Systems and methods for managing information relating to medical fluids and syringes therefor

1. A method of operation for a contrast media injector having a powered drive ram that is designed to interface with a plunger of a syringe to move the plunger of the syringe forward and backward relative to a barrel of the syringe when the syringe is mounted on the contrast media injector, the method comprising:

detecting when a syringe, having an RF data tag associated therewith, has been mounted on to the contrast media injector;

initiating a transmission of electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic device of the contrast media injector in response to detection of the syringe being mounted on to the contrast media injector; and

electromagnetically reading data generated from the RF data tag of the syringe in response to the transmitted electromagnetic signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read comprises at least one of: a syringe identification; a serial number; a use indicator of the syringe; a syringe security code; information relating to syringe volume; information relating to syringe volume delivery; syringe volume; syringe dimension information; medical fluid type; medical fluid concentration data; batch and lot numbers; shelf life data; fill date; and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating a transmission occurs substantially simultaneously with the syringe being mounted on to the contrast media injector.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contrast media injector comprises a latch for securing the syringe that is being mounted on to the contrast media injector, and wherein the initiating a transmission occurs in response to the latch securing the syringe being mounted on to the contrast media injector.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the initiating a transmission occurs substantially simultaneously with the latch securing the syringe being mounted on to the contrast media injector.

6. A method of operation for a contrast media injector having a powered drive ram that is designed to interface with a plunger of a syringe to move the plunger of the syringe forward and backward relative to a barrel of the syringe when the syringe is mounted on the contrast media injector, the method comprising:

initiating dispensing medical fluid from a syringe having an RF data tag associated therewith, wherein the dispensing is accomplished using the contrast media injector;

transmitting electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic device of the contrast media injector in response to initiation of the dispensing; and

electromagnetically writing data to the RF data tag of the syringe using the electromagnetic device of the contrast media injector.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag comprises at least one of: time that the dispensing was finished; date that the dispensing was finished; dispensed volume; achieved flow rate; target flow rate; volume of medical fluid remaining in the syringe; dispensing time; patient name; patient weight; patient age; patient ID number; injector serial number; injector firmware version; procedure number; procedure name; technologist name; technologist identification number; hospital name; hospital identification number; imaging apparatus information; and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein initiation of the transmitting occurs substantially simultaneously with the initiation of the dispensing.

9. A method of operation for a contrast media injector having a powered drive ram that is designed to interface with a plunger of a syringe to move the plunger of the syringe forward and backward relative to a barrel of the syringe when the syringe is mounted on the contrast media injector, the method comprising:

detecting when a syringe, having an RF data tag associated therewith, has been mounted on to the contrast media injector;

transmitting electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic device of the contrast media injector in response to detection of the syringe being mounted on to the contrast media injector;

electromagnetically reading data from the RF data tag of the syringe using the electromagnetic device of the contrast media injector, wherein the transmitting is terminated after the electromagnetically reading;

initiating dispensing medical fluid from the syringe;

transmitting electromagnetic signals from the electromagnetic device in response to initiation of the dispensing; and

electromagnetically writing data to the RF data tag of the syringe using the electromagnetic device of the contrast media injector.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes a use indicator of the syringe.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes information relating to syringe volume.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes information relating to syringe volume delivery.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes a syringe volume.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes syringe dimension information.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes a medical fluid type.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes medical fluid concentration data.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes batch and lot numbers.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes shelf life data.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically read includes a fill date.

20. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a time that the dispensing was finished.

21. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a date that the dispensing was finished.

22. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a dispensed volume.

23. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes an achieved flow rate, a target flow rate, and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a volume of medical fluid remaining in the syringe.

25. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a dispensing time.

26. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a patient name, a patient age, a patient ID number, and combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes an injector serial number, an injector firmware version, and combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a procedure number, a procedure name, and combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a technologist name, a technologist identification number, and combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes a hospital name, a hospital identification number, and combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data that is electromagnetically written to the RF data tag includes imaging apparatus information.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mounting of a syringe is detected using a sensor coupled to a syringe mounting.

33. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mounting of a syringe is detected using a sensor coupled to a syringe mounting.