a saline input pinch valve,

a contrast input line coupling the contrast supply to the injector, the contrast input line passing through a contrast input pinch valve,

a saline output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the saline output line passing through a saline output pinch valve,

a contrast output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the contrast output line passing through a contrast output pinch valve,

a controller for opening and closing the pinch valves, the controller comprising a memory with at least two stored functions including a contrast function and a saline function,

when switched to the contrast function, the controller closing the saline input and output pinch valves while opening the contrast input and output pinch valves,

when switched to the saline function, the controller closing the contrast input and output pinch valves while opening the saline input and output pinch valves.

2. The fluid control system of claim 1 wherein the contrast input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the contrast supply to the injector and not vice versa, and

the contrast input line passes through a stopcock, the stopcock comprising an injection port, the stopcock being disposed between the contrast input pinch valve and the one-way check valve.

3. The fluid control system of claim 2 further comprising a bypass line coupling the stopcock to the contrast supply.

4. The fluid control system of claim 3 further comprising a stopcock disposed between the catheter and the waste input, contrast output and saline output pinch valves, the stopcock comprising an injection port.

5. The fluid control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a waste output line coupling a waste dump to the injector, the waste output line passing through a waste output pinch valve,

a waste input line coupling the catheter to the injector, the waste input line passing through a waste input pinch valve,

and wherein the controller further comprises a waste function, when switched to the waste function, the controller closing the contrast input and output pinch valves and the saline input and output pinch valves while opening the waste input and output pinch valves.

6. The fluid control system of claim 5 wherein the waste input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the catheter to the injector and not vice versa.

7. The fluid control system of claim 5 wherein the waste output line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the waste dump and not vice versa.

8. The fluid control system of claim 5 wherein

the waste input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the catheter to the injector and not vice versa,

the waste output line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the waste dump and not vice versa,

the saline input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the saline supply to the injector and not vice versa,

the saline output line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the catheter and not vice versa,

the contrast input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the contrast supply to the injector and not vice versa, and

the contrast output line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the catheter and not vice versa.

9. The fluid control system of claim 5 further comprising a control panel linked to a controller that includes a selector mechanism with a first position for switching the controller to the contrast function, a second position for switching the controller to the saline function and a third position for switching the controller to the waste function.

10. The fluid control system of claim 5 further comprising a stopcock disposed between the catheter and the waste input, contrast output and saline output pinch valves, the stopcock comprising an injection port.

11. The fluid control system of claim 1 wherein the contrast input line passes through a stopcock, the stopcock comprising an injection port.

12. The fluid control system of claim 11 wherein the stopcock is disposed between the contrast input pinch valve and the contrast supply.

13. The fluid control system of claim 1 wherein the saline input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the saline supply to the injector and not vice versa.

14. The fluid control system of claim 1 wherein the saline output line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the catheter and not vice versa.

15. The fluid control system of claim 1 wherein the contrast input line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the contrast supply to the injector and not vice versa.

16. The fluid control system of claim 1 wherein the contrast output line passes through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the catheter and not vice versa.

17. The fluid control system of claim 1 further comprising a control panel linked to a controller that includes a selector mechanism with a first position for switching the controller to the contrast function and a second position for switching the controller to the saline function.

18. The fluid control system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the catheter and a transducer protection valve disposed therebetween, the transducer protection valve being linked to the controller,

in the saline function, the controller closing the pressure transducer protection valve.

19. The fluid control system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the catheter and a transducer protection valve disposed therebetween, the transducer protection valve being linked to the controller,

in the contrast function, the controller closing the pressure transducer protection valve.

20. The fluid control system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the catheter with a transducer protection valve disposed therebetween, the transducer protection valve being linked to the controller,

in the contrast and saline functions, the controller closing the pressure transducer protection valve.

21. A fluid control system for controlling fluid flow between a catheter, a saline supply, a waste dump, a contrast supply and an injector, the fluid control system comprising:

a waste output line coupling the waste dump to the injector, the waste output line passing through a waste output pinch valve, the waste output line also passing through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the waste dump and not vice versa,

a saline input line coupling the saline supply to the injector, the saline input line passing through a saline input pinch valve, the saline input line also passing through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the saline supply to the injector and not vice versa,

a contrast input line coupling the contrast supply to the injector, the contrast input line passing through a contrast input pinch valve, the contrast input line also passing through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the contrast supply to the injector and not vice versa,

a waste input line coupling the catheter to the injector, the waste input line passing through a waste input pinch valve, the waste input line also passing through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the catheter to the injector and not vice versa,

a saline output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the saline output line passing through a saline output pinch valve, the saline output line also passing through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the catheter and not vice versa,

a contrast output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the contrast output line passing through a contrast output pinch valve, the contrast output line also passing through a one-way check valve that permits flow from the injector to the catheter and not vice versa,

