JP7350284B2 - Chemical injection device and injection protocol setting program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drug solution injector and an injection protocol setting program, and more particularly to a drug solution injector and an injection protocol setting program that set an injection protocol that can emphasize different types of blood vessels at the same time while creating a contrast difference in a region of interest. Regarding.

Currently, medical image diagnostic devices include CT (Computed Tomography) scanners, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) devices, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) devices, ultrasound diagnostic devices, and angiography imaging devices. etc. are known ing. When using such an imaging device, a contrast agent, physiological saline, or the like (hereinafter also simply referred to as "medicinal solution") may be injected into the subject.

Tomographic image capturing by injecting a contrast agent is performed using various techniques. Furthermore, in recent years, it has become increasingly common to check the running state of blood vessels using, for example, a three-dimensional model before surgery. For example, surgical simulations are sometimes performed to facilitate segmental resection of the lungs or liver. In such surgical simulations, it is usually desirable to be able to distinguish between arteries and veins. To this end, techniques have been proposed that involve imaging twice, with different time phases for the arterial and venous phases. For example, see Patent Document 1 for a technology that makes it possible to classify each data.

JP2009-131421A

Due to the difference in time from the injection of the contrast medium until it reaches each blood vessel, the time at which the contrast effect appears varies depending on the type of blood vessel and the type of organ. For example, arteries typically exhibit contrast effects sooner, while veins typically exhibit contrast effects later.

As mentioned above, there is a method (double imaging) in which arterial and venous images are taken at separate timings for the arterial phase and venous phase, but in this method, the imaging time is slightly longer than the arterial phase imaging time. Since the venous phase is imaged with a delay, arteries and veins may not be imaged in the correct positional relationship due to body movement, breathing, or movement of organs. Although it is assumed that an artery image taken at a predetermined timing in the arterial phase (time t1) and a vein image taken at a predetermined timing in the venous phase (time t2) are combined, these images are taken at the same time. This is because if the position of the blood vessel moves between time t1 and time t2, the correct positional relationship will not be maintained.

On the other hand, in order to clearly distinguish and draw arteries and veins (in other words, the first type of blood vessels and the second type of blood vessels) from a tomographic image, for example, the CT value of the artery and the CT value of the vein must be It is desirable that there be a sufficient difference between the two images (and that there is also some degree of contrast compared to the normal state where no contrast medium is injected). As a result, even when creating a three-dimensional model on a workstation, for example, each blood vessel can be clearly segmented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a drug solution injector and an injection protocol setting program that set an injection protocol that can emphasize different types of blood vessels at the same timing while creating a contrast difference in a region of interest.

A chemical liquid injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems is as follows:
one or more drive mechanisms that push out a medical solution in one or more storage containers toward a subject;
a control unit having a function of setting an injection protocol for the drug solution;
A drug solution injection device for injecting at least a contrast medium as the drug solution,
The control unit includes:
A: Processing to obtain information on the required amount of iodine per body weight of the contrast medium to be injected into the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the body weight;
D: An injection protocol that includes at least a first contrast agent phase in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between these phases, and is capable of simultaneously emphasizing arteries and veins to be imaged. The process of setting
d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium into the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase;
d2: accepting input of information on injection time of the first contrast agent phase;
d3: accepting input of information on injection time of the second contrast agent phase;
d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase,
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
A liquid drug injection device configured to perform.

(Explanation of terms)
The "chemical solution" refers to, for example, a contrast agent, physiological saline, or a mixture thereof.
The "injection protocol" indicates what kind of drug solution is to be injected, in what amount, and at what speed.
The term "storage container" refers to a container that stores a medicinal solution, and includes not only a syringe but also a medicinal solution storage bag and the like.
``At the same time'' in ``emphasize (arteries and veins, etc.) at the same time'' does not necessarily have to be at exactly the same time, but rather the state in which both blood vessels (objects) are imaged together for a certain amount of time (for example, several seconds). (up to several tens of seconds).
Regarding the phrase "same", when it says "same" as a given numerical value, it includes not only the case of being completely the same as that numerical value, but also a certain range of numerical values obtained by adding or subtracting 10% of the numerical value. shall be held. For example, "same as 10" refers to a range of 10±1.

According to the present invention, a chemical liquid injector and an injection protocol setting program that set an injection protocol that can emphasize different types of blood vessels (and different objects including real organs) at the same timing while adding contrast differences in a region of interest can be provided.

It is a perspective view showing an example of composition of a medicine liquid injection device. It is a perspective view showing an injection head and a medical fluid syringe attached to it. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a liquid drug injection device and an imaging device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing some functions of a control unit of the console. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an injection protocol. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the setting of the injection protocol in this embodiment. This is an example of a time density curve (TDC) that can depict arteriovenous separation. This is an example of a graphical user interface for accepting input from an operator. This is another example of a graphical user interface for accepting input from an operator.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, although a liquid drug injection device will be explained below as an example, the present invention is also applicable to other information processing devices from the viewpoint of setting an appropriate injection protocol.

1. Device Configuration The chemical liquid injection device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. A liquid drug injection device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an injection head 110 held at the top of a movable stand 111, and a console 150 electrically connected to the injection head 110 by, for example, a cable 102. . In this example, two syringes 200C and 200P (see FIG. 2) are removably attached to the injection head 110 in parallel.

In addition, in the following description, the syringes 200C and 200P may be simply referred to as the syringe 200 without distinction. The "injection head" is also called an injector or an injection head. In addition to the configuration in which the injection head 110 and the console 150 are connected by a cable 102, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the injection head 110 and the console 150 communicate with each other by wireless method, or the injection head 110 may be held on, for example, a ceiling-mounted arm (not shown). It is also possible to have a configuration in which the

[Syringe]
Examples of the medical solution filled in the syringes 200C and 200P (see FIG. 2) include a contrast medium and physiological saline. For example, one syringe 200C may be filled with a contrast medium, and the other syringe 200P may be filled with physiological saline. As another example, the first syringe and the second syringe may each be filled with contrast agents having different concentrations.

The syringe 200 includes a hollow cylindrical cylinder member 221 and a piston member 222 slidably inserted into the cylinder member 221. The cylinder member 221 has a cylinder flange 221a formed at its base end and a conduit portion 221b formed at its distal end. By pushing the piston member 222 into the cylinder member 221, the medicinal liquid in the syringe is pushed out to the outside via the conduit portion 221b. Note that the syringe may be of a prefilled type in which the medicinal solution is filled in advance, or may be of a suction type in which the medicinal solution is sucked into an empty syringe.

