Patent ID: 7925330

Claim:
A fluid injection apparatus comprising: at least one pressurizing mechanism; at least a first fluid container operably associated with the at least one pressurizing mechanism, the first fluid container being adapted to contain a first fluid to be injected, the first fluid comprising a contrast enhancing agent; at least a second fluid container operably associated with the at least one pressurizing mechanism, the second fluid container adapted to contain a second fluid, the second fluid being different from the first fluid; a controller operably associated with the at least one pressurizing mechanism, the controller comprising a programming system to allow programming of an injection protocol comprising a plurality of phases, the plurality of phases comprising at least a first phase in which at least the first fluid is injected and a second phase, subsequent to the first phase, in which an admixture of the second fluid with the first fluid is injected, wherein admixture of the second fluid with the first fluid decreases the concentration of the contrast enhancing agent in a resulting admixture as compared to a concentration of the contrast enhancing agent in the first phase; and at least one parameter generator to determine parameters of at least the second phase based at least in part upon a type of the injection procedure and at least the magnitude of peak enhancement in a test injection in which at least the first fluid is injected prior to a diagnostic injection, the parameter generator being adapted to determine at least a ratio of the first fluid to the second fluid in the second phase based upon the magnitude of peak enhancement in the test injection.