Medication management system

• US 20060089855A1
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Holland, Geoffrey N., Huang, John W., Keely, Patrick B., Pelletier, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US10/783,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089855A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A medication management system (MMS) includes a medication management unit (MMU) associated with a medical device. The MMU downloads a medication order to the medical device only if information from a first input matches information from a second input. The medical device receives delivery information only from the MMU. The medication order is performed only after delivery data validation. The MMU also determines drug-drug incompatibility. The MMU can modulate (start, stop, and dynamically adjust) medication order performance. The medical device wirelessly receives a patient ID to automatically associate with the patient. During delivery, the medical device caches an updated drug library to replace an existing one. The medical device displays a patient picture for validation. The MMU evaluates the performance of medical devices and caregivers based medical device feedback. The MMU adjusts the output of medical device information conveyed to a caregiver.

Claims

1. A method for auto-associating a medical device with a patient, comprising:

equipping a patient with a patient transmitter/receiver chip having a patient ID number, capable of short-range transmission;

supplying a medical device equipped with a device transmitter/receiver chip, capable of short-range transmission;

placing the medical device and the patient in proximity;

transmitting a request for patient ID command to the patient transmitter/receiver chip from the device transmitter/receiver chip;

transmitting the patient ID number to the device transmitter/receiver chip from the patient transmitter/receiver chip; and

sending the patient ID number to a medication management unit from the medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

associating the medical device only to the patient based on the patient ID number sent to the medication management unit.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

dissociating the medical device from the patient based on a command from a user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

matching the patient ID number with a medication order prescribed for a patient at the medication management unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a first medical device and the device transmitter/receiver chip is a first device transmitter/receiver chip, and further comprising the steps of:

placing a second medical device in proximity to the patient;

supplying the first device transmitter/receiver chip with a first device ID number, and the second device transmitter/receiver chip with a second device ID number;

transmitting a request for device ID command to the second device transmitter/receiver chip from the first device transmitter/receiver chip;

transmitting the second device ID number to the first device transmitter/receiver chip from the second device transmitter/receiver chip; and

placing the second device ID number in a memory of the first medical device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

sending the patient ID number from the first medical device to the second medical device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising locking the medical devices to a specific patient ID number and not associating the medical devices with another patient ID.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising locking the patient ID with a specific medical device and not associating the patient ID with other medical devices.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

associating the medical devices only to the patient based on the patient ID number sent to the medication management unit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

dissociating the medical devices from the patient based on a command from a user.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

matching the patient ID number with a medication order prescribed for a patient at the medication management unit.

12. A medication management system for auto-associating a medical device with a patient, comprising:

a patient transmitter/receiver chip having a patient ID number, capable of short-range transmission and adapted to be secured to a patient;

a medical device having a device transmitter/receiver chip capable of short-range transmission, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing programming code executed by the processor to;

transmit a request for patient ID command to the patient transmitter/receiver chip from the device transmitter/receiver chip, and

send any patient ID number received by the medical device to a medication management unit; and

wherein the patient transmitter/receiver chip transmits the patient ID number to the device transmitter/receiver chip in response to the request for patient ID command when the patient transmitter/receiver chip is within proximity to the medical device sufficient to receive the request for patient ID command.