WO2007114447A1

WO2007114447A1 - Medical liquid injecting device

Info

Publication number: WO2007114447A1
Application number: PCT/JP2007/057494
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shigeru Nemoto
Original assignee: Nemoto Kyorindo Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-04-06
Filing date: 2007-04-03
Publication date: 2007-10-11
Also published as: JPWO2007114447A1

Abstract

Graph creating means (152) creates an injection pressure to be detected during the execution of a test injection, as an aging graph in real time. A reference graph corresponding to the injection pressure at the time when the test injection is properly executed is stored in graph storage means (153). The shape of the reference graph and the shape of the aging graph are compared in real time by graph comparing means (156). If the shapes of the two are not similar, an anomaly occurrence is detected by anomaly detecting means (157).

Description

Specification

Chemical injection device

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemical injection device for injecting a chemical into a subject, and in particular, a CT (Computed Tomography) scanner or an MRI (Magnetic Magnetic).

Resonance Imaging equipment, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) equipment, etc .; ¾ Background technology related to chemical injection equipment that injects a contrast medium into a subject whose fluoroscopic images are taken with a jajfe imaging device

[0002] Currently, there are CT scanners, MRI apparatuses, PET apparatuses, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses, CT angio apparatuses, MR angio apparatuses, and the like as fluoroscopic imaging apparatuses that capture a fluoroscopic image of a subject. When using the above-described device, a chemical solution such as a contrast medium or physiological saline may be injected into the subject, and a chemical solution injection device that automatically executes this injection has also been put into practical use.

[0003] Such a chemical solution injection device has, for example, a piston drive mechanism including a drive motor and a slider mechanism, and a chemical solution syringe is detachably attached thereto. The chemical syringe includes a cylinder member and a piston member that is slidably inserted into the slider member. The cylinder member is filled with a chemical solution such as contrast medium or physiological saline.

[0004] When such a chemical syringe is connected to a subject with an extension tube and attached to the piston drive mechanism, the chemical injection device pushes the cylinder member into the piston member by the piston drive mechanism, thereby using the chemical syringe syringe. A contrast medium is injected into the subject. In that case, when the operator determines the injection speed and injection volume of the contrast medium in consideration of various conditions, and inputs these values to the liquid injection device, the liquid injection apparatus applies the contrast medium according to the input numerical values. Inject the subject. Since the contrast level of the subject changes due to the injection of the contrast agent, a good fluoroscopic image is taken by the fluoroscopic imaging device.

[0005] It should be noted that there are products that can inject physiological saline into a subject together with a contrast medium in a chemical solution injector. In such a chemical solution injection device, a contrast agent syringe filled with a contrast agent and a physiological saline syringe filled with physiological saline are mounted in parallel as a chemical solution syringe. It is. The contrast syringe and the saline syringe are usually connected to the subject by a single bifurcated extension tube.

[0006] Then, when the operator inputs data to the chemical solution injection device together with the injection speed, the injection volume, and the like to inject physiological saline in conjunction with the completion of the injection of the contrast agent as desired, the chemical solution injection device receives the input data. Corresponding to the above, a contrast medium is injected into the subject and then physiological saline is also injected automatically. For this reason, the contrast agent can be boosted with physiological saline to reduce the consumption of the contrast agent, and the artifact can be reduced with the physiological saline.

[0007] In addition, when a chemical solution is injected to an examinee with an extension tube using the above-described chemical solution injection device as described above, a test injection is usually performed first to confirm the connection state of the extension tube. In this test injection, a small amount of chemical solution is injected at a higher pressure than the official injection, and the operator determines whether there is an abnormality.

[0008] For example, if the extension tube is removed from the subject force during the test injection, the detected pressure rapidly decreases. Also, if the extension tube bends during the test injection, the detected pressure rises rapidly. Since the chemical injection device displays the pressure of the chemical to be injected in real time, the operator can judge the occurrence of abnormality by monitoring the pressure.

[0009] As described above, the test injection for confirming the connection state of the extension tube is performed by injection of a contrast medium in a chemical liquid injection apparatus in which only a contrast medium syringe is mounted, and the contrast medium syringe and the physiological saline syringe are connected. In terms of cost, the chemical injection device is usually implemented by injection of physiological saline.

[0010] Further, as test injection executed prior to formal injection, test injection for confirming the time required for the contrast medium to reach the affected area is also executed. In this test injection, contrast medium is injected at the same rate as normal injection, and the time required from the start of injection until the contrast medium reaches the affected area is measured.

[0011] Further, in the current general chemical solution injection device, an injection head to which a chemical solution syringe is attached;

The injection control unit in which display and input operations are executed is configured separately. Therefore, the injection head can be freely arranged in the vicinity of the subject, and the injection control unit can be arranged in the vicinity of the imaging control device of the fluoroscopic imaging device. [0012] In particular, when the fluoroscopic imaging apparatus is an MRI apparatus, the injection control unit with a built-in microcomputer cannot be arranged in the vicinity of the fluoroscopic imaging unit of the MRI apparatus. A structure that can be arranged separately from the control unit is useful.

[0013] It should be noted that, as described above, the present applicant has a structure in which the injection head and the injection control unit are separated, and the test injection input operation and display are executed by the injection head, and the formal injection input operation and display are performed. Has been filed by inventing a chemical solution injection device that improves the workability of test injection and formal injection by executing the injection control unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-368859 (WO2005 / 039675A1)

Since the chemical injection device as described above displays the pressure of the chemical to be injected in real time, the operator can determine whether there is an abnormality by monitoring the pressure. However, in other words, if the operator does not monitor the pressure displayed by the chemical injection device, the occurrence of an abnormality will not be determined, and the burden on the operator is heavy and the detection of the occurrence of the abnormality may be delayed.

[0014] For example, it is assumed that a predetermined allowable range is set for the chemical injection device with respect to the test injection pressure, and the chemical injection device detects an abnormality when the detected pressure deviates from the allowable range. it can. However, the force that needs to be confirmed when the detected pressure changes suddenly while satisfying the allowable range, etc. With the chemical injection device as described above, the allowable range is satisfied even if the pressure changes suddenly. If so, the occurrence of an abnormality is not detected.

