Fluid injection system providing visual stimuli

Abstract

A fluid injection system includes an injector comprising a drive mechanism and an illumination device, a fluid container operably associated with the drive mechanism, and a control device operably associated with the drive mechanism. The control device comprises a computer screen having at least one element affiliated with the illumination device. The illumination device and the at least one element emit light of the same color. Further, a method of operating an injector system providing visual stimuli corresponding to a programmed injection protocol includes perceiving visual stimuli provided by an injector or a control device of the injector system, recognizing a pattern provided by the visual stimuli, correlating the recognized pattern to the programmed injection protocol, determining whether the programmed injection protocol is a desired injection protocol, and initiating the programmed injection protocol, if it is determined that the programmed injection protocol is the desired injection protocol.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A fluid injection system comprising: 
 an injector comprising a drive mechanism and an illumination device;    a fluid container operably associated with the drive mechanism; and    a control device operably associated with the drive mechanism, the control device comprising a computer screen having at least one element affiliated with the illumination device,    wherein the illumination device and the at least one element emit light of the same color.    
     
     
         2 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the at last one element comprises a symbol or an icon.  
     
     
         3 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one element comprises a display field or a touch field.  
     
     
         4 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one element comprises a plurality of elements.  
     
     
         5 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the fluid container comprises a syringe having a plunger and the drive mechanism comprises a piston adapted to engage the plunger of the syringe.  
     
     
         6 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the light color corresponds to a fluid present in the fluid container.  
     
     
         7 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the fluid container comprises a syringe.  
     
     
         8 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the illumination device is adapted to assume different conditions depending on a state of the system.  
     
     
         9 . The fluid injection system of  claim 8  wherein the illumination device assumes a flashing condition when the system is in an armed state.  
     
     
         10 . The fluid injection system of  claim 8  wherein the illumination device assumes a steady condition when the system is in an injection state.  
     
     
         11 . The fluid injection system of  claim 8  wherein the illumination device assumes an off condition when the system is in a disarmed state.  
     
     
         12 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one element is shaped to resemble a syringe.  
     
     
         13 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the illumination device and the at least one element cooperate to provide a visual indication of a status or a condition of the system.  
     
     
         14 . The fluid injection system of  claim 1  wherein the computer screen comprises a touch screen.  
     
     
         15 . A fluid injection system comprising: 
 an injector comprising a first drive mechanism, a second drive mechanism, a first illumination device and a second illumination device;    a first fluid container operably associated with the first drive mechanism, the first fluid container containing a first fluid;    a second fluid container operably associated with the second drive mechanism, the second fluid container containing a second fluid; and    a control device operably associated with the drive mechanism, the control device comprising a computer screen having at least one first element affiliated with the first illumination device and at least one second element affiliated with the second illumination device,    wherein the first illumination device and the at least one first element emit a first light color corresponding to the first fluid and the second illumination device and the at least one second element emit a second light color corresponding to the second fluid.    
     
     
         16 . The fluid injection system of  claim 15  wherein the at last one first element and the at least one second element each comprises a symbol, an icon, a display field or a touch field.  
     
     
         17 . The fluid injection system of  claim 15  wherein the at least one first element and the at least one second element each comprises a plurality of elements.  
     
     
         18 . The fluid injection system of  claim 15  wherein the first fluid container comprises a syringe having a plunger and the first drive mechanism comprises a piston adapted to engage the plunger of the syringe.  
     
     
         19 . The fluid injection system of  claim 15  wherein the first or second illumination device is adapted to assume different conditions depending on a state of the system.  
     
     
         20 . The fluid injection system of  claim 19  wherein the first or second illumination device assumes a flashing condition when the system is in an armed state, a steady condition when the system is in an injection state or an off condition when the system is in a disarmed state.  
     
     
         21 . The fluid injection system of  claim 15  wherein the first illumination device, the second illumination device, the at least one first element and the at least one second element cooperate to provide a visual indication of a status or a condition of the system.  
     
     
         22 . The fluid injection system of  claim 15  wherein the computer screen comprises a touch screen.  
     
     
         23 . A method of operating an injector system providing visual stimuli corresponding to a programmed injection protocol, the method comprising: 
 perceiving visual stimuli provided by an injector or a control device of the injector system;    recognizing a pattern provided by the visual stimuli;    correlating the recognized pattern to the programmed injection protocol;    determining whether the programmed injection protocol is a desired injection protocol; and    initiating the programmed injection protocol, if it is determined that the programmed injection protocol is the desired injection protocol.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 interacting with the injector or the control device based on the recognized pattern.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the visual stimuli comprises one or more of graphical, iconic, lexical, numerical, geometrical or color stimuli.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 altering the programmed injection protocol to correspond to the desired injection protocol; and    initiating the altered injection protocol.