Design of an Automated Bubble Detection Device for Neuroangiography

This paper describes the design of an automated device to detect air bubbles during a neuroangiography, a medical procedure that takes images of the blood vessels in the brain. In the neuroangiography procedure, a saline solution is injected into the patient through a catheter without the presence of any air bubbles. If an air bubble enters the bloodstream of the patient it may cause an air embolism, therefore, it is crucial that all air bubbles are detected and removed during the surgery. The current process relies on a nurse to constantly monitor the intravenous(IV) line for bubbles and pinch the line manually if a bubble is detected. They must also ensure that the pressure of the saline bag is maintained within a certain range and the saline bag does not become empty. The device discussed in this paper was designed to implement these tasks automatically so the nurse’s work level stress would decrease, and their focus and energy could be directed to the patient’s well-being. Simulation and hardware implementation results of the bubble detection device are presented.