[0015] In addition, it may be desired in the medical field to perform a test injection at a pressure that changes over time. In this case, for example, a pressure change pattern is set in the chemical injection device at the medical site. Then, the allowable range set in the chemical solution injection device does not correspond to the pressure detected by the test injection, and the occurrence of abnormality cannot be effectively detected. Disclosure of the invention

[0016] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and even when the pressure of the test injection is suddenly changed within a predetermined range or when the change pattern of the pressure is changed. An object of the present invention is to provide a chemical liquid injector capable of detecting abnormal occurrences satisfactorily.

[0017] The chemical injection device of the present invention is a chemical liquid syringe force in which a piston member is slidably inserted into a cylinder member. The chemical injection device is a piston drive mechanism, pressure detection means, graph generation means, graph storage means, graph comparison means, abnormality detection means, and warning notification means.

[0018] The piston drive mechanism pushes the piston member into the cylinder member. The pressure detection means detects the pressure of the chemical solution injected into the subject. The graph generating means generates the pressure detected during execution of the test injection in real time as a time graph. The graph storage means stores a reference graph corresponding to the pressure when the test injection is properly executed. The graph comparison means compares the shape of the time graph with the shape of the reference graph in real time. The abnormality detection means detects the occurrence of an abnormality if the shape of the time-dependent graph is not similar to the shape of the reference graph.

Therefore, in the chemical injection device of the present invention, for example, the time-lapse graph and the reference graph are compared by the existing image recognition technology, and if the reference graph and the time-lapse graph are not similar, the occurrence of abnormality is detected. Therefore, the occurrence of an abnormality is detected even when the pressure of the test injection changes rapidly within a predetermined range or when the pressure change pattern is changed.

[0020] It should be noted that the various means referred to in the present invention may be formed so as to realize their functions! For example, dedicated hardware that exhibits a predetermined function, and a predetermined function provided by a computer program. Can be realized as a predetermined function implemented in the data processing apparatus by a computer program, a combination thereof, etc.

[0021] In addition, the various constituent elements referred to in the present invention are not necessarily required to be individually independent, but a plurality of constituent elements are formed as one member, and one constituent element includes a plurality of constituent elements. It is possible to be formed of members, a certain component is a part of another component, a part of a certain component overlaps a part of another component, etc. Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a logical structure of a chemical liquid injector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a physical structure of a chemical solution injection system.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a chemical liquid injection system.

圆 4] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the chemical liquid injector. 圆 5] A perspective view showing a state in which a chemical syringe is attached to the injection head of the chemical injection device. 圆 6] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the injection head.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a sub touch panel that serves as both a sub operation panel and a sub display panel.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a schematic image of a body section and a blank condition screen are displayed on a main touch panel that serves as both a main operation panel and a main display panel. [9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display screen of the main touch panel in a state where the body classification is selected. [10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of the main touch panel in a state in which an imaging region is selected and a condition image is displayed.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an early part of the processing operation of the chemical injection device.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the middle part of the processing operation of the chemical injection device.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an end portion of the processing operation of the chemical liquid injector.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of an MRI apparatus which is a fluoroscopic imaging apparatus. Explanation of symbols

100 cartridge case injection device

101 Injection control unit

103 Main operation panel

104 Main touch panel

110 injection head

118 Sub-touch panel

120 computer units

130 Piston drive mechanism

151 Pressure detection means

152 Graph generation means

153 Graph storage means

156 Graph comparison means

157 Anomaly detection means 158 Warning notification means

159 Drive control means

161 Input operation means

162 Graph registration means

200 chemical syringe

210 Cylinder member

220 Piston member

300 MRI machine

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Configuration of Embodiment]

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a chemical injection system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chemical injection device 100, a chemical syringe 200, and an MRI apparatus 300 that is a fluoroscopic imaging device. As will be described later, a contrast medium or the like is injected into the subject (not shown) as a drug solution.

As shown in FIG. 3, the MRI apparatus 300 includes a fluoroscopic imaging unit 301 and an imaging control unit 302. The fluoroscopic imaging unit 301 and the imaging control unit 302 are connected to each other through a communication network 303. The fluoroscopic imaging unit 301 captures a fluoroscopic image from the subject, and the imaging control unit 302 controls the operation of the fluoroscopic imaging unit 301.

[0026] The chemical syringe 200 has a cylinder member 210 and a piston member 220 as shown in FIG. The piston member 220 is slidably inserted into the cylinder member 210. The cylinder member 210 has a cylindrical main body 211, and a conduit 212 is formed on the closed end face of the main body 211.

The end face of the main body 211 of the cylinder member 210 is opened, and the piston member 220 is inserted into the main body 211 from this opening. A cylinder flange 213 is formed on the outer periphery of the cylinder member 210, and a piston flange 221 is formed on the outer periphery of the piston member 220.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment includes an injection control unit 101, and an injection head 110 that is an injection device body configured separately from the injection control unit 101. Yes. Injection control unit 101 and injection head 110 are wire-connected with communication cable 102. The injection head 110 drives the chemical solution syringe 200 to be attached to inject the chemical solution into the subject. The injection control unit 101 controls the operation of the injection head 110.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, the injection control unit 101 has a computer unit 120 built therein. The computer unit 120 is also connected to the imaging control unit 302 of the MRI apparatus 300 through a communication network 304 by wire.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, the injection control unit 101 includes a main operation panel 103, a main touch panel 104 that combines the operation unit and the main display panel, a speaker unit 105, and the like arranged on the front surface of the main body housing 106. A separate controller unit 107 is wired with a connection cable 108.

The injection head 110 is attached to the upper end of the caster stand 111 via the movable arm 112. As shown in FIG. 5, the injection head 110 has a head main body 113, and a semicylindrical groove-shaped concave portion 114 that holds the chemical syringe 200 is formed on the upper surface of the head main body 113. ing.