An extension tube 230 is connected to the conduit portion 221b of each syringe 200. The extension tube 230 may be a so-called T-tube or a Y-tube. In this example, the extension tube 230 includes a tube 231a extending from the conduit part 221b of one syringe 200C to the branch part, a tube 231b extending from the conduit part 221b of the other syringe 200P to the branch part, and a tube 231b extending from the branch part to the subject. It has a tube 231c that extends toward the main body. An injection needle (not shown) is connected to the distal end side of the tube 231c. The injection needle is inserted into a blood vessel of the subject and the medical liquid in the syringe 200C and/or the syringe 200P is pushed out, thereby injecting the medical liquid into the blood vessel. Note that as the extension tube 230, a mixing device disclosed in International Publication No. 2011-125303 (WO2011/125303) may be used. This mixing device has a function of mixing respective chemical solutions flowing from two channels using swirling flow.

As shown in FIG. 3, an IC tag 225 may be attached to a part of the cylinder member 221. This IC tag 225 performs wireless communication, and contains information regarding the syringe (identification information of the syringe, pressure resistance of the syringe, inner diameter of the cylinder member, stroke of the piston member, etc.) and information about the medicinal liquid filled in the syringe ( Name (for example, product name), component information such as iodine amount, expiration date, liquid medicine volume, etc.) are stored. The IC tag may have a unique ID specific to the tag. The IC tag may have at least one information selected from syringe size, syringe manufacturing number, and drug standardization code. Note that as the IC tag 225, for example, an RFID (Radio frequency identification) tag can be used. As an example, the IC tag 225 may be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder member 221, and specifically, it may be near the cylinder flange on the outer peripheral surface.

[Injection head]
As shown in FIG. 2, the injection head 110 has, for example, a housing 120 that extends long in the front-rear direction, and the upper surface of the housing has two recesses 120a on which syringes 200C and 200P are placed, respectively. is formed. The recessed portion 120a functions as a syringe holding portion.

The syringe 200 may be attached directly to the recess 120a, or may be attached via a predetermined syringe adapter. In FIG. 2, syringe adapters S121 and S122 that hold the cylinder flange 221a of each syringe 200 and its vicinity are illustrated as an example. The shape and function of the syringe adapter are not limited to a specific one, and may be of any shape.

The injection head 110 also includes a piston drive mechanism 130 that has at least the function of pushing the piston member 222 of the syringe 200, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Two systems of piston drive mechanisms 130 are provided, and each mechanism 130 operates independently. The piston drive mechanism 130 may have a function of retracting the piston member 222, for example, in order to suck a medicinal liquid into a syringe. The two piston drive mechanisms 130 may be driven simultaneously or at different timings.

Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the piston drive mechanism 130 includes a drive motor (not shown), a motion conversion mechanism (not shown) that converts the rotational output of the drive motor into linear motion, and is connected to the motion conversion mechanism. , a syringe presser (ram member) that moves the piston member 222 forward and/or backward. As such a piston drive mechanism, a known mechanism commonly used in liquid drug injection devices can be used.

Note that the piston drive mechanism 130 may include a load cell (not shown) for detecting the force with which the syringe presser presses the piston member 220. Using the detection results of the load cell, for example, it is possible to obtain an estimated value of the pressure of the chemical liquid when the chemical liquid is being injected. This estimated value is calculated by taking into account the size of the syringe and needle, the concentration of the drug solution, the injection conditions, etc. Naturally, the calculation may be performed taking into consideration the configuration of the injection circuit (tube diameter, length, etc.). In addition to the above, the pressure may be calculated based on the motor current of a drive motor (not shown) instead of using a load cell (not shown).

When an IC tag 225 is attached to the syringe, the injection head 110 includes a reader/writer 145 that reads information from the IC tag 225 and/or writes information to the IC tag 225, as shown in FIG. have. This reader/writer 145 may be provided in the recess 120a into which the syringe 200 is mounted. Note that the reader/writer 145 may have only the function of reading information from the IC tag 225.

The injection head 110 may include a control unit 144 for controlling the operations of the piston drive mechanism 130 and the reader/writer 145, as shown in FIG. Further, for example, it may include a storage unit 146 that temporarily stores information read from the IC tag 225. The control unit 144 can be configured as a control circuit including a processor, memory, and the like.

A plurality of physical buttons for causing the injection head 110 to perform various operations are also provided on the top and side surfaces of the housing 120 of the injection head 110. Some of these physical buttons may be configured to emit light to notify the operator of predetermined information, for example.

In addition to the above configuration, for example, a configuration may be used in which a different method is used to deliver the chemical liquid in place of the piston drive mechanism. As an example, a drive mechanism such as a tube pump that pumps out the medical liquid inside by crushing a tube connected to a medical liquid container containing a medical liquid with a roller or the like can be used.

[console]
The console 150 may be placed and used in an operation room adjacent to the examination room. The console 150 includes a display unit 151 that displays a predetermined image, an operation panel 159 provided on the front surface of the casing, a control circuit (details below) arranged inside the casing, and the like. The operation panel 159 is a portion on which one or more physical buttons are arranged, and is operated by an operator. Display unit 151 may be a touch panel display or may be a simple display. Console 150 may include a speaker or the like (not shown) for outputting sound and/or audio.

In the block diagram of FIG. 3, the console 150 includes a control section 155 that controls the operation of each connected section, a storage section 154 that stores various data, and an interface terminal 158 for connecting to a predetermined external device. It is depicted as having the following. Console 150 may have an interface for connection to injection head 110 and an interface for connection to an imaging device. The console 150 may include a hand unit 157 (not shown in FIG. 1) that is operated at the operator's hand.

The control unit 155 may include a memory, a processor, etc., and may perform various processes according to an installed computer program. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 155 may include a setting screen display unit 155a, an injection protocol creation unit 155b, an injection control unit 155c, a history generation unit 155d, and a history output unit 155e.

The setting screen display section 155a corresponds to a function of displaying information and a graphical user interface for setting an injection protocol on the display unit 151. This embodiment is configured to be able to set at least an arteriovenous separation visualization protocol, which will be described later.

The protocol creation unit 155b corresponds to, for example, a function of receiving an input operation by an operator on a touch panel or the like of the display unit 151, and creating an injection protocol reflecting the input operation. The conditions inputted by the operator include, for example, the type of drug solution, the injection rate of drug solution, the amount of drug solution injected, the physical information of the subject, the body classification of the subject whose image is to be imaged, and the region to be imaged. It may be at least one selected from. Note that the input by the operator is not limited to input operations via a touch panel, but may also include, for example, voice input that obtains input information by analyzing the operator's voice, or analyzing the operator's body movements. Gesture input and the like for obtaining input information can also be used (the input via the touch panel disclosed herein can be replaced with various other input methods such as voice input, gesture input, and combinations thereof). .

