CT Injector Scanner Interface: Synchronisation and Compatibility

Why connect injector and scanner

Without an interface, the technologist programs the injector and the scanner separately and starts each of them by hand. The values may be entered twice, and timing depends on the person. With injector scanner synchronization, the protocols are shared and the two devices start from a single command, so the delay between injection and scan is reproducible.

This matters for angiography and multiphase studies where timing decides quality, and it saves time in a busy room because the protocol is entered at one place and visible on the CT console.

There is a safety angle too. Synchronised start removes the possibility that the scanner begins before the injection or that an injection runs with no scan, which are the two timing errors that cost a repeat examination and extra contrast. The interface does not replace the operator's checks, but it removes a common source of human error.

CANopen, CiA 425 and how the coupling works

CANopen is an international communication standard based on the CAN bus. For medical add-on devices such as injectors, a CANopen application profile commonly referred to as CiA 425 is used by many scanner makers to define the messages exchanged. In an injector ct coupling, the scanner acts on one side and the injector on the other, exchanging injection parameters, status and start signals.

The ulrich medical SYNCopen option follows the CANopen standard and exchanges injection parameters and protocols in real time between injector and scanner. Whether a given scanner supports the profile and which functions it exposes is defined by the scanner manufacturer.

• Single-touch simultaneous start of injector and scanner
• Real-time exchange of parameters and protocols
• Protocols shown on the CT console
• Optional pass-through of data to PACS

What SYNCopen provides

SYNCopen is a software option for the CT motion and CT motion SPICY injectors. With one touch the injector and scanner start together, so the scan and the contrast injection are precisely synchronised. Injection protocols are entered only once and shown directly on the CT console, saving trips between rooms, and the data can also be passed on to PACS. The interface is plug-and-play and can be switched on or off easily.

It is designed to work with CT motion and the higher-pressure model described in our SPICY overview.

A sensible way to evaluate it is a short demonstration on your own scanner: run a protocol from the CT console, confirm that the injector shows the same values, check the one-touch start, and see how the system behaves if the link is interrupted. Ask to see the fall-back procedure, so the team can continue manually if needed.

Compatibility checklist

Compatibility is confirmed per scanner model, software version and licence. Ask the supplier for the list of tested combinations and any scanner-side licence or hardware needed, and ask your scanner service organisation whether they support the connection. Check who is responsible for the cabling and for support if the link does not work.

Plan the physical route between injector and scanner too, particularly if the injector is ceiling mounted; see mounting options. For the protocol side of the integration see our protocol article.

• Scanner make, model and software version
• Licence or hardware needed on the scanner side
• Cable route and ownership of installation
• Support responsibility between injector and scanner vendors

Getting a compatibility check

Beckfinity can help check SYNCopen compatibility with your CT scanner and coordinate installation with your service organisation. Send us your scanner model and software version and request a quote or consultation through our team.