A cylinder holding mechanism 116 that holds the cylinder flange 213 of the chemical liquid syringe 200 is formed in the front part of the recess 114. A piston drive mechanism 130 that holds and slides the piston flange 221 is disposed behind the recess 114. The cylinder holding mechanism 116 has a concave groove formed in the inner surface of the concave portion 114, and the cylinder flange 213 is engaged with the concave groove.

[0033] The two concave portions 114 of the injection head 110 are individually provided with a contrast medium syringe 200C filled with a contrast medium as a chemical solution and a physiological saline syringe 200P filled with a physiological saline solution as a chemical liquid! It is attached to. The piston drive mechanism 130 is disposed corresponding to each recess 114. The two recesses 114 and the two piston drive mechanisms 130 constitute a contrast medium injection mechanism 130C for injecting a contrast medium into a subject and a physiological saline injection mechanism 130P for injecting physiological saline.

As shown in FIG. 6, the piston drive mechanism 130 has a slide rod 131 that is elongated in the front-rear direction as a slider member. The slide rod 131 is supported by the head body 113 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction in a state in which the slide rod 131 cannot rotate about the axis. A piston pressing member 132 is formed in the body at the front end of the slide rod 131. A pair of engaging claws 133 are attached to the piston pressing member 132 so as to be freely opened and closed. A threaded hole 134 is formed in the slide rod 131 such that the center force on the rear surface is also directed forward. A male screw 136 that engages with the screw hole 134 is formed on a screw shaft 137 that is a rotating member.

The screw shaft 137 is rotatably supported on the head body 113 by a radial bearing 138, and is supported by the thrust bearing 139 in the axial direction in a rotatable state. More specifically, an annular flange portion 141 is formed near the rear end of the screw shaft 137, and an annular thrust bearing 139 is in contact with the rear surface of the flange portion 141.

A load cell 142 having the same shape is in contact with the rear surface of the thrust bearing 139 as a pressure detection element. The load cell 142 is a force fixed to the head main body 113. The thrust bearing 139 is supported by the head main body 113 so as to be slightly displaceable in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the piston drive mechanism 130 has an ultrasonic motor 143 as a drive motor, and the ultrasonic motor 143 includes a belt mechanism 144 and a screw shaft 137 as shown in FIG. It is connected to. More specifically, a belt wheel 145 is attached to the rear end of the screw shaft 137, and a belt wheel is also attached to the rotor member of the ultrasonic motor 143 (not shown). An endless belt 146 is stretched around these belt wheels 145.

[0039] In this embodiment, each part of the injection head 110 is formed of a nonmagnetic material, and a portion that cannot be formed of a nonmagnetic material is shielded. For example, the ultrasonic motor 143 has phosphor bronze alloy (Cu + Sn + P), titanium alloy (Ή-6Α 卜 4V), magnesium alloy (Mg + Al + Zn), It is made of non-magnetic metal such as. Similarly, the load cell 142, the screw, the shaft 137, etc. are made of non-magnetic metal. The belt mechanism 144 and the head body 113 are made of non-magnetic grease.

[0040] In the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, the main operation panel 103, the load cell 142, and the like are connected to the computer unit 120, and each part is integrated and controlled in accordance with the computer program installed in the computer unit 120 force. To do. Because of this, injection control The computer unit 120 controls the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 of the injection head 110 in response to input operations of the main operation panel 103, main touch panel 104, and controller unit 107 of the unit 101, and various data related to this control are stored in the computer. The unit 120 is displayed on the main touch panel 104.

As shown in FIG. 5, a sub-touch panel 118 serving as both a sub-operation panel and a sub-display panel is attached to the side of the injection head 110! The computer unit 120 also controls the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 of the injection head 110 and displays various data related to this control on the sub-touch panel 118 even when the sub-touch panel 118 is input.

However, since the force sub-touch panel 118, which will be described in detail later, has a smaller screen size and fewer pixels than the main touch panel 104, the amount of data that can be displayed is small. For this reason, all of the various data that need to be displayed is displayed on the main touch panel 104. Only a part is displayed on the sub touch panel 118.

In the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the computer unit 120 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 122, a RAM (Rando m

Access Memory) 123, l / F (Interface) 124, and the like.

[0044] In the computer unit 120, a dedicated computer program is mounted on an information storage medium such as the ROM 122 by firmware or the like, and the CPU 121 executes various processing operations corresponding to the computer program.

[0045] Since the computer unit 120 recognizes data input from the main touch panel 104 and the sub touch panel 118 and controls the display, the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment stores various data of formal injection on the main touch panel 104. The input operation is performed and displayed on the main touch panel 104, and various data of the test injection are input on the sub touch panel 118 and displayed on the sub touch panel 118.

[0046] More specifically, in the computer unit 120, the control data of the piston drive mechanism 130 specially designed for confirming the connection state of the extension tube 230 is registered as various types of test injection data. The test touch start command is input to the sub touch panel 118. Then, the operation of the ultrasonic motor 143 of the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P is controlled corresponding to the test injection control data.

[0047] As described above, the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment is configured such that the computer unit 120 operates in response to the computer program and the control data for the test injection, so that the pressure detection means 151, the graph generation means 152, the graph storage Means 153, graph display means 154, graph comparison means 156, abnormality detection means 157, warning notification means 158, drive control means 159, input operation means 161, graph registration means 162, etc. The

[0048] Each of these means uses hardware such as the load cell 142 and the sub-touch panel 104 as a part if necessary, but basically the CPU 121 performs predetermined data processing corresponding to the computer program in the ROM 122. It corresponds to the function to execute.

As will be described in detail later, the pressure detection means 151 detects the pressure of the chemical solution injected into the subject from the detection pressure of the load cell 142. The graph generating means 152 generates the pressure detected during the test injection in real time as a time graph. The graph storage means 153 corresponds to a storage area of the RAM 123 constructed so that the CPU 121 can recognize, and stores a reference graph corresponding to the pressure when the test injection is properly executed.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7, the graph display means 154 displays the stored reference graph on the sub-touch panel 118 and also displays the generated time-lapse graph in real time. The graph comparison means 156 compares the shape of the time-lapse graph with the shape of the reference graph in real time using an existing image recognition technique or the like. The abnormality detection means 157 detects the occurrence of an abnormality if the shape of the time graph and the reference graph are not similar.

[0051] When the abnormality detection unit 157 detects an abnormality, the warning notification unit 158 displays that the abnormality has occurred on the main touch panel 104 and the sub touch panel 118 and outputs the sound from the speaker unit 105 as a sound. Will issue a warning. The drive control means 159 controls the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 corresponding to the reference graph when the test injection is executed, and forcibly stops the piston drive mechanism 130 when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection means 157.

The input operation unit 161 sets the abnormality detection unit 157 in a state in which an abnormality has been detected in response to a predetermined input operation to the sub-touch panel 118. The graph registration means 162 is a sub-touch By a predetermined input operation on the panel 118, the time graph is registered in the graph storage means 153 as a reference graph.

[0053] The various means of the chemical solution injection device 100 as described above are forces realized by using hardware such as the main touch panel 104 as necessary. The main body is a computer program stored in an information storage medium such as the ROM 122. This is realized by the function of the CPU 121, which is hardware, corresponding to the above.

[0054] Such a computer program stores, for example, a reference graph corresponding to the pressure when the test injection is properly executed in the RAM 123, and the piston corresponding to the reference graph when the test injection is executed. Control the operation of the drive mechanism 130, detect the pressure of the chemical injected into the subject during the test injection from the detection pressure of the load cell 142, generate the detected pressure in real time as a graph over time, subtouch panel Display the reference graph in 118 and display the time graph in real time, compare the shape of the time graph with the shape of the reference graph in real time using existing image recognition technology, etc., and the shape of the time graph and the reference graph are similar Otherwise, the occurrence of an abnormality will be detected and the corresponding input operation to the sub touch panel 118 will be supported. If an abnormality is detected, the main touch panel 104 and sub touch panel 118 display and the sound of the speaker unit 105 will give a warning, and if an abnormality is detected, the piston will drive. As software for causing the CPU 121 or the like to execute processing operations such as forcibly stopping the mechanism 130 and registering a time-dependent graph as a reference graph by a predetermined input operation to the sub-touch panel 118, it is stored in an information storage medium such as the RAM 123. Stored.

[0055] [Effect of the embodiment]

In the configuration as described above, when the liquid injector 100 of this embodiment is used, the injection head 110 of the liquid injector 100 is arranged in the vicinity of the fluoroscopic imaging unit 301 of the MRI apparatus 300 as shown in FIG. The injection control unit 101 is disposed at a predetermined position away from the fluoroscopic imaging unit 301.

[0056] In such a state, for example, the operator moves to the vicinity of the injection head 110, and the subject (not shown) located in the fluoroscopic imaging unit 301 is in contact with the two chemical liquid series using the bifurcated extension tube 230. Link 200 (contrast medium syringe 200C and saline syringe 200P). Then, the cylinder member 210 of these chemical solution syringes 200 is held in the recess 114 of the injection head 110, and the piston member 220 is gripped by the piston drive mechanism 130.

Next, the operator moves from the vicinity of the injection head 110 to the vicinity of the injection control unit 101, and activates the chemical injection device 100 by an input operation on the main operation panel 103 or the like. Then, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 11, a schematic image of a plurality of body sections is displayed on the upper part of the main touch panel 104 corresponding to the human body shape, and the injection rate of the medicinal solution is displayed below it. A horizontally long condition screen with the vertical axis and injection time on the horizontal axis is displayed (Step Sl).

[0058] Therefore, when one of the schematic images of the plurality of body sections displayed on the main touch panel 104 is selected by the operator touching with a finger (step S2), the selection is performed as shown in FIG. Only the schematic image of the selected body section is brightened and the other schematic images are darkened, and the schematic image of the scanner mechanism is displayed above the schematic image of the selected body section.

[0059] At the same time, a schematic image of a plurality of imaging regions related to the selected body segment is read and displayed at the bottom (steps S3 and S4), one of which is manually performed by the operator. When selected by touching (step S5), as shown in FIG. 10, only one selected schematic image is brightened and the other schematic images are darkened.

[0060] When an imaging region is selected as described above, in the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, it is confirmed whether or not a plurality of types of chemical syringes 200 are registered in the RAM 123 corresponding to the imaging region (step If a plurality of types of liquid syringes 200 are registered, product names and capacities that are identification data are listed in the main touch panel 104 and the sub touch panel 118 (step S7).

That is, in the liquid injector 100 of this embodiment, since a plurality of types of contrast medium syringe 200C and physiological saline syringe 200P are used, various data of the contrast medium syringe 200C and the physiological saline syringe 200P that are used. Is registered in advance. Furthermore, since the various data of the chemical syringe 200 are registered in association with the imaging region, when the imaging region is selected as described above, the corresponding product name of the chemical syringe 200 is displayed in a list. The [0062] Therefore, when the operator selects and operates the chemical syringe 200 on the sub-touch panel 118, various data of the selected chemical syringe 200 are read (step S9). At this time, for example, the display data of the selected chemical syringe 200 is erased, and the display data of only the selected chemical syringe 200 is expanded, so that the operator confirms the selection result of the chemical syringe 200 with certainty. can do.

[0063] It should be noted that the liquid injector 100 of the present embodiment stores the liquid syringe 200 that was used last time, and the liquid syringe 200 that was used last time is displayed by blinking or inversion when displayed as a list. The operator can easily execute the selection operation when the chemical syringe 200 to be used is the same as the previous one.

[0064] Since the selection operation of the chemical syringe 200 can also be performed on the sub-touch panel 118 of the injection head 110, the contrast medium syringe 200C and the physiological saline syringe 200P that are actually attached to the injection head 110 are installed. It is also possible to execute the selection operation with the sub touch panel 118 while confirming.

