Controlling drug delivery apparatus

• US 20050229931A1
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Respironics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Respironics Incorporated
• Inventors: Denyer, Jonathan Stanley Harold, Dyche, Anthony, Marsden, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/065 Rigid ampoules, e.g. glass ampoules
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/067 Flexible ampoules, the contents of which are expelled by squeezing
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/14 Details; Accessories therefor A61J7/00 takes precedence; openers B65D, B67B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/50 using icons or symbolic figures, e.g. by a graphical representation symbolising the type of pathology or the organ by an image
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0045 using multiple prepacked dosages on a same carrier, e.g. blisters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A drug package comprising a plurality of drug vials containing drugs for delivery to a patient in a drug delivery device; and a data carrier including drug treatment information for use by the drug delivery apparatus.

Claims

1. A system for delivery of a drug to a patient comprising:

a drug delivery device arranged to deliver a dose of the drug to the patient over a plurality of breaths, the device including a breath analyser which

(i) analyses a patient'"'"'s breathing during drug delivery, wherein the analysis by the breath analyser includes quantitatively measuring at least one parameter of the patient'"'"'s breathing; and

(ii) generates breath information on a patient'"'"'s breathing during drug delivery wherein the breath information includes the at least one quantitative measurement of the patient'"'"'s breathing;

a data carrier onto which the drug delivery device is arranged to place the breath information for a number of drug deliveries;

a data analyser arranged to analyse the breath information from the data carrier, and to derive characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing; and

a trend generator of analysing the breath information and the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing over a number of drug deliveries.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data analyser includes means for identifying non-compliant use of the drug delivery device.

7. The system for delivery of a drug to a patient according to claim 1, wherein the breath information includes inhalation time and a total number of pulses, and wherein the data analyser calculates a mean inhalation time value by dividing the total inhalation time by the total number of pulses.

8. The system for delivery of a drug to a patient according to claim 1, wherein the breath information includes inhalation time and exhalation time and wherein the data analyser calculates an inhalation to exhalation ratio value by dividing the total inhalation time by the total exhalation time.

9. The system for delivery of a drug to a patient according to claim 1, wherein the breath information includes a total treatment time, a total inhalation time, and a total exhalation time, and wherein the data analyser calculates a total no flow time value by subtracting the total inhalation time and the total exhalation time from the total treatment time.

10. The system for delivery of a drug to a patient according to claim 1, wherein the breath information includes a number of breaths per minute and a mean tidal volume, and wherein the data analyser calculates a minute volume value by dividing the number of breaths per minute by the mean tidal volume.

11. The system for delivery of a drug to a patient according to claim 10, wherein the breath information further includes a mean inhalation flow and a mean inhalation time, and wherein the data analyser calculates a mean tidal volume value by multiplying the mean inhalation flow with the mean inhalation time with 0.7 and divided by 60.

12. The system for delivery of a drug to a patient according to claim 1, wherein the breath information includes inhalation time and a total number of pulses and wherein the data analyser calculates a mean inhalation time value by dividing the total inhalation time by the total number of pulses.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. A method of optimizing treatment from a drug delivery device which is arranged to deliver a dose of the drug to the patient over a plurality of breaths comprising:

analysing a patient'"'"'s breathing during drug delivery, including quantitatively measuring at least one parameter of that breathing;

generating breath information from the patient'"'"'s breathing during drug delivery, including the quantitative measurements of that breathing;

transferring the breath information to a data analyser;

deriving characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing from the breath information; and

identifying non-complaint use of the drug delivery device; and

analyzing analysing the breath information and the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing over a number of drug deliveries.

6. A method of identifying changes in condition of a patient over time of treatments from a drug delivery device comprising:

analysing a patient'"'"'s breathing during drug delivery, including quantitatively measuring at least one parameter of that breathing;

generating breath information from the patient'"'"'s breathing during drug delivery, including the quantitative measurement of that breathing;

transferring the breath information to a data analyser;

deriving characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing from the breath information; and

analysing the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s treatments over a number of drug deliveries to identify trends in those characteristics.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of quantitatively measuring at least one parameter includes measuring an inhalation time and measuring a total number of pulses, and wherein the step of deriving characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing includes calculating a mean inhalation time value by dividing the total inhalation time by the total number of pulses.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of quantitatively measuring at least one parameter includes measuring an inhalation time and an exhalation time, and wherein the step of deriving characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing includes calculating an inhalation to exhalation ratio value by dividing the total inhalation time by the total exhalation time.

15. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of quantitatively measuring at least one parameter includes a total treatment time, a total inhalation time, and a total exhalation time, and wherein the step of deriving characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing includes calculating a total no flow time value by subtracting the total inhalation time and the total exhalation time from the total treatment time.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of quantitatively measuring at least one parameter includes measuring a number of breaths per minute and a mean tidal volume, and wherein the step of deriving characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing includes calculating a minute volume value by dividing the number of breaths per minute by the mean tidal volume.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of quantitatively measuring at least one parameter further includes measuring a mean inhalation flow and a mean inhalation time, and wherein the step of deriving characteristics includes calculating a mean tidal volume value by multiplying the mean inhalation flow with the mean inhalation time with 0.7 and divided by 60.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of quantitatively measuring at least one parameter includes measuring an inhalation time and a total number of pulses, and wherein the step of deriving characteristics includes calculating a mean inhalation time value by dividing the total inhalation time by the total number of pulses.