a controller linked to each pinch valve for opening and closing the pinch valves, the controller comprising a memory with at least three stored functions including a contrast function, a saline function and a waste function,

a control panel linked to the controller for switching the controller between the at least three stored functions,

when switched to the contrast function, the controller closing the saline input and output pinch valves and the waste input and output pinch valves while first opening the contrast input pinch valve and subsequently opening the contrast output pinch valve,

when switched to the saline function, the controller closing the contrast input and output pinch valves and the waste input and output pinch valves while first opening the saline input pinch valve and subsequently opening the saline output pinch valve,

when switched to the waste function, the controller closing the contrast input and output pinch valves and the saline input and output pinch valves while first opening the waste input pinch valve and subsequently opening the waste output pinch valves.

22. The fluid control system of claim 21 wherein the contrast input line also passing through a stopcock, the stopcock comprising an injection port.

23. The fluid control system of claim 22 wherein the stopcock is disposed between the contrast input pinch valve and the contrast supply.

24. The fluid control system of claim 21 wherein the control panel includes a selector mechanism including a first position for switching the controller to the contrast function, a second position for switching the controller to the saline function and a third position for switching the controller to the waste function.

25. The fluid control system of claim 21 further comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the catheter with a transducer protection valve disposed therebetween, the transducer protection valve being linked to the controller,

in the saline function, the controller closing the pressure transducer protection valve.

26. The fluid control system of claim 21 further comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the catheter with a transducer protection valve disposed therebetween, the transducer protection valve being linked to the controller,

in the contrast function, the controller closing the pressure transducer protection valve.

27. The fluid control system of claim 21 further comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the catheter by a pressure transducer line, with a transducer protection valve disposed therebetween, the transducer protection valve being linked to the controller,

in the contrast and saline functions, the controller closing the pressure transducer protection valve.

28. A fluid control system for controlling fluid flow between a catheter, a saline supply, a contrast supply and an injector, the fluid control system comprising:

a saline input line coupling the saline supply to the injector, the saline input line passing through a saline input pinch valve,

a contrast input line coupling the contrast supply to the injector, the contrast input line passing through a contrast input pinch valve,

a saline output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the saline output line passing through a saline output pinch valve,

a contrast output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the contrast output line passing through a contrast output pinch valve,

a controller closing the saline input and output pinch valves while subsequently opening the contrast input and output pinch valves,

the controller closing the contrast input and output pinch valves while subsequently opening the saline input and output pinch valves.

29. The fluid control system of claim 28 further comprising:

a waste output line coupling a waste dump to the injector, the waste output line passing through a waste output pinch valve,

a waste input line coupling the catheter to the injector, the waste input line passing through a waste input pinch valve,

means for closing the contrast input and output pinch valves and the saline input and output pinch valves while subsequently opening the waste input and output pinch valves.

30. A method for controlling fluid flow in an angiographic apparatus that includes a catheter, a saline supply, a waste dump, a contrast supply and an injector, and a waste output line coupling the waste dump to the injector, the waste output line passing through a waste output pinch valve, a saline input line coupling the saline supply to the injector, the saline input line passing through a saline input pinch valve, a contrast input line coupling the contrast supply to the injector, the contrast input line passing through a contrast input pinch valve, a waste input line coupling the catheter to the injector, the waste input line passing through a waste input pinch valve, a saline output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the saline output line passing through a saline output pinch valve, a contrast output line coupling the catheter to the injector, the contrast output line passing through a contrast output pinch valve, the method comprising:

closing the saline input and output pinch valves and the waste input and output pinch valves while opening the contrast input pinch valve before withdrawing contrast from the contrast supply and into the injector before and opening the contrast output pinch valve and injecting contrast from the injector into the catheter,

closing the contrast input and output pinch valves and the waste input and output pinch valves while opening the saline input valve, before withdrawing saline from the saline supply and into the injector before opening the saline output pinch valve and injecting saline from the injector into the catheter,

closing the contrast input and output pinch valves and the saline input and output pinch valves while opening the waste input pinch valve before withdrawing waste from the catheter and into the injector before opening the waste output pinch valve and injecting waste from the injector into the waste dump,

a waste output line coupling the waste dump to the injector, a saline input line coupling the saline supply to the injector, a contrast input line coupling the contrast supply to the injector, a waste input line coupling the catheter to the injector, a saline output line coupling the catheter to the injector, a contrast output line coupling the catheter to the injector,

a controller closing the saline input and output lines and the waste input and output lines while opening the contrast input and output lines, means for closing the contrast input and output lines and the waste input and output lines while opening the saline input and output lines,

the controller closing the contrast input and output lines and the saline input and output lines while opening the waste input and output lines.

Assignments (19)