The injection control unit 155c corresponds to a function of controlling the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 according to the created injection protocol. The injection control unit 155b may operate only one of the piston drive mechanisms 130, or may operate both at the same time.

The history generation unit 155d corresponds to a function of generating injection history data. The "injection history data" includes, for example, the injection work ID, which is unique identification information for each injection work, the date and time of injection start and end, the identification information of the drug solution injection device, and the identification of the drug solution and imaged area, which are the injection conditions described above. It may also be information. These may be text data. Alternatively, one of the horizontal and vertical axes may be image data of a time-lapse graph of elapsed time and the other of injection pressure or injection speed. The injection history data may be liquid medicine information or syringe information acquired from an IC tag of a syringe, manually input by an operator, or input from an external network or the like.

The history output unit 155e corresponds to a function of transmitting injection history data to the outside. Specifically, data may be sent to a predetermined external device and/or network. The drug solution information and syringe information obtained from the syringe's IC tag, manually input by the operator, or input from an external network etc. are transmitted from the drug injection device to the medical information system in the hospital, for example. It is also possible to configure a system in which a system equipped with an accounting processing function performs accounting processing based on the information.

Note that each function of each unit 155a to 155e may be executed by the control unit 155 according to an installed program. The program may be stored in advance in a predetermined storage means (for example, the storage unit 154) within the console.

The storage unit 154 may store, for example, images and graphical user interface data displayed on the display unit 151. Further, algorithms including calculation formulas for setting injection conditions and data on injection protocols may be stored. The injection rate may be constant or may vary over time.

Note that such information regarding the injection protocol may be input from an external device connected via the interface terminal 158. Further, the console 150 may have a slot (not shown), and the information may be input through an information storage medium inserted into the slot.

[Imaging device]
The imaging device 300 is, for example, an X-ray CT scanner, and as shown in FIG. 3, includes an imaging unit 303b that captures a fluoroscopic image of the subject, a bed 304 on which the subject is placed, and a control unit that controls their operations. 303a. In addition, a display device (for example, a display) not shown may be provided, and various information may be displayed on this display device. As a specific example, a configuration may be adopted in which information related to injection by the chemical liquid injector (information on set injection conditions, information on injection results when actually injecting, etc.) is displayed on the display device.

2. Example of Injection Operation As a basic operation, the chemical liquid injection device of this embodiment operates as follows. First, an injection protocol setting screen is displayed on the display unit 151 of the console 150. On this screen, at least one of the following parameters is entered, selected, or changed: information such as the body segment targeted for imaging, the region targeted for imaging (referred to as the imaging region), and the subject's weight. , type of drug solution to be injected, etc.

Images for selecting these parameters may be displayed sequentially or all at once. The input, selection, or change of parameters as described above may be automatically performed by the function of the device, or may be performed by an operator's operation.

When the input of parameters is completed, the operator presses a predetermined button (for example, a confirmation button) on the screen. When creating an injection protocol, follow the image for creating an injection protocol displayed on the screen and, for example, (i) select one of several basic patterns prepared in advance and check its contents or check if necessary. (ii) creating an arbitrary injection protocol by plotting several reference points within the injection graph displayed on the screen;

Once the injection protocol is created, the operator operates a predetermined injection start button, and then the piston drive mechanism 130 is controlled based on the injection protocol to inject the drug into the subject.

[Arterial and venous isolation visualization protocol]
Next, with reference to FIG. 5, other injection protocols that can be set with the liquid drug injection device of this embodiment will be described. This injection protocol is an example of an injection protocol suitable for, for example, separately depicting the hepatic artery and portal vein (portal vein) in adults. Note that here, an example is shown in which there are roughly two types of objects to be contrasted and two phases are included; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and includes three or more phases. Good too. Each phase is conditioned to image a separate object.

As shown in FIG. 5, this injection protocol includes a first contrast agent phase 701 (Ph1) and a second contrast agent phase 703 (Ph2), each of which injects a contrast agent. Between these phases is an interval phase 702 (a phase that does not produce a contrast effect) with a duration of "x" seconds.

(First contrast agent phase)
In the first contrast agent phase 701, the contrast agent is injected at an injection rate of, for example, 2.0 to 8.0 ml/sec (meaning 2.0 ml/sec to 8.0 ml/sec) and 20 to 30 sec. Inject in time. The injection volume is preferably about 60 to 150 ml. In particular, the speed of the contrast agent is preferably 2.0 ml/sec or more, since if it is too low, the desired contrast effect may not be obtained.

(interval phase)
The main role of the interval phase 702 is to provide a sufficient time between the first and second contrast agent phases 701 and 703. The time period of the interval phase 702 is preferably, for example, 5 seconds or more, 10 seconds, or 20 seconds or more. Although the time of the interval phase 702 depends on the examination to be performed, it is preferable in one form to be, for example, 30 seconds or less, 60 seconds or less, 120 seconds, or 180 seconds or less.

In the example of FIG. 5, the interval phase 702 further includes a phase 702a in which physiological saline is injected. Note that the interval phase 702 may be a complete non-injection phase without performing such physiological saline injection. When injecting physiological saline, it is preferable to use an injection rate of 2.0 to 8.0 ml/sec and an injection time of 5 to 10 sec, for example (the total injection volume is, for example, about 30 ml). This injection rate may be the same as the injection rate of the first contrast agent phase 701, as an example. Part or all of interval phase 702 may be a saline infusion. As another aspect, for example, a slow injection of physiological saline (may be less than 2.0 ml/sec) for the purpose of securing a route for the drug solution may be performed during part or all of the interval phase 702. good. Note that such slow injection may be performed in the case of injection of physiological saline in phase 704 described below or in other cases of injection of physiological saline.

(Second contrast agent phase)
In the second contrast agent phase 703, the contrast agent is injected, for example, at an injection rate of 2.0 to 8.0 ml/sec and an injection time of 5 to 20 seconds. The injection volume is preferably about 20 to 80 ml.

(Saline injection phase)
Although not essential, in the example of FIG. 5, the second contrast agent phase 703 is followed by a phase 704 in which saline is injected. Preferably, this phase 704 has an injection rate of 2.0 to 8.0 ml/sec and an injection time of 5 to 10 seconds, for example. Phase 704 may be followed by a phase in which saline is slowly injected (for example, less than 2.0 ml/sec). This slow injection of physiological saline, which is injected following phase 704, plays a role, for example, in protecting the kidneys and promoting excretion of the drug solution, depending on the test to be performed.

In the injection protocol of FIG. 5, the injection rate of each phase does not necessarily have to be the same, and may be different injection rates. In particular, regarding the contrast agent phases 701 and 703, the injection rate is not limited to a constant injection rate, but may be a variable rate that decreases (or increases) over time. A more specific condition for variable speed is the "variable constant" (the value obtained by dividing the injection speed at the end of the phase by the injection speed at the beginning. For example, the speed changes from 3.0 ml/sec to 1.5 ml/sec over time. (If the variable constant is 0.5, the variable constant may be 0.3 or more and less than 1.0, or 0.5 or more and less than 1.0.)

Furthermore, regarding the change in speed, the speed may decrease or increase linearly, or may decrease or increase stepwise. As a specific aspect, for example, a plurality of speeds are set within one phase (in one example, 3.0 ml/sec → 2.5 ml/sec → 2.0 ml/sec → 1.5 ml/sec). It may also be possible to change the speed up to a predetermined speed.

As an example, in the first contrast medium phase 701, if the injection speed is changed from "constant speed" to "variable speed (decelerates over time)" without changing the amount of contrast medium injected, the following It becomes possible to obtain a contrast effect. In other words, in the case of such variable injection, a large amount of contrast agent is injected at a relatively early timing after the start of injection compared to constant rate injection, and as a result, the time density curve (Fig. 7, TDC :Time Density Curve) The shape of the first peak of "artery" is brought forward (the peak appears at an earlier timing). In this way, the supply of a sufficient amount of contrast medium into the blood vessel means that the contrast medium can then be delivered well to the distal side of the blood vessel. The effect of increasing the overall value can also be expected.

Note that in the contrast agent phase, dilution injection may be performed in which a plurality of drug solutions are extruded at the same time and a drug solution with a desired concentration is injected.

[Contrast effect due to arteriovenous separation imaging protocol]
According to the injection protocol shown in FIG. 5, a contrast effect as shown in FIG. 7 can be obtained. The contrast medium injected from the subject's blood vessels flows through the heart, aorta, arteries, and capillaries through systemic circulation (major circulation), and then circulates to veins, vena cava, and the heart. Regarding the liver, venous blood that has passed through the intestines flows into the liver via the portal vein. Due to this systemic circulation, the timing of the contrast agent reaching the liver is that the contrast agent reaches the liver first via the artery, and then after a certain period of time (the contrast agent circulates through the intestines, etc.). The contrast agent via the portal vein will arrive at the timing of inflow through the portal vein).

In the time density curve of FIG. 7, the CT value of the artery shows the first peak around time 30 to 50 seconds, and in this example, the CT value increases to 350 (HU) or more. This peak corresponds to the contrast effect due to the contrast agent in the first contrast agent phase 701 in FIG.

On the other hand, the venous CT value starts to rise gradually after 50 seconds. The CT value of the vein is not as high as that of the artery, but in this example, it rises to 100 (HU) around 70 to 80 seconds, and the CT value increases by about 50 (HU) from the state where there is no contrast (approximately 50 HU). It's getting expensive.

Looking again at the CT value of the artery, it shows a second peak around 110 seconds. Even at this peak, the CT value rose to 350 (HU) or higher. This second peak corresponds to the contrast effect of the second contrast agent phase 703 in FIG.

At the timing when the CT value of the artery shows the second peak (time t _a ), the CT value of the artery is at least 300 (HU) or higher, and the CT value of the vein is also 100 (HU) or higher, both of which are It is fully emphasized. Therefore, by performing one imaging at this timing, contrast images of both blood vessels can be obtained satisfactorily. In other words, the method of this embodiment does not image once at the arterial phase timing and then again at the venous phase timing, but images both blood vessels at the same time, so arteries and veins can be accurately imaged. You can take pictures depending on your position. Furthermore, although the CT values of both blood vessels are increased by the contrast medium, there is a sufficient difference between the CT values of the artery and vein (about 200 HU in this example). Therefore, it is possible to obtain the density difference between the artery and the vein in the obtained tomographic image, and as a result, when converting the image into a three-dimensional image, for example, it becomes possible to clearly separate and visualize both blood vessels. In the above, an example of an artery and a vein has been given, but the present invention can also be applied to the case where the first blood vessel and the second blood vessel are drawn separately in which contrast medium arrives at different times. Furthermore, it is useful when separating and extracting not only blood vessels but also real organs.

Note that, although not limited to, the second peak (arterial CT value) should be such that the state of 300 HU continues for 5 seconds or more, preferably 8 seconds or more, depending on the imaging timing by the CT device. It is preferable in that it makes .

As shown in FIG. 7, when the CT value of the artery passes the second peak, the CT value of the artery gradually decreases, specifically to about 150 (HU) in this example. On the other hand, it takes time for the venous CT value to decrease, and in the elapsed time range (~200 seconds) shown in FIG. 7, it still remains at 100 (HU) or higher.

[Injection protocol creation procedure]
The injection protocol as described above can be set by the following procedure. The following description will be made with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 6, but the order of execution of the steps is not necessarily limited to that shown in the figure.

First, in step S1, the console 150 of the liquid drug injection device 100 calculates the amount of iodine per body weight (mgI/kg) (that is, a value indicating how much iodine, which is a component of a contrast medium, should be injected per body weight into the subject. ). The amount of iodine per body weight is 650 mgI/kg in this example.

For example, the amount of iodine per body weight is linked to information such as the body segment (for example, ``abdomen'') or region (for example, ``liver'', ``stomach'', etc.) to be imaged, and a numerical value is set in advance. It's okay. This setting by the console 150 is performed by, for example, (a) the console providing a user interface (a graphical user interface in one example), through which the operator inputs, and upon receiving the input, the console sets a predetermined value. (b) may be set without direct input by the operator; for example, when a body segment and/or an imaging region is selected, the corresponding value is automatically set; It may be something that In addition to the above, the information may be read from a predetermined device into a liquid drug injector or the like via a network or the like. Further, input through a device such as a keyboard, voice input, gesture input, etc. may be used. These considerations regarding input are applicable not only to input in step S1 but also to other steps.

Next, in step S2, the console 150 sets the subject's weight (kg). In this example, it is 60 kg.

