What Is Automatic Pressure Injector?
An automatic pressure injector or automatic contrast injector is a medical device which is used to inject contrast Media into a patient’s body for medical imaging procedures such as CT scans, MRI, or angiography. The device uses pressure to inject the contrast media at a controlled rate and volume to ensure consistent and accurate delivery.
Any special radiographic procedure required an injection of contrast media under specific controlled condition. The injection of contrast media by hand, it difficulty to maintain a consistent flow rate. The automatic pressure injector has help to administration of contrast media to patients having Cross – sectional imaging ( CT and MRI ) as well as angiographic and interventional cardiology.
But in Ultrasound, recent introduced of an infusion pump to allow injection of microbubbles in to blood stream for liver, vascular and coronary investigation.
Q) What are the components of automatic pressure injector ?
The components of an automatic pressure injector typically include:-
A) Control Panel:- Each of automatic contrast injector device has a control panel, that is used to set the parameters of the injection sequence. The control panel system are equipped with a touch screen display for easy for programming. The control panel control the following —
a) The volume of contrast Media administration.
b) The injection flow rate of contrast and Norma saline.
c) Timing of the Start and end of the injection of contrast.
d) Timing of delayed.
e) Whether to perform a phased Scan injection of contrast.
f) Also determine to flush with a volume of saline.
Fig – Control panel.
B) Power Injector:- The device that generates pressure to inject the contrast material.
C) Syringe or Reservoir:- The container that holds the contrast material is called syringe or reservoir. In automatic pressure injector, the syringe is removable and disposal. The syringe has various sizes depending on the company and automatic injector. The syringe sizes from 60 ml to 200 ml . The small size ( 60 ml ) used in pediatrics and the large ( 200 ml ) sizes are mainly used in adults radiological examination. In automatic contrast injector has single headed syringe or double headed syringe.
Fig – Different size of syringe.
D) Tubing:- The flexible tubes that connect the syringe or reservoir to the patient’s IV access.
E) Injector head:- The part of the machine that regulates the flow of the contrast material. The injector power head is generally attached to an articulating arm that allows for a wide variety of positions during the injection. Digital displays are available on the power head indicating the protocol used and the amount of contrast available. Various configurations are available from free standing, attached to the injector module, and table or ceiling mounted power heads.
F) Patient monitoring equipment:- Devices used to monitor the patient’s vital signs during the procedure. The specific components and features of an automatic pressure injector may vary depending on the manufacturer and model.
Q) What are the types of automatic pressure injector ?
There are two main types of automatic pressure injectors:-
A) Dual-head injectors:- Dual head injectors contain double syringe. It allow to loading of two different contrast agents at different flow rates and volumes, allowing for more complex imaging studies.
Fig- Dual-headed ct contrast injector.
B) Single-head injectors:- These have one syringe and loading one contrast media in one time during examination.
Fig- Single -headed CT contrast injector.
Q) What are the functions of automatic pressure injector ?
The main functions of an automatic pressure injector are to:-
A) Deliver contrast material at a consistent rate:- The injector can precisely control the flow rate and volume of contrast material, ensuring that it is delivered at a consistent rate throughout the imaging study.
B) Optimize image quality:- By delivering contrast material at a controlled rate, the injector can help optimize image quality and enhance diagnostic accuracy.
C) Reduce the risk of contrast-related complications:- The injector can help reduce the risk of contrast-related complications such as extravasation (leakage of contrast material into surrounding tissues), as it can detect pressure changes and stop the injection if necessary.
D) Improve workflow efficiency:- The use of an automatic pressure injector can improve workflow efficiency by reducing the need for manual injection and allowing the radiology technologist to perform other tasks during the imaging study.
E) Overall the use of an automatic pressure injector can help to ensure safe and effective delivery of contrast material during medical imaging procedures.
Q) What are the use of automatic pressure injector ?
Automatic pressure injectors are used in medical imaging procedures that require the use of contrast material to enhance the visibility of certain tissues or structures. These procedures include:-
A) Computed tomography (CT) scans:- Automatic pressure injectors are commonly used in CT scans to deliver contrast media to help visualize blood vessels, organs, and other structures.
B) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):- In some cases, contrast media may be used in MRI scans to help differentiate between normal and abnormal tissues. An automatic pressure injector may be used to deliver the contrast media.
C) Angiography:- This is a type of imaging study that focuses on visualizing blood vessels. Automatic pressure injectors are often used to deliver contrast media during angiography.
D) Other imaging studies:- Automatic pressure injectors may also be used in other types of medical imaging studies that require the use of contrast media, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans and ultrasound.
Q) What are the working principle of automatic pressure injector ?
The working principle of an automatic pressure injector involves several components and processes working together to deliver contrast media at a controlled rate. The basic steps involved in the operation of an automatic pressure injector are as follows:-
A) Programming:- The operator enters the required injection parameters into the control console, including the flow rate, volume of contrast material, and injection duration.
B) Filling:- The contrast media is loaded into a syringe or reservoir connected to the injector.
C) Patient preparation:- The patient is positioned on the imaging table and an IV line is established for the injection.
D) Injection:- Once the operator initiates the injection, the injector head is activated, and the contrast media is delivered into the patient’s IV line at a controlled rate.
E) Monitoring:- Throughout the injection, the injector constantly monitors pressure changes and flow rate to ensure that the injection is progressing as programmed. If pressure changes are detected, the injector can stop the injection to prevent extravasation or other complications.
F) Completion:- Once the injection is complete, the injector can be disconnected from the patient’s IV line and the imaging study can proceed.