Patent ID: 7837667

Claim:
A fluid management method for a patient, the method comprising: injecting the patient with a contrast agent; imaging the patient; and inducing diuresis to drive any contrast agent through the patient's kidneys to reduce its toxic effects on the kidneys and prevent damage to the kidneys by: setting a desired fluid balance, weighing the patient's urine output collected in a urine collection chamber, weighing a source of hydration fluid, pumping hydration fluid from the source of hydration fluid into the patient using an infusion pump, controlling the infusion pump to hydrate the patient based on the set desired fluid balance, the patient's urine output, and the amount of fluid injected into the patient to drive any contrast agent through the patient's kidneys to reduce any toxic effect of the contrast agent, detecting abnormal urine output weight readings including a weight reading indicating the urine collection chamber includes less urine than a previous reading, a sharply varying weight reading, a weight reading indicating a decrease in the patient's urine output below a preset minimum, and/or a weight reading indicating an increase in the patient's urine output above a preset maximum, in response to a detected abnormal weight reading, controlling the infusion pump according to a predetermined function including controlling the infusion pump to infuse fluid at a preset minimum infusion rate until the detected abnormal reading is no longer present and/or controlling the infusion pump to infuse fluid at a rate established prior to detection of the abnormal reading, after a detected abnormal reading is no longer detected, calculating the amount of urine output by the patient during an occurrence of a detected abnormal reading and controlling the infusion pump to increase the amount of fluid infused into the patient based on the calculated amount of urine output by the patient during the occurrence of the detected abnormal reading, determining if a bolus amount of fluid is required for the patient in addition to the fluid infused to achieve the desired fluid balance, if a bolus amount was set, automatically control the infusion pump to infuse the set bolus amount into the patient.