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E-Z-EM Contrast Injector Repair

Precise Biomedical is a Cleveland-based Medical Equipment Sales and Service Company. Our mission is to provide the Health Care industry with quality equipment and service at the best possible price.

With over 30 years experience to the health care industry, we supply more than just world-class equipment and service: we bring knowledge of our client's needs, and a history of solving their real-world problems.

E-Z-EM Contrast Injector Historical Background

In many medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, a physician or other person injects a patient with a fluid. In recent years, a number of injector-actuated syringes and contrast injectors for pressurized injection of fluids such as contrast media have been developed for use in procedures such as angiography, computed tomography, ultrasound and NMR/MRI. In general, these contrast injectors are designed to deliver a preset amount of contrast media at a preset flow rate.

To ensure the safety of the patient, the operation of a contrast injector should be carefully controlled. For example, it is desirable not to exceed a certain fluid pressure during an injection procedure. In addition to potential hazards to the patient (for example, vessel damage) and potential degradation of the diagnostic and/or therapeutic utility of the injection fluid, excessive pressure can lead to equipment failure. For example, because of the potential of cross-contamination between patients, the syringe and tubing used to carry fluid to a patient are typically changed on a per-patient basis.

In controlling system or injection pressure, current contrast injectors use motor current as an indication of system pressure. This technique has inherent accuracy problems, as there are many variables between the parameter being measured (motor current) and the parameter of interest (fluid pressure). These include, for example, measurement inaccuracies, motor torque constant variation, motor variation with temperature, frictional effects in the drive train, and frictional effects in the syringe. In general, any control algorithm must allow for such errors and must make a conservative estimate of fluid pressure to prevent actual fluid pressure from reaching a hazardous value.

In addition to problems of control with current contrast injector systems, many such systems lack convenience and flexibility in the manner in which the contrast injector system must be operated. In that regard, the complexity of medical injection procedures and the hectic pace in all facets of the health care industry place a premium on the time and skills of an operator.

E-Z-EM Contrast Injector Infusion Setup

  • Contrast Injector media should be warmed to body temperature prior to power injection. Warning: Failure to warm contrast media to body temperature prior to power injection may result in catheter failure.
  • Vigorously flush the catheter using a 10 ml or larger syringe and sterile normal saline prior to and immediately following the completion of contrast injector studies. This will ensure the patency of the contrast injector catheter and prevent damage to the catheter. Resistance to flushing may indicate partial or complete catheter occlusion. Do not proceed with power injection study until occlusion has been cleared.
  • Do not exceed the maximum flow rate of 5 ml/sec. Warning: Contrast injector machine pressure limiting feature may not prevent over pressurization of an occluded catheter, which may lead to catheter failure. Warning: Exceeding the maximum flow rate of 5 ml/sec may result in catheter failure and/or catheter tip displacement.
  • Warning: catheter indication for power injection of contrast media implies the catheter’s ability to withstand the procedure, but does not imply appropriateness of the procedure for a particular patient. A suitably trained clinician is responsible for evaluating the health status of a patient as it pertains to a contrast injector procedure.
E-Z-EM Contrast Injector Procedure

  1. Remove the injection/needleless cap from the catheter.
  2. Attach a 10 ml or larger syringe filled with sterile normal saline.
  3. Aspirate for adequate blood return and vigorously flush the catheter with the full 10 ml of sterile normal saline. Warning: Failure to ensure patency of the catheter prior to contrast injector studies may result in catheter failure.
  4. Detach syringe.
  5. Attach the contrast injector device to the catheter per manufacturer’s recommendations.
  6. Complete contrast injector study taking care not to exceed the flow rate limits. Warning: Exceeding the maximum flow rate of 5 ml/sec may result in catheter failure and/or catheter tip displacement.
  7. Disconnect the contrast injector device.
  8. Flush the catheter with 10 ml of sterile normal saline, using a 10 ml or larger syringe.
  9. Replace the injection/needleless cap on the catheter.
What is a E-Z-EM Contrast Injector?