This setting is similar to the above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (graphical user interface in one example), the operator inputs through it, the console accepts the input, and sets a predetermined value. or (b) it may be set without direct input by the operator; for example, the subject's weight information may be read from another device connected to the console or the like; It may be set automatically. In addition to weight information, additional information such as, but not limited to, a predetermined calculation formula and/or predetermined coefficients used for calculation may be read into the liquid drug injection device depending on the patient and the test. . A configuration may also be adopted in which height information and/or gender information, etc. are read.

Next, in step S3, the console 150 calculates the amount of contrast medium to be injected using the information on the amount of iodine per body weight and the information on the body weight obtained above. In this example, assuming that 300 mgI of contrast agent is used, the injection volume is determined to be 130 (ml).

Next, in step S4, the console 150 determines the ratio of the amounts to be injected in the first contrast agent phase 701 (Ph1) and the second contrast agent phase 703 (Ph2), that is, the "130 (ml)" determined above. ” to be distributed to the first and second contrast agent phases. In this example, the ratio is 7:3. Therefore, in this example, the injection volume for the first contrast agent phase is 91 ml and the injection volume for the second contrast agent phase is 39 ml.

This setting is also the same as above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (graphical user interface in one example), the operator inputs through it, the console accepts the input, and the console adjusts the predetermined ratio. (b) may be set without direct input by the operator; for example, when a body segment and/or an imaging region is selected, the corresponding value is automatically set; It may also be something that is done.

Next, in step S5, the console 150 sets the injection time (duration time) of each contrast agent phase 701, 703. In this example, they are 25 seconds and 8 seconds.

This setting is similar to the above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (graphical user interface in one example), the operator inputs through it, the console accepts the input, and sets a predetermined value. (b) may be set without direct input by the operator; for example, when a body segment and/or an imaging region is selected, the corresponding value is automatically set; It may also be something that

Next, in step S6, the console 150 sets an interval time. In this example, it is 20 seconds.

This setting is also the same as above, for example, (a) the console provides a user interface (a graphical user interface in one example), the operator inputs through it, the console accepts the input, and the console inputs a predetermined value. (b) may be set without direct input by the operator; for example, when a body segment and/or an imaging region is selected, the corresponding value is automatically set; It may be something that is done.

In particular, in the injection protocol of this embodiment, it is important to allow sufficient time between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase to prevent injecting more contrast agent than necessary and to prevent the injection of more than necessary contrast agent. This is important in obtaining the time density curve shown in . Therefore, in one form, the console 150 has data on the lower limit value of the interval time, compares the input time with the lower limit value, and sets the interval time so that it does not fall below, for example, 15 seconds at the minimum. Preferably (for example, if the value is below the lower limit, a predetermined alert may be issued). Similarly, regarding the upper limit value, the console 150 may have data on a predetermined upper limit value, compare the input time with the upper limit value, and set the maximum value so that it does not exceed, for example, 30 seconds. Preferably (for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a predetermined alert is issued if the value exceeds the upper limit). According to such a configuration, it is possible to set the interval time within an appropriate range such as, for example, no less than 15 seconds, and as a result, a time density curve that contributes to arteriovenous separation and extraction as shown in FIG. It will be something that you can get. If the interval time is too short, the first peak and second peak of the time density curve cannot be separated sufficiently (in other words, the contrast effect of the first contrast agent phase remains and the influence becomes worse than the first peak). 2 peaks), which may not be suitable for separate drawing of each blood vessel.

Referring to the example of FIG. 5, saline injection is performed in two phases 702a, 704. Console 150 may be configured to accept input and configure these phases. Regarding the installation of these phases, (a) the console 150 receives, for example, input from the operator of at least one of information such as saline injection amount, injection time, and injection speed, and determines the injection conditions for the phase based on the input; may be set. Alternatively, for example, (b) predetermined injection conditions corresponding to the injection conditions of the contrast medium phases 701 and 703 may be automatically set as the conditions of the phases 702a and 704, respectively (for example, the injection speed is the same). ).

[Example of graphical user interface]
Although not limited to this embodiment, a graphical user interface 720 as shown in FIG. 8 may be used.

This graphical user interface 720 includes an icon 721 for setting the iodine amount, an icon 722 for setting the amount ratio, an icon 723 for setting the injection time of the first contrast agent phase, and an icon 723 for setting the injection time of the second contrast agent phase. It includes an icon 724 for setting the injection time, an icon 725 for setting the interval time (pause time), and an icon 726 for setting the pressure limit. Note that the specific numerical values shown in FIG. 8 are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, one or more of the icons 721 to 726 may be omitted.

Each of the icons 721 to 726 may be configured so that the numerical value changes by touching the icon itself, or may be configured such that when touched, a numeric keypad or the like appears, through which the operator can input numerical values. It may be configured such that numerical values can be changed by touching the up and down arrow icons as shown in the figure (the same applies to the example of FIG. 9, which will be described later).

[Adjusting the amount of contrast medium according to the tube voltage value of the imaging device]
When calculating the amount of contrast agent to be injected, the amount may be increased or decreased in consideration of the tube voltage value of the imaging device. Although not limited, for example, the method disclosed in International Publication No. 2016/152841 may be used. An example of the procedure for setting the injection protocol will be described in the case where the tube voltage value is selected from among 120 kV, 100 kV, and 80 kV.

As an example, a predetermined control unit of a drug injection device may control the name of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine per subject's weight, the pressure limit value of the syringe, the remaining amount of drug solution in each syringe, The patient's weight and contrast medium injection time are displayed on a predetermined display. Here, the name of the contrast agent and the pressure limit value of the syringe may be data read from the IC tag of each syringe. The weight of the subject, the amount of iodine required per body weight of the subject, and the contrast medium injection time are, for example, default values, and these values can be arbitrarily changed by the operator as necessary. be able to.

A predetermined control unit of the liquid injection device uses these data to calculate the injection amount L (mL) and injection speed S (mL/sec) of the contrast medium. The injection amount L (mL) of the contrast medium is determined by taking the subject's weight as W (kg), the iodine amount per 1 kg of the subject's body weight as I (mgI/kg), and the iodine content per unit amount of the contrast medium as follows: C (mgI/mL), where T (sec) is the injection time of the contrast medium, is given below.

The contrast medium injection speed S (mL/sec) is
S (mL/sec) = L (mL)/T (sec) ... Formula (2)
is given by For example, if W = 60 (kg), I = 600 (mgI/kg), C = 300 (mgI/mL), and T = 30 (sec), then from equation (1), the contrast medium injection amount L = 120 (mL), and from equation (2), the contrast medium injection rate S=4.0 (mL/sec).

