Power Injector with Syringe Communication Logic

1 . A power injector comprising:

a syringe plunger driver comprising a motorized drive source;

a transmitter;

a receiver;

prefilled syringe detection logic configured to assess a signal issued by said transmitter and received by said receiver for an occurrence of a first condition, wherein said receiver is positioned to receive said signal from said transmitter after passing through a prefilled syringe zone that would be occupied by a prefilled syringe when installed on said power injector, and wherein said first condition is when there has been at least a certain amount of attenuation of said signal between said transmitter and said receiver due to the presence of liquid within a prefilled syringe positioned within said prefilled syringe zone, which is equated with a prefilled syringe having been installed on said power injector within said prefilled syringe zone; and

syringe communication logic configured to initiate a syringe communication in response to said prefilled syringe detection logic identifying an occurrence of said first condition.

2 . The power injector of claim 1 , wherein said prefilled syringe detection logic comprises a comparative field strength value that is associated with a condition when a prefilled syringe is not installed in said prefilled syringe zone.

3 . The power injector of claim 1 , wherein said transmitter comprises an RF antenna.

4 . The power injector of claim 1 , wherein said receiver comprises an RF antenna.

5 . The power injector of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said receivers.

6 . The power injector of claim 1 , wherein said syringe communication logic comprises said prefilled syringe detection logic.

7 . The power injector of claim 1 , further comprising:

a syringe clamp disposable in each of open and closed configurations;

a syringe clamp sensor; and

syringe clamp detection logic operatively interconnected with said syringe clamp sensor and configured to identify an existence of a second condition, wherein said second condition is when said syringe clamp is in a predetermined configuration.

8 . The power injector of claim 7 , wherein said syringe communication logic is configured to initiate said syringe communication only in response to both said prefilled syringe detection logic identifying an occurrence of said first condition and said syringe clamp detection logic identifying an occurrence of said second condition.

9 . The power injector of claim 7 , wherein said syringe communication logic comprises said prefilled syringe detection logic and said syringe clamp detection logic.

10 . The power injector of claim 1 , further comprising:

a syringe installed on said power injector and that comprises a syringe data tag.

11 . The power injector of claim 10 , wherein said syringe communication is with said syringe data tag.

12 . A method of operation for a power injector comprising:

sending a signal from a first location;

receiving said signal at a second location;

monitoring said receiving step for an occurrence of a first condition, said first condition being an existence of at least a certain attenuation of said signal between said sending and receiving steps and caused by said signal passing through liquid within a prefilled syringe;

determining whether a prefilled syringe is installed on said power injector using said monitoring step; and

initiating a syringe communication with a syringe data tag of a syringe installed on said power injector in response to an identification of an occurrence of said first condition by said monitoring step.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said signal from said sending step comprises an RF signal.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting said signal through a prefilled syringe zone, wherein said prefilled syringe zone would be occupied by said prefilled syringe when installed on said power injector, and wherein said receiving step is executed after said transmitting step.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said signal travels through said prefilled syringe zone after said sending step and prior to said receiving step.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

monitoring a syringe clamp for a second condition, said second condition being when said syringe clamp is in a predetermined configuration.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said initiating step is executed only after and in response to an identification of each of said first and second conditions.