[0065] If only the contrast medium syringe 200C and the physiological saline syringe 200P force type are registered corresponding to the imaging site (step S6), the various types of data of the drug syringe 200 are automatically read out. The product name, capacity, etc. are enlarged and displayed on the main touch panel 104 and the sub touch panel 118 (step S9).

[0066] In the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, for each contrast medium syringe 200C and physiological saline syringe 200P used, the inner diameter of the cylinder member 210, the stroke of the piston member 220, and the friction between the cylinder member 210 and the piston member 220 Various data such as force, volume of filled chemical solution, viscosity of chemical solution, etc. are registered, so these various data are read out corresponding to the selection operation of contrast medium syringe 200C and physiological saline syringe 200P .

[0067] When the imaging region and the chemical syringe 200 are selected as described above, in the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, the previous injection conditions for the formal injection correspond to the imaging region and the chemical syringe 200. It is confirmed whether it is registered in RAMI 23 (step S 10), registered !, na! /, And the default injection conditions are read (step Sl l). The injection condition is read (step S12).

[0068] It should be noted that in the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, the contrast agent and the physiological saline are sequentially used in the formal injection. The injection conditions of contrast medium and physiological saline are registered so that this injection is executed. Since the injection time and the injection rate are set as data for the injection conditions read out in this way, the injection time and the injection speed are multiplied to calculate the injection volume for each injection condition (step S13).

[0069] Then, a condition image in which the injection speed and the injection volume are given as text data in a width corresponding to the injection time is generated for each injection condition (step S14), and as shown in FIG. The image is displayed and output on the condition screen at a vertical position corresponding to the injection speed and a horizontal position corresponding to the injection time (step S17).

[0070] At this time, as described above, the condition image is also generated for the injection condition force of the contrast medium and the physiological saline as described above. For example, the condition image is displayed and output in green and blue, and sequentially in the horizontal direction. Are displayed and output. In addition, it is determined for each injection condition whether the injection speed exceeds the upper limit speed (step S15) .If the injection speed exceeds, the condition image flashes in red and a speed warning is issued. Is output (step S16).

As shown in FIG. 12, the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment can change the injection conditions displayed on the main touch panel 104 as described above by operating the main touch panel 104 as desired. Yes (Steps S18, S19). For example, the injection speed of the injection condition can be increased or decreased by bringing the finger into contact with the center of the condition image displayed on the main touch panel 104 and sliding the contacted finger up or down on the condition image. .

[0072] Further, the injection time and the injection volume of the injection conditions can be increased or decreased by bringing a finger into contact with at least one of the left and right ends of the displayed condition image and sliding the contacted finger to the left or right. . In addition, when you touch your finger on the injection speed and injection volume values in the displayed condition image, an operation image of the numeric keypad is displayed there (not shown). The rate and volume of injection can be increased or decreased.

[0073] As described above, when the injection condition for formal injection is input by the condition image displayed on the main touch panel 104 (step S18), this is stored as the current injection condition (step S12). A condition image is generated in real time corresponding to the condition (steps 313 to 319).

[0074] In the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, the injection conditions for formal injection are determined as described above. Corresponding to the imaging region selected as described above and the chemical syringe 200, the force registered in the RAM 123 as the reference graph is confirmed as the time chart of the test injection (step S20).

[0075] If the time graph is registered, in this case, the default graph corresponding to the imaging region and the chemical syringe 200 is read, and the reference graph is read and displayed on the sub touch panel 118 (step S23). ). On the other hand, if a time-dependent graph is registered corresponding to the imaging region and the chemical syringe 200, the time-dependent graph is read and displayed as a reference graph on the sub-touch panel 118 (step S21).

[0076] In this case, for example, the sub-touch panel 118 “executes test injection with user settings.

The default reference graph and the time graph registered as the reference graph are displayed along with guidance messages such as “YZN”. For this reason, the operator can also select and operate the power to use the registered time graph or the default reference graph on the sub touch panel 118 (step S22).

[0077] Therefore, when the operator selects a desired reference graph, only the reference graph is displayed on the sub-touch panel 118. In this state, the operator inputs a test start to the sub-touch panel 118. Then (step S24), initial setting and test injection are performed (step S25 ~).

In that case, first, the computer unit 120 acquires electrical resistance as an electrical signal from the load cell 142 without operating the ultrasonic motor 143 of the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P and the design injection mechanism 130C (step S25). The initial setting is executed assuming that the electric resistance indicates a pressure of “0” V (step S26).

Next, the computer unit 120 executes test injection by operating the ultrasonic motor 143 only for the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P corresponding to the reference graph (step S27). At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the screw shaft 137 connected by the ultrasonic motor 143 and the belt mechanism 144 is rotationally driven. The screw shaft 137 is driven by the load cell 142 fixed to the head body 113. Since it is supported in the axial direction through the thrust bearing 139, the slide rod 131 connected to the screw shaft 137 by the screw mechanism is slid. Accordingly, the piston member 220 is pushed into the cylinder member 210 by the slide rod 131, and the chemical solution is injected from the cylinder member 210 to the subject. At this time, the pressure acting on the slide rod 131 that presses the piston member 220 also acts on the screw shaft 137, so that the pressure acting on the screw shaft 137 acts on the load cell 142 via the thrust bearing 139.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the computer unit 120 obtains the pressure detected by the load cell 142 during the execution of the chemical solution injection as described above (step S28), and the initial value of the chemical solution set by the syringe selection is obtained. The viscosity corresponds to the inner diameter of the cylinder member 210 and the like, and the pushing pressure of the piston member 220 is converted into the chemical injection pressure (step S29).

[0082] For this reason, in the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, the operator can easily confirm the injection pressure of the chemical solution that does not need to analogize the injection pressure of the chemical solution from the pressure acting on the piston member 220. it can. However, since the various data necessary to convert the pressure of the piston member 220 into the injection pressure of the chemical solution is set just by selecting and operating the chemical syringe 200 listed as described above (Step S8, S9), no complicated data input is required for the operator.

[0083] Then, as shown in FIG. 7, since this injection pressure force time graph is generated in real time and displayed on the sub-touch panel 118 (step S30), the operator can actually carry out the chemical solution injected in the test. It can be easily confirmed in real time whether the injection pressure of the gas corresponds to the reference graph.