In the above formula (1), the contrast medium injection amount L is calculated using the iodine amount I required per subject's body weight. The amount of iodine required per body weight and time (mgI/kg/sec) can also be used to calculate the injection amount. The following equation (1') can be used to calculate the injection amount in this case.

Note that if the amount of contrast medium injected is too small or the contrast medium injection speed is too slow, the contrast medium may diffuse into the blood or be absorbed by surrounding tissues before reaching the target area. Phenomena such as this may occur. Therefore, the lower limit values of the contrast agent injection amount and injection speed are set in advance, and a predetermined control unit compares these values with the calculated injection amount and injection speed, and sets the calculated injection amount and injection speed. A warning may be issued if at least one of the values is smaller than a preset value.

Incidentally, depending on the patient's symptoms, imaging may be performed at a lower tube voltage in order to suppress the amount of radiation the patient is exposed to during imaging. In that case, the injection protocol can be set in consideration of the tube voltage value. The setting of the injection protocol in consideration of the tube voltage can be performed at the stage when all the data necessary for setting the injection protocol have been input and the injection protocol has not been finalized.

When setting an injection protocol that takes tube voltage into consideration, for example, the operator changes the tube voltage value of the imaging device to be used as necessary. When performing imaging at a tube voltage lower than the normal tube voltage, an injection protocol in which the contrast medium and saline are injected at the same time is used. A diluted dilution injection protocol is set up. At this time, the contrast medium reduction ratio is set so that the lower the tube voltage value is, the higher it becomes (in other words, the contrast medium ratio becomes lower).

An example of setting an injection protocol in a case where the contrast medium reduction rate is predetermined according to the tube voltage value will be described below. For example, assume that the ratio of contrast medium to physiological saline is determined according to the tube voltage value as shown in the table below. Note that, of course, in addition to the table, a configuration may be adopted in which the correspondence between the tube voltage value and the rate of increase/decrease is defined by a predetermined calculation formula or algorithm.

In Table 1, when the tube voltage value was 120 kV, the contrast medium was not diluted with physiological saline, and the injection volume L (mL) calculated using the above formula (1) and the injection volume L (mL) calculated using the formula (2) were calculated using the above formula (1). An injection protocol is obtained in which only the contrast agent is injected at an injection rate of S (mL/sec).

Here, if the tube voltage value is lower than 120 kV, the calculated injection amount and injection speed of the contrast medium are reduced at a predetermined rate according to the tube voltage value, and are calculated as the saline injection volume and injection rate.

Specifically, when the tube voltage value is 100 kV, the ratio of contrast medium to physiological saline is set to 8:2, and a predetermined control unit determines from the table that the ratio of contrast medium is 0.8 and the ratio of physiological saline is 8:2. The ratio of 0.2 is read out. The injection amount and injection speed of the contrast medium are calculated by the control unit as values obtained by multiplying the injection amount and injection speed of the contrast medium by 0.8, respectively, when only the contrast medium is injected. Similarly, the injection amount and injection speed of physiological saline are calculated as values obtained by multiplying the injection amount and injection speed of the contrast medium by 0.2, respectively, when only the contrast medium is injected.

As mentioned above, when performing imaging at a lower tube voltage in order to reduce X-ray exposure of the subject, the desired CT value can be secured by reducing the amount of contrast medium injected according to the tube voltage value. At the same time, the physical burden on the subject can be reduced.

Although an example of the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific configuration or procedure. For example, the following changes could be adopted:
(a1) In the above, the subject's weight is input, and the amount of drug solution to be injected into the subject is calculated using that weight information and the required amount of iodine per body weight (for example, unit: mgI/Kg). Illustrated as an example. However, other conventionally known calculation methods may be employed to calculate the amount of liquid medicine to be injected. For example, lean body weight (LBW) calculation method, body surface area (BSA) calculation method, circulating blood volume (BV) calculation method, adjusted body weight (AdBW) calculation method etc. can be used. Furthermore, when setting the injection conditions for the contrast medium, heart rate or the like may be taken into consideration as a parameter of the physical characteristics of the subject.
(a2) In the present invention, it is desirable that the operator be able to predict in advance that a time density curve as shown in FIG. 7 will be obtained as a result of the injection protocol as shown in FIG. 5, for example. In this regard, for example, a simulator disclosed in International Publication No. 2016/084373 may be used to predict captured images for the injection protocol. Alternatively, contrary to the above, if you input the time density curve you wish to obtain, for example as shown in Figure 7, a possible device will suggest one or more ideal injection protocols to obtain it. You may also use it.

(b1) In the above description, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a chemical liquid injection device in which an injection head and a console are configured separately is shown. However, a chemical liquid injection device in which an injection head and a console are integrated, in other words, a single device can set injection protocols, display various states during chemical liquid injection, and control the operation of the piston drive mechanism. The configuration may be such that it can be performed.
(b2) In the above, the control unit 155 has the function of creating an injection protocol, and the control unit 144 has the function of controlling the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130, but which control unit has what function? This can be changed as appropriate.
(b3) If injection of physiological saline is not necessary, a single-tube injection head may be used instead of a two-tube injection head.
(b4) In the above example, the console 150 of the liquid drug injection device 100 creates an injection protocol, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Another information processing device (eg, a portable tablet terminal, a workstation connected to a network, a computer provided as part of the imaging device, etc.) may perform the creation of the injection protocol. Another information processing device creates an injection protocol using the method according to the present invention, and the injection protocol is transferred to the liquid drug injection device, so that the desired liquid injection according to the same injection protocol is executed. It's okay. Regarding the transfer of injection protocols and other data, (i) data may be exchanged between a predetermined device and a drug injector via a network, or (ii) data may be exchanged between a predetermined device and a drug injector via a network, or (ii) data may be exchanged via a network rather than via a network. Data may be exchanged by connecting a storage medium (which may be in any form such as a stick or card) to a slot (interface) of a predetermined device of the liquid drug injection device.

(Image timing automatic detection function)
In order for the imaging device to automatically operate according to the contrast effect of the contrast agent, the device monitors changes in the CT value of a predetermined target location, and when the CT value reaches a certain threshold, images are taken after a predetermined time. may be configured to start automatically.