Injecting contrast media into the bloodstream of patients enables visualization of various pathologies through X-Ray, Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance, or other medical imaging modalities.E-Z-EM Contrast Injector delivery is most effective and efficient using a medical device called a Contrast Injector that can be programmed to deliver specific amounts of contrast agent at specific flow rates.

Purpose of the E-Z-EM Contrast Injector

Contrast Injectors are an important advancement that, when combined with state of the art scanner technology, has made risky and expensive exploratory surgery virtually a relic of the past. Practical uses of the E-Z-EM Contrast Injectors are found whenever contrast delivery is needed during many types of diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures.

A E-Z-EM Contrast Injector may be used in diagnosing stroke, heart disease, cancer, vascular disease, physical injury, digestive disorder, and more.

Four basic characteristics of the E-Z-EM Contrast Injector

Generally, a Contrast Injector is beneficial for these four reasons:
  1. Tight "Bolus" of Contrast Media - The amount of contrast can be concentrated in the area of interest during the scan. A tight "bolus" provides maximum enhancement and visualization in the final image without a lot of waste.
  2. Precise Timing of Contrast Media Delivery - Timing of delivery can be closely controlled which is especially important when imaging the heart. Faster scan times by scanners makes precise timing even more critical. For example, some Cardiac CT scanners take images in less than 1 second and contrast must be in the heart during this window of time.
  3. Consistent, Reproducible, Patient Specific Results - Contrast Injectors deliver a consistent flow rate and volume from scan to scan. Recently released technology allows physicians to easily customize injection protocols for specific studies and specific patients.
  4. Time and Cost Savings - Automated features of E-Z-EM Contrast Injectors enable them to be part of a very efficient healthcare procedure that saves time and money.
E-Z-EM Contrast Injector

E-Z-EM Contrast Injectors consist of a "head" where syringes with contrast material are inserted. Plungers push the contrast out of the syringes into tubing attached to a patient's vascular system. Because it is desirable to minimize the tubing needed, the Contrast Injector resides in the scan room near the patient. They can be mounted on a floor pedestal or from an overhead mount. There is a computer "control unit" in the control room where flow rates and volumes are programmed and the Contrast Injector is started and stopped.

Technical advances in the E-Z-EM Contrast Injector

The Contrast Injector is a complex medical device that can help improve diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately patient outcomes. Using sophisticated design, innovative materials, computer processors, touchscreen technology, wireless networking, and more, builders of Contrast Injectors have made Contrast Injectors into very useful, sophisticated tools for healthcare professionals.

Today's E-Z-EM Contrast Injector systems are becoming an integral part of the hospital information system. Soon, data from each injection can be stored and entered into patient records that are accessible to radiologist reading images or to administrators trying to maintain efficient contrast use and safety standards.

Important notes and facts for E-Z-EM Contrast Injector

The use of contrast media for image enhancement in medical diagnostic imaging is widespread. For example, x-ray contrast agents, which are typically iodinated contrast agents, such as the nonionic contrast agent iohexol, have gained widespread commercial acceptance in various x-ray imaging procedures such as x-ray computed tomography (CT) .

To effect introduction of contrast media into body cavities such as the vascular network, it has been common practice to utilize Contrast Injector syringes in combination with catheters . The syringe can be mounted in a power injector apparatus, with the distal end of the syringe being connected to the catheter which is introduced into the system to be studied. It has been estimated recently that of the approximately 9 million Contrast Injector enhanced CT scans performed in the United States each year, about one-half involve E-Z-EM Contrast Injectors and the number is growing. Additionally, approximately 90% of the 1.3 million cardiac angiographic procedures which take place annually in the United States involve E-Z-EM Contrast Injector.

Like every medical device seen in hospitals today, contrast media Contrast Injectors are becoming much more integrated with other devices, specifically in diagnostic and interventional cardiology.

Traditionally, the connection between an imaging system and thr Contrast Injector has been based on trigger signals to start and stop the administration of contrast. Today, the field is increasingly moving toward sophisticated E-Z-EM Contrast Injectors that record and transmit various types of data associated with contrast administration, including brand, lot number, expiration date, concentration and patient protocols.