[0084] It should be noted that in the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, the upper limit pressure of the test injection is also set by default corresponding to the imaging site and the chemical syringe 200, so that the injection pressure is increased during the test injection. Whether or not the upper limit pressure is exceeded is constantly monitored (step S31). If the injection pressure exceeds the upper limit pressure, an abnormality is output from the main touch panel 104 and sub touch panel 118 display and the audio output of the speaker unit 105 (step S35), and the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P is activated. Is forcibly stopped (step S36). For this reason, the operator can quickly and reliably recognize that an abnormal pressure has occurred in the test injection, and automatically prevent the test injection from continuing while the abnormal pressure is generated.

[0085] Further, the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment corresponds to the physiological saline injection mechanism corresponding to the reference graph. Since the test injection is executed by driving 130P, if the test injection is executed normally, the shape of the graph over time is similar to the shape of the reference graph. Therefore, for example, the computer unit 120 compares the shape of the graph over time with the shape of the reference graph in real time using the existing image recognition technology (step S32), and an abnormality occurs when the shapes of both graphs are similar. Is detected.

[0086] For example, when the injection needle (not shown) of the extension tube 230 is removed from the blood vessel but remains in the muscle during the test injection, the time-lapse graph rapidly decreases in a short time. However, if the time graph is originally higher than the reference graph, the occurrence of an abnormality may not be detected from the difference from the pressure of the reference graph even if the pressure of the time graph decreases.

[0087] On the other hand, if the extension tube 230 is bent during the test injection, the time-lapse graph rises rapidly in a short time, but if the time-lapse graph is originally lower in pressure than the reference graph, The differential force between the increased pressure and the pressure in the reference graph may not detect the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0088] However, in the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, the occurrence of an abnormality is detected if the shape of the reference graph and the shape of the time-dependent graph are not similar, and thus the occurrence of an abnormality is detected even if the pressure difference is not sufficient as described above can do. When a sufficient pressure difference is generated between the reference graph and the time-lapse graph, it is determined that the shapes are not similar, and thus an abnormality is detected. As described above, for example, a recognition technique used in OCR (Optical Character Reader) or the like can be used as a technique for determining the similarity in shape between the reference graph and the time-dependent graph.

[0089] Furthermore, in the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, for example, by touching the upper or lower portion of the reference graph displayed on the sub-touch panel 118 with fingers during execution of the test injection (step S32), The test injection pressure can also be adjusted in real time (step S27). Since the manually operated time graph is not compared with the reference graph (step S33), the test injection may be performed in a state where the time graph is not similar to the reference graph according to the operator's request. it can.

[0090] Further, in the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, the time-lapse dull is displayed in real time together with the reference graph as described above, so that the occurrence of abnormality is determined by the operator's judgment on the sub touch panel. It is also possible to perform an input operation on the button 118 (step S34). Even in that case, since the operation of the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P is forcibly stopped (step S36), the time graph determined to be abnormal by the operator is not registered as the reference graph.

[0091] As described above, when the test injection is interrupted due to the occurrence of an abnormality, the operator will investigate the cause of the abnormality and deal with it. In that case, the chemical solution syringe 200 may need to be replaced, but usually there is no need to change the imaging site. Therefore, in the chemical injection device 100 of this embodiment, when the test injection is interrupted due to the occurrence of an abnormality (step S36), as shown in FIG. 11, the state force operation with the selected imaging region can be resumed. (Step S6) The test injection can be resumed quickly without the need for unnecessary input operations.

[0092] Then, the above-described test injection operation is repeated (steps S27 to S37) until the completion of the injection is detected for the force such as the working distance of the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P (step S37). When this test injection is completed without any problem (step S37), as shown in FIG. 13, the operation of the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P is stopped (step S38).

[0093] Then, on the sub-touch panel 118, a guidance message such as “Do you want to register this injection graph as a reference graph for the next and subsequent times? YZN” is displayed with the reference graph and time graph displayed. Is done. Therefore, when the operator determines that the time graph of the current test injection is registered more appropriately than the current reference graph, the operator manually operates “Y” (step S39).

Then, since the current time graph is registered as the reference graph (step S40), the time graph in which the next force is also registered can be used as the reference graph (steps S20 to S23). Therefore, a time-lapse graph that has been confirmed to be similar to the current reference graph without exceeding the upper limit pressure (steps S31 and S33) can be registered as a new reference graph as desired by the operator (step S40). ).

[0095] Even when a time graph that is not similar to the reference graph is generated manually by the operator (step S32), the time graph can be registered as a new reference graph as desired by the operator. (Step S40). In particular, even if the test injection is manually operated as desired by the operator, the injection pressure is limited to a range that does not exceed the upper limit pressure (step S31), so the test injection is executed at an abnormal pressure. (Step S 36) Dangerous time graphs may not be registered as reference graphs! /.

[0096] Even when the original time-dependent graph is registered as a new reference graph in this way, the next test injection is executed corresponding to the reference graph, and the waveform of the reference graph and the new time-based graph is displayed. The presence or absence of an abnormality is determined by comparison. For this reason, in the chemical injection device 100 according to the present embodiment, even if the reference graph is changed according to the operator's request, it is possible to detect abnormal occurrence of the test injection.

[0097] Further, the time-lapse graph registered as the reference graph is registered corresponding to the imaging region and the chemical syringe 200, and if the imaging region and the chemical syringe 200 are selected and operated as described above (Steps S1 to S8). ), The corresponding reference graph is automatically read out (steps S20 to S23), so that the reference graph corresponding to the imaging region and the drug solution syringe 200 can be easily registered and read out.

[0098] If the operator determines that the time chart of the current test injection is not more appropriate than the current reference graph, the operator will manually operate “N”, so the current time graph is the reference It will be deleted without being registered as a graph, and the current reference graph will be used next time.

[0099] Then, when the test injection is completed as described above (steps S39 and S40), the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment is in a state in which formal injection can be executed (steps S41 to S41). In that case, the operator also moves the vicinity force of the injection head 110 to the vicinity of the injection control unit 101, and inputs a start operation of formal injection to the main touch panel 104. Then, the chemical injection device 100 that has detected this (step S41) transmits a work start to the MRI apparatus 300 (step S44).

[0100] As shown in FIG. 14, the MRI apparatus 300 that has received the work start from the chemical injection device 100 in this way (step T2) returns the work start to the chemical injection device 100 and executes the imaging operation ( Step Τ8). For this reason, in the chemical injection system 1000 of this embodiment, the imaging of the MRI apparatus 300 follows the chemical injection of the chemical injection apparatus 100.

[0101] In the chemical injection system 1000 of this embodiment, as described above, the chemical injection device 100 is in a state where preparation for normal injection is completed (steps S41 to S43), and as shown in FIG. When the start of imaging is input (step Tl), the MRI 300 The liquid injection of the liquid injection device 100 follows (steps T4, T6 ~, S42, S47 ~).

[0102] As shown in Fig. 13, when the chemical injection device 100 performs a series of chemical injection operations (from step S48), the injection start force is also measured for the elapsed time (step S48), and the elapsed time The contrast medium injection mechanism 130C and the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P are sequentially controlled in real time in accordance with the read injection conditions (step S49).

[0103] Also at this time, the computer unit 120 obtains the pressure detected by the load cell 142 (step S50), and injects the piston pressure corresponding to the initial viscosity of the chemical solution corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylinder member 210, etc. (Step S51) and confirms that this injection pressure is normal (step S52).

[0104] The chemical injection device 100 and the MRI device 300 of the present embodiment detect the occurrence of abnormality in the above-mentioned ready state (steps S43, T3), or detect the occurrence of abnormality during operation execution. (Steps S52 and T9), the occurrence of the abnormality is output (Steps S55 and T16), and the operation is stopped (Steps S58 and T18).

[0105] Furthermore, since the occurrence of the abnormality is also transmitted to the other side (Steps S54, T15), the other side that has received this (Steps T10, S44) also outputs an abnormality occurrence (Steps T16, S46). Also, since one operation stop is also sent to the other (steps S56, T17), the other operation that received this (steps T13, S53) executes the operation stop (steps T18, S57).

[0106] Even when an operation stop is input to one side (step S58, Tl l), the operation stop is executed (step S57, T18) and also sent to the other (step S56). Τ) 17) Even if the other side receives this (step T13, S60), the operation is stopped (step T18, S57) ₀

[0107] When the operation completion is detected on one side (steps S61 and T14), the operation end is executed (steps S62 and T19), and the operation end is transmitted to the other side (steps 61). flop S63, T20), the other at even (step Tl 2 which has received this, S59), stops the operation (step T18, S57) ₀

[0108] In the drug solution injection system 1000 of this embodiment, as described above, the drug solution injection of the drug solution injection device 100 and the imaging of the MRI device 300 are automatically linked, so that the contrast agent and the physiological saline are separated. It is possible to take a fluoroscopic image of a subject who is injected in order at an appropriate timing at an appropriate timing.

[0109] In the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, as described above, various data of formal injection are input and operated on the large and high-resolution main touch panel 104 mounted on the injection control unit 101 and displayed. Therefore, complicated input operation and display of formal injection can be executed accurately.

[0110] Nevertheless, since various data of the test injection are input and displayed on the small, low-resolution sub-touch panel 118 mounted on the injection head 110, one operator is in the vicinity of the injection head 110. Thus, it is possible to easily perform the test injection input operation and confirmation while visually observing the extension tube 230 and the like.

Further, in the chemical injection device 100 of the present embodiment, the piston drive mechanism 130 is supported by the head main body 113 so as to be displaceable, and the port cell 142 for detecting the pressure acting on the piston drive mechanism 130 is the head main body 113. It is fixed to. For this reason, since the load cell 142 is arranged in the movable part of the piston drive mechanism 130, the structure is simple and the productivity and reliability are good.

[0112] [Modification of Embodiment]

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are allowed without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the chemical injection device 100 having the contrast medium injection mechanism 130C and the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P is exemplified to inject the contrast medium and the physiological saline. A chemical solution injection device (not shown) for injecting only the agent can also be implemented.

[0113] Further, in the above embodiment, the chemical injection device 100 having the contrast medium injection mechanism 130C and the physiological saline injection mechanism 130P performs the test injection with the physiological saline. However, it is also possible to perform a test injection with a contrast agent. In that case, for example, the control data of the piston drive mechanism 130 specialized for confirming the time required for the contrast medium to reach the affected part where the fluoroscopic image is taken is registered in the computer unit 120 as various data of the test injection. In addition, the operation of the piston drive mechanism 130 can be controlled in accordance with the control data. [0114] Further, in the above embodiment, it is exemplified that the main touch panel 104 and the sub touch panel 118 execute the input operation and display of formal injection and test injection. However, for example, it is also possible to separately perform the input operation and display of formal injection and test injection on the independent main touch panel and sub display panel and the main operation panel and sub operation panel (not shown). )

[0115] Further, in the above embodiment, it has been exemplified that various data of the chemical syringe 200 necessary for converting the pressure of the piston member 220 into the injection pressure of the chemical solution is registered in the chemical injection device 100 in advance. However, for example, an RFID tag in which various data is recorded is attached to the chemical syringe 200, and an RFID reader that acquires various data in which the RFID tag force is recorded is mounted in the chemical injection device. Is also possible (not shown). In this case, even if the new chemical syringe 200 is shipped, the chemical injection device 100 can acquire various data thereof.

[0116] Furthermore, the chemical injection device 100 is connected online to the host computer of the manufacturer of the chemical syringe 200, and various data are online to the chemical injection device 100 each time a new chemical syringe 200 is shipped. It is also possible to provide it with (not shown).