(Input of multiple amounts of iodine per body weight, etc.)
In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which a single amount of iodine per body weight that is common to Phase 1 and Phase 2 is input, but the present invention also allows input of a plurality of amounts of iodine per body weight (mgI/kg) may be done. In addition, even if the configuration is such that the amount of iodine required per body weight and per hour (mgI/kg/sec) is input, or the configuration is such that both the amount of iodine per body weight and the amount of iodine per body weight per hour are input. good. The number of phases for contrast imaging is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

FIG. 9 is another example of a graphical user interface for entering information necessary for setting up an injection protocol. In this example, the amount of iodine per body weight used to determine the conditions for the first contrast agent phase is input via the icon 821. The injection time for the first contrast agent phase is entered via icon 821'. Regarding input through these icons and the input through the icons described below, the method of inputting numerical values is not particularly limited, and input using a numeric keypad (not shown) may be used. A method may be adopted in which several candidates are registered in advance and one is selected from them, or a method in which numerical values are changed and candidates are selected using up and down keys.

Although not shown in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the subject's weight information has been input in advance. In addition, the shape of the injection pattern for the first contrast agent phase (specifically, whether it is a constant speed, a variable speed, or a speed that changes in multiple steps) is also determined by default settings or by selecting an icon. It is assumed that

Under these conditions, the information on the amount of iodine per body weight and the injection time is input as described above, thereby calculating the conditions such as the amount of injection and the injection speed in the first contrast agent phase.

The second row (see icons 822, 822') and the third row (see icon 823) from the top of FIG. 9 are for inputting information used to determine conditions for the interval phase. In this example, the injection volume of saline (“20” mL as an example) is input via the icon 822. Further, via the icon 823, a time period (“10” seconds as an example) for temporarily stopping the drug solution injection form after saline injection is input.

In the example of FIG. 9, the amount of iodine per body weight used to determine the conditions for the second contrast agent phase is further input via the icon 824. In this example, it is "120" mgI/kg, but it goes without saying that a value different from the numerical value of the first contrast agent phase may be input. The injection time for the second contrast agent phase is entered via icon 824'.

In this way, it is possible to input different amounts of iodine per body weight for the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase, so it is possible to enter different amounts of iodine per body weight for the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase. It is possible to set conditions under which the images can be imaged satisfactorily.

For the saline phase after the second contrast agent phase, input of the injection volume can be made via icon 825. The input regarding the pressure limit via the icon 826 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. Note that in the example of FIG. 9, the icon 827 can be used to perform input regarding cooperation with the imaging device (input of time, for example).

As shown in Fig. 9, when a contrast agent is injected in multiple phases, it is possible to set a different amount of iodine per body weight (one example) for each phase. This has the advantage that the object can be contrasted well. In addition, different methods for deriving drug solution conditions may be used for a given phase and other phases (for example, in one phase, calculations are made based on the amount of iodine per body weight and body weight, and in another phase, calculations are made based on body surface area). etc.) may be used.

In the graphical user interfaces shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, numerical values are selected via icons, but the numerical values displayed by default on the icons may be configured so that the operator can freely set them. .

(Additional note)
This specification discloses the following invention (numerals in parentheses are not intended to limit the invention):
1. One or more drive mechanisms (130) that push out the drug solution in one or more storage containers toward the subject;
a control unit (155) having a function of setting an injection protocol for the drug solution;
A drug solution injection device (100) for injecting at least a contrast medium as the drug solution,
The control unit (155) includes:
A: A process of acquiring information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the above-mentioned body weight;
D: At least includes a first contrast agent phase (701) in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase (703), and an interval phase (702) between these phases, and the arteries and veins to be imaged are A process for setting an injection protocol that can be emphasized simultaneously,
d1: Accepting input of information on the ratio (70:30) of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium to the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase,
d2: Accept the input of the injection time information (25 sec) of the first contrast agent phase,
d3: Accept the input of the injection time information (8 sec) of the second contrast agent phase,
d4: Receive input of information on the duration of the interval phase (20 seconds),
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
A liquid drug injection device configured to perform.

2. The drug solution injector described above, wherein the control unit sets the duration of the interval phase to 10 seconds or more at the shortest.

3. The drug solution injector described above, wherein the required iodine amount associated with the physical characteristics of the subject is the required iodine amount per body weight.

4. In the drug solution injector described above, the control unit (155) further sets a phase (702a) for injecting physiological saline during the interval phase (702).

5. In the drug solution injection device described above, the control unit (155) further sets a phase (704) for injecting physiological saline after the second contrast medium phase.

6. The injection rate of the first and/or second contrast agent phase is:
(i) is a variable rate that increases or decreases over time; or
(ii) The chemical liquid injector described above, which has a constant speed that does not change.

7. The chemical liquid injector described above, wherein the storage container is a syringe in which a piston member is slidably inserted into a cylinder member, and the drive mechanism is a piston drive mechanism that moves the piston member.

8. The liquid drug injection device described above, comprising an injection head (110) configured to hold the syringe and provided with the piston drive mechanism, and a console (150) provided with the control unit.

9. A data processing device that creates an injection protocol for injecting a drug solution containing at least a contrast agent into a subject,
A: A process of acquiring information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the above-mentioned body weight;
D: At least includes a first contrast agent phase in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between these phases, and simultaneously emphasizes the first blood vessel and the second blood vessel to be imaged. a process for setting up an injection protocol capable of
d1: Accepting input of information on the ratio (70:30) of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium to the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase,
d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase,
d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase,
d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase,
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
A data processing device configured to perform.

A "data processing device" is a processing device that includes one or more processors, memory, storage devices, etc., and may be, for example, a portable tablet terminal, laptop computer, desktop computer, or workstation. . Further, it does not necessarily have to be a standalone device, but may be incorporated into a part of other equipment.

10. A computer program for creating an injection protocol for injecting a drug solution containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, the computer program comprising:
one or more processors,
A: A process of acquiring information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the above-mentioned body weight;
D: At least includes a first contrast agent phase in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between these phases, and simultaneously emphasizes the first blood vessel and the second blood vessel to be imaged. a process for setting up an injection protocol capable of
d1: Accepting input of information on the ratio (70:30) of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium to the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase,
d2: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the first contrast agent phase,
d3: Accepting input of information on the injection time of the second contrast agent phase,
d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase,
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
A computer program that runs

"One or more processors" may be housed in one housing, or may be housed in separate housings.

The present specification further relates to a method for setting an injection protocol including multiple injection phases, and also includes a setting method that allows inputting at least two pieces of "information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject." Disclose. in particular:
S1. One or more drive mechanisms (130) that push out the medical solution in one or more storage containers toward the subject;
a control unit (155) having a function of setting an injection protocol for the drug solution;
A drug solution injection device (100) for injecting at least a contrast medium as the drug solution,
The control unit (155) includes:
a process of receiving input of information on a first required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
a process of receiving input of information on a second required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
a process of accepting input of information on the physical characteristics;
A process of calculating injection conditions for a first contrast agent phase (reference numeral 701) based on at least the information on the first required iodine amount and the information on the physical characteristics;
A process of calculating injection conditions for a second contrast agent phase (reference numeral 703) based on at least the information on the second required iodine amount and the information on the physical characteristics;
A liquid drug injection device configured to perform.

When there are three or more contrast agent phases, information on the third required amount of iodine may be input. According to this, for example, even when contrasting separate objects (for example, arteries, veins, and parenchymal organs) having different contrast characteristics in each phase, the contrast can be performed satisfactorily. An example of a three-phase case is not particularly limited, but three phases may be selected from arteries, veins, portal veins, parenchymal organs, bladders, etc.

One of the features of the technical idea regarding the injection protocol setting described above is that separate "information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject" can be used for each contrast agent phase. Therefore, without departing from such spirit, the present technology can be expressed as an invention of a method or a computer program for setting an injection protocol. Furthermore, since the execution entity is not necessarily limited to a liquid drug injection device, the present invention can also be described as an invention such as an injection protocol setting device, for example. Further, the technical idea can be used in combination with one or more technical features of other embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit thereof.

The "information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject" may be, for example, the required amount of iodine per body weight and/or the required amount of iodine per hour per body weight. According to such a configuration, it is possible to set an appropriate amount of contrast medium according to the subject's weight, etc.

Above S1. for the device, the control unit has an injection protocol template for creating a series of injection protocols;
This injection protocol template includes the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase, and the final series of injection protocols can be changed by the operator confirming or changing the parameters of the injection protocol template. A device as described above, which is produced.

Although it is possible to create a series of injection protocols by having the operator manually input each phase, the work is complicated, and it is up to the operator to create an appropriate protocol. It may also depend on the knowledge and proficiency of the person. Therefore, by preparing a protocol that includes multiple contrast agent phases as a template, the operator can specify the predetermined parameters of the template (for example, but not limited to, injection rate, injection volume, etc.). It is possible to create a desired injection protocol by checking and changing the information regarding dilution, whether the injection rate is constant or variable, etc.

Furthermore, the above injection protocol template
a first saline phase (for reference, reference numeral 702a) immediately following the first contrast agent phase; and/or
a second saline phase (for reference, reference numeral 704a) immediately following the second contrast agent phase;
The device described above.

Furthermore, the above injection protocol template
an interval time parameter between the first contrast agent phase and the second contrast agent phase, and
a time parameter from the end of the first saline phase to the start of the second contrast agent phase;
3. The device as described above, comprising at least one of the above parameters, the parameters of which can be input and/or changed by an operator.

Naturally, the invention disclosed as S1 above can also be expressed as a method invention, a computer program invention, etc. It is also possible to use any technical matter disclosed in this specification in combination with this invention. Conversely, the technical matters described herein in connection with S1 may be combined with other embodiments of the invention described above.

100 Chemical injection device 102 Cable 110 Injection head 120 Housing 120a Recess 111 Movable stand 130 Piston drive mechanism 200 Syringe 221 Cylinder member 222 Piston member 225 IC tag 230 Extension tube 300 Imaging device 303a Control unit 300b Imaging unit 304 Beds 701, 703 Contrast Phase 702 Interval Phase 702a, 704 Saline Phase 720, 820 Graphical User Interface

Claims (10)

one or more drive mechanisms that push out a medical solution in one or more storage containers toward a subject;
a control unit having a function of setting an injection protocol for the drug solution;
A drug solution injection device for injecting at least a contrast medium as the drug solution,
The control unit includes:
A: A process of acquiring information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the body weight;
D: It includes at least a first contrast agent phase in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between these phases, and is capable of emphasizing a plurality of imaging targets among blood vessels and organs. A process for setting an injection protocol, the process comprising:
d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium into the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase;
d2: accepting input of information on injection time of the first contrast agent phase;
d3: accepting input of information on injection time of the second contrast agent phase;
d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase,
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
E: a process of issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase falls outside a predetermined range;
is configured to do
Chemical injection device. The liquid drug injector according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the duration of the interval phase to 10 seconds or more at the shortest. The liquid drug injection device according to claim 1, wherein the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject is a required amount of iodine per body weight. The liquid drug injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit further sets a phase for injecting physiological saline during the interval phase. The liquid drug injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit further sets a phase in which physiological saline is injected after the second contrast medium phase. The injection rate of the first and/or second contrast agent phase is:
(i) is a variable rate that increases or decreases over time; or
(ii) the speed is a constant speed that does not change;
The liquid drug injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The storage container is a syringe in which a piston member is slidably inserted into a cylinder member,
The drive mechanism is a piston drive mechanism that moves the piston member,
The liquid drug injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. an injection head configured to hold the syringe and provided with the piston drive mechanism;
a console provided with the control unit;
The chemical liquid injection device according to claim 7, comprising: A data processing device for creating an injection protocol for injecting a medical solution containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, the data processing device comprising:
A: A process of acquiring information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the body weight;
D: It includes at least a first contrast agent phase in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between these phases, and is capable of emphasizing a plurality of imaging targets among blood vessels and organs. A process for setting an injection protocol, the process comprising:
d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium into the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase;
d2: accepting input of information on injection time of the first contrast agent phase;
d3: accepting input of information on injection time of the second contrast agent phase;
d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase,
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
E: a process of issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase falls outside a predetermined range;
A data processing device configured to perform. A computer program for creating an injection protocol for injecting a drug solution containing at least a contrast agent into a subject, the computer program comprising:
one or more processors,
A: A process of acquiring information on the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject;
B: Process of acquiring information on the subject's weight;
C: a process of calculating the amount of contrast medium to be injected based on the component information of the contrast medium, the required amount of iodine associated with the physical characteristics of the subject, and the information on the body weight;
D: It includes at least a first contrast agent phase in which a contrast agent is injected, a second contrast agent phase, and an interval phase between these phases, and is capable of emphasizing a plurality of imaging targets among blood vessels and organs. A process for setting an injection protocol, the process comprising:
d1: receiving input of information on the ratio of distributing the calculated amount of contrast medium into the first contrast medium phase and the second contrast medium phase;
d2: accepting input of information on injection time of the first contrast agent phase;
d3: accepting input of information on injection time of the second contrast agent phase;
d4: Accepting input of information on the duration of the interval phase,
a process of setting an injection protocol based on that information;
E: a process of issuing an alert when the received information on the duration of the interval phase falls outside a predetermined range;
Injection protocol setting program to run.