Patent ID: 7662133

Claim:
A fluid introduction system, comprising: an introducer configured to introduce fluid into a spine of a patient, the introducer having a flow-rate dependent impedance opposing the introduction of the fluid and comprising a movable element disposed within the introducer, the movable element including a pressure transducer secured with respect to the movable element such that the pressure transducer is in direct contact with fluid in the introducer; an operator configured to actuate the introducer to introduce fluid into the spine of the patient at a constant flow rate that is not controlled by feedback based on a fluid introduction parameter and configured to determine impedance data indicative of the flow rate-dependent impedance based upon pressure and volume of fluid dispensed during an actuation of the introducer prior to insertion of the introducer into the spine; a computer readable medium having code that, when executed by a computer, receives: fluid introduction data indicative of the fluid introduction parameter; response data indicative of pain level of a response of the patient at a time related to a time of the fluid introduction data; and response data, input separately from the pain level data, indicative of concordance of the response of the patient at the time related to the time of the fluid introduction data, the concordance data indicating whether the pain level response of the patient is a result of a pain symptom or is a result of pain unrelated to the pain symptom.