[0117] In the above embodiment, the pressure of the piston member 220 is converted into the injection pressure of the chemical liquid based on various data of the chemical liquid syringe 200. However, for example, by installing a load cell inside the cylinder member 210 or the extension tube 230 (not shown), it is possible to directly detect the injection pressure of the chemical solution.

[0118] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, at least one chemical syringe 200 is registered for each imaging region, and when there are a plurality of registered chemical syringes 200, a list is displayed and an operator performs a selection operation. did. However, only one chemical syringe 200 is registered for each imaging region, and syringe data can be automatically read when an imaging region is selected.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the MRI apparatus 300 is used as the fluoroscopic imaging apparatus, and the liquid injector 100 injects the MR contrast agent. However, for example, a CT scanner or PET device is used as a fluoroscopic imaging device, and a contrast medium for that is injected by a chemical injection device. Is also possible.

Further, in the above embodiment, it is exemplified that various means are logically realized as various functions of the chemical injection device 100 by operating the CPU 121 corresponding to the computer program stored in the RAM 123 or the like. However, each of these various means can be formed as unique hardware, and a part thereof can be stored as software in the RAM 123 or the like and a part can be formed as nodeware.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] A chemical solution injection device that performs a test injection of a chemical solution to a subject through an extension tube through which a piston member is slidably inserted into a cylinder member, and then officially injects the test solution.

A piston drive mechanism for pushing the piston member into the cylinder member;

Pressure detection means for detecting an injection pressure of a chemical solution injected into the subject, and a graph generation means for generating the injection pressure detected during execution of the test injection in real time as a time graph;

A graph storage means for storing a reference graph corresponding to the injection pressure when the test injection is properly executed;

A graph comparing means for comparing the shape of the time-dependent graph with the shape of the reference graph in real time;

An abnormality detection means for detecting occurrence of an abnormality if the shape of the time-dependent graph and the shape of the reference graph are not similar;

Have a! / A chemical solution injection device.

[2] Graph display means for displaying the time-lapse graph in real time;

Input operation means for causing the abnormality detection means to be in a state where the occurrence of the abnormality is detected by an input operation; and

The chemical injection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

[3] Graph display means for displaying the time-lapse graph together with the reference graph;

2. The drug solution injector according to claim 1, further comprising a graph registration unit that registers the time-lapse graph as the reference graph in the graph storage unit by an input operation.

[4] A main display panel that controls the operation of the piston drive mechanism, and at least a computer unit that functions as the graph generation unit, the graph storage unit, and the graph comparison unit, and displays various data by the computer unit. Nell,

A main operation panel for accepting various data input operations to the computer unit; A sub display panel that is smaller than the main display panel and displays various data by the computer unit;

A sub operation panel that is smaller than the main operation panel and accepts various data input operations to the computer unit;

At least the computer unit, the main display panel, and the main operation panel are mounted on the injection control unit;

The injection control unit is configured separately from the injection control unit, and has at least the piston drive mechanism, the injection head on which the sub display panel and the sub operation panel are mounted,

At least a part of the data of the formal injection is input on the main operation panel and displayed on the main display panel,

The chemical injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least part of data of the test injection is input on the sub operation panel and displayed on the sub display panel.

[5] The computer unit stores a schematic image of a plurality of body sections of a human body and a large number of imaging parts in association with each other, and stores the reference graph for each imaging part.

The main display panel displays a plurality of schematic images of the body sections corresponding to the human body shape,

The main operation panel accepts an input operation for selecting one of the displayed body categories,

The main display panel displays at least one schematic image of the imaging region corresponding to the selected body segment,

The main operation panel accepts an input operation for selecting one of the displayed imaging parts,

5. The chemical injection device according to claim 4, wherein the reference graph corresponding to the selected imaging region is read and displayed on the sub display panel.

[6] There are multiple types of the drug solution syringe, A pressure detection element for detecting in real time the pressure with which the piston member is pushed into the cylinder member;

The computer unit stores various data of the chemical syringe for each imaging region, reads various data of the chemical syringe corresponding to the selected imaging region, and uses the read various data of the chemical syringe. 6. The chemical solution injection device according to claim 5, wherein the pressure detected by the pressure detection element is converted into the injection pressure of the chemical solution in real time.

[7] There are multiple types of the drug solution syringe,

A pressure detection element for detecting in real time the pressure with which the piston member is pushed into the cylinder member;

The computer unit stores various data of at least one chemical syringe for each imaging region,

The computer unit reads various data of the liquid syringe corresponding to the selected imaging region,

At least one of the main display panel and the sub display panel displays identification data of at least one kind of the liquid syringe corresponding to the selected imaging region,

At least one of the main operation panel and the sub operation panel accepts an input operation for selecting one from the displayed identification data,

6. The chemical solution injection device according to claim 5, wherein the computer unit converts the pressure detected by the pressure detection element from the various data of the selected chemical solution syringe into the injection pressure of the chemical solution in real time.

[8] It further includes an RFID reader that acquires the various recorded data from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag in which various data is recorded and attached to the chemical syringe.

The pressure detection means includes a pressure detection element that detects in real time a pressure at which the piston member is pushed into the cylinder member, and a pressure detected by the pressure detection element based on the various data acquired from the RFID tag. The injection pressure of realta The chemical injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a pressure conversion means for converting into a fluid.

[9] A data processing method using the chemical injection device according to claim 1,

A reference graph corresponding to the injection pressure when the test injection is properly executed is stored,

The injection pressure detected during the execution of the test injection is generated in real time as a time graph,

A data processing method for comparing the shape of the time-dependent graph with the shape of the reference graph in real time, and detecting the occurrence of an abnormality if the shape of the time-dependent graph is not similar to the shape of the reference graph.

[10] A computer program for the chemical injection device according to claim 1,

Storing a reference graph corresponding to the injection pressure when the test injection is properly executed;

Generating the injection pressure detected during execution of the test injection in real time as a graph over time;

Comparing the shape of the time graph with the shape of the reference graph in real time; and

Detecting the occurrence of an abnormality if the shape of the graph over time and the shape of the reference graph are not similar;

Is a computer program for causing the medicinal solution injection device to execute.