Drug dispensing controller and monitoring system for a ventilator
First Claim
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1. A method for controlling medication dispensed to a ventilator circuit that extends between a mechanical ventilator and a patient, comprising:
- providing a housing comprising at least one pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) canister and coupled to a gas conduit having axially opposing and axially extending first and second elongate conduit segments with respective first and second ends, each of the first and second elongate conduit segments being in-line with and adapted to attach to spaced apart segments of tubing of the ventilator circuit to form part of the ventilation circuit;
actuating an actuator in the housing to release medication from the at least one pMDI canister held orthogonal to the gas conduit with a dispensing end of the pMDI canister held proximate the gas conduit in fluid communication with the ventilator circuit via the gas conduit to release medication from the dispensing end to the gas conduit then into the tubing of the ventilator circuit, wherein the actuation of the actuator is timed so that the medication from the at least one pMDI canister is released from the at least one pMDI canister during an inspiratory/inhale cycle with gas flow toward the patient;
monitoring air pathway flow in the ventilator circuit to determine a change in patient airway resistance over time using a controller in communication with at least one sensor coupled to the ventilator circuit, wherein the controller is also in communication with the actuator;
electronically evaluating patient effluent gases in the ventilation circuit;
electronically identifying when a different or additional medication, an increase in dosage and/or a change in scheduled frequency of medication delivered by the at least one pMDI canister is needed based on the determined change in patient airway resistance or the evaluated patient effluent gases or the determined change in patient airway resistance and the evaluated patient effluent gases;
allowing an operator to adjust a defined dosage, delivery time and/or frequency of medication released by the at least one pMDI canister for the actuating; and
displaying parameters including number of doses remaining for each of the at least one pMDI canister on a display in communication with the controller.
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Abstract
An automated drug delivery and monitoring system for use on mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit is presented. Medication in the form of respirable particles is transported through ventilator circuitry by a delivery unit. Multiple medications may be delivered into the gas flow of the ventilator, with each medication delivered in a defined dose for a frequency and interval as specified by an operator. The particles mixed into the gas flow of the ventilator are inhaled and ingested by the patent'"'"'s lungs.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for controlling medication dispensed to a ventilator circuit that extends between a mechanical ventilator and a patient, comprising:
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providing a housing comprising at least one pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) canister and coupled to a gas conduit having axially opposing and axially extending first and second elongate conduit segments with respective first and second ends, each of the first and second elongate conduit segments being in-line with and adapted to attach to spaced apart segments of tubing of the ventilator circuit to form part of the ventilation circuit; actuating an actuator in the housing to release medication from the at least one pMDI canister held orthogonal to the gas conduit with a dispensing end of the pMDI canister held proximate the gas conduit in fluid communication with the ventilator circuit via the gas conduit to release medication from the dispensing end to the gas conduit then into the tubing of the ventilator circuit, wherein the actuation of the actuator is timed so that the medication from the at least one pMDI canister is released from the at least one pMDI canister during an inspiratory/inhale cycle with gas flow toward the patient; monitoring air pathway flow in the ventilator circuit to determine a change in patient airway resistance over time using a controller in communication with at least one sensor coupled to the ventilator circuit, wherein the controller is also in communication with the actuator; electronically evaluating patient effluent gases in the ventilation circuit; electronically identifying when a different or additional medication, an increase in dosage and/or a change in scheduled frequency of medication delivered by the at least one pMDI canister is needed based on the determined change in patient airway resistance or the evaluated patient effluent gases or the determined change in patient airway resistance and the evaluated patient effluent gases; allowing an operator to adjust a defined dosage, delivery time and/or frequency of medication released by the at least one pMDI canister for the actuating; and displaying parameters including number of doses remaining for each of the at least one pMDI canister on a display in communication with the controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An automated medical system for controlling medication dispensed to a ventilator circuit that extends between a mechanical ventilator and a patient, comprising:
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a gas conduit having axially opposing first and second ends, each end being in-line with and adapted to attach to spaced apart segments of tubing of the ventilator circuit to form part of the ventilation circuit; a spectrometer in fluid communication with the gas conduit to obtain one or more of ultraviolet, optical and/or near-infrared spectra of patient effluent gas; a plurality of pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) canisters held orthogonal to the gas conduit with a dispensing end of a respective pMDI canister held proximate the gas conduit in fluid communication with the ventilator circuit via the gas conduit, wherein a delivery path from the dispensing end of the pMDI canisters is directly into an axially extending flow path that is in-line with the gas conduit; at least one actuator in communication with the pMDI canisters to release medication from the dispensing end to the gas conduit then into the tubing of the ventilator circuit, wherein the at least one actuator can selectively actuate each pMDI canister; a housing holding the gas conduit, the pMDI canisters and the at least one actuator; a control unit operably associated with the at least one actuator and comprising an operator interface configured to allow an operator to adjust dosage and schedule medication dispensing for each of the pMDI canisters and to actuate the at least one actuator to dispense medication from each of the pMDI canisters to the ventilator circuit at a defined dosage, delivery time and/or frequency, wherein the control unit monitors air pathway flow in the ventilator circuit and patient effluent gases and is configured to time actuation of the actuator so that medication is released from one or more of the at least one pMDI canisters only during an inspiratory/inhale cycle with gas flow toward the patient, wherein the control unit is further configured to provide electronic data records of patient physiologic parameters including a flow profile; and a display held by the control unit for displaying parameters including number of doses remaining for each of the pMDI canisters. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification