AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION OF THE SENSITIVITY OF A SUBJECT TO A DRUG

• US 20070208322A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Paloheimo, Morkku, Rantala, Tor Borje
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/503
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4821 Determining level or depth of anaesthesia A61B5/1106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0241 Anaesthetics; Analgesics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

A method, a system, and a computer program for calibration of sensitivity of a subject to a drug. The subject is delivered with the drug at a delivery rate and a signal responsive to the drug is measured from the subject. When determining the sensitivity of the subject to the drug in question, a change in the delivery rate of the drug is initiated. The change in the delivery rate causes a small change in the signal responsive to the drug. The change in the measured signal caused by the drug delivery rate change is detected, and the sensitivity of the patient is determined.

Claims

1. A method for calibration of the sensitivity of a subject to a drug, the method comprising:

delivering the subject with the drug at a delivery rate and measuring a signal responsive to the drug from the subject, wherein the method further comprises;

initiating a change in the delivery of the drug to the subject;

detecting a change in the measured signal resulting from the change in the delivery of the drug; and

determining the sensitivity of the subject to the drug based on the change in the measured signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating the sensitivity of the subject based on the ratio between the change in the measured signal and the change in the delivery of the drug.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measured signal responsive to the drug is a signal describing depth of anesthesia.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measured signal responsive to the drug is derived from an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal responsive to the drug is entropy or bispectral index.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal responsive to the drug is blood pressure.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal responsive to the drug is a signal describing muscle relaxation.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating the calibration of the subject'"'"'s sensitivity to the drug;

automatically, by a user and/or by the user based on a given suggestion.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

calibrating the subject'"'"'s sensitivity to a drug at given intervals.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

setting at least one safety limit so that the subject is never given the drug over the safety limit.

11. A system for calibration of the sensitivity of a subject to a drug, the system comprising:

means for delivering a drug to the subject at a delivery rate, and means for measuring a signal responsive to the drug from the subject, wherein said system further comprises;

means for initiating a change in the delivery of the drug to the subject;

means for detecting a change in the measured signal resulting from the change in the delivery of the drug; and

means for calculating the sensitivity of the subject to the drug based on the change in the measured signal.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said calculating means is arranged to calculate the sensitivity of the subject to the drug based on the ratio between the change in the measured signal and the change in the delivery of the drug.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said measured signal responsive to the drug is a signal describing depth of anesthesia.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said measured signal responsive to the drug is derived from an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said signal responsive to the drug is entropy or bispectral index.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said signal responsive to the drug is blood pressure.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said signal responsive to the drug is a signal describing muscle relaxation.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein that said system further comprises means for calibrating the subject'"'"'s sensitivity to a drug:

automatically, by a user of the system and/or by the user based on a suggestion given by the system.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said system further comprises means for calibrating the subject'"'"'s sensitivity to a drug at given intervals.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said system further comprises means for setting at least one safety limit so that the subject is never given the drug over the safety limit.

21. A computer program comprising code adapted to perform the following steps when executed on an apparatus for calibration of the sensitivity of a subject to a drug:

delivering a drug to the subject at a delivery rate, and measuring a signal responsive to the drug from the subject, wherein said computer program is further adapted to perform the steps of;

initiating a change in the delivery rate of the drug to the subject;

detecting a change in the measured signal resulting from the change in the delivery rate of the drug; and

calculating the sensitivity of the subject to the drug based on the change in the measured signal.

22. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein said computer program is further arranged to calculate the sensitivity of the subject to a drug based on the ratio between the change in the measured signal and the change in the delivery rate of the drug.

23. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein said computer program is further arranged to calibrate the subject'"'"'s sensitivity to the drug automatically and/or based on a suggestion given by a user of the computer program.

24. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein said computer program is further arranged to calibrate the subject'"'"'s sensitivity to a drug at given intervals.