METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING ANALGESIC DRUGS

• US 20110082440A1
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kimmo, Uutela Henrik, Hanna, Viertio-Oja Elina, Juha, Virtanen Petri
• Application Number:
  US12/574,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082440A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/503
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/168 Means for controlling media flow to the body or for metering media to the body, e.g. drip meters, counters ; Monitoring media flow to the body flow control in general G05D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method and system for delivering analgesic drug is disclosed herein. The method comprises: administering analgesic drug to a patient based on input from a patient controlled input device and continuously measuring pain level of a patient with reference to at least one patient parameter. The method further comprises: receiving drug demand from patient through the patient controlled input device and controlling administration of analgesic drug based on the measured pain level and the received drug demand.

Claims

1. A method of delivering an analgesic drug comprising:

administering an analgesic drug to a patient based on input from a patient-controlled input device;

continuously measuring pain level of the patient with reference to at least one patient parameter;

receiving drug demand from the patient through the patient-controlled input device; and

controlling administration of the analgesic drug based on the measured pain level and the received drug demand.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes:

controlling the drug delivery automatically upon the measured pain level reaching a maximum threshold value of pain level.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes:

controlling the drug administration using the measured pain level and preceding drug demands.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the method includes:

controlling the pain threshold level using the measured pain level and preceding drug demands.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of measuring pain level includes:

deriving pain level from at least one of the measured Surgical Stress Index (SSI), heart rate, skin conductivity, blood pressure, pupil size and forehead muscle activity.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring the gestures of a patient for determining pain level and for identifying drug demand from the patient.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of monitoring gestures comprises:

monitoring at least one of facial expressions, sound, movements of body parts, activity, cry, and consolability of the patient.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a minimum threshold value of a patient parameter and controlling the drug administration based on the current value of the patient parameter.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes:

configuring personal threshold of a patient parameter with reference to at least one of monitored patient parameter including cardiac rhythm, trends of SSI and drug concentration.

10. An analgesic drug delivery system comprising:

a drug demand interface obtaining a drug demand request from a patient;

a patient parameter monitoring device measuring pain level of the patient;

a control system configured to receive input from the patient parameter monitoring device and the drug demand interface and configured to control the drug delivery based on effectiveness of the drug; and

a drug delivery system configured to administer the drug in a controlled manner under the control of the control system.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the drug demand interface is part of a patient controlled analgesia (PCA) device configured to communicate the drug demand request from the patient.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the patient parameter monitoring device includes pain level monitoring devices using SSI, heart rate, patient gestures, skin conductivity, blood pressure, pupil size and forehead muscle activity.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control system is configured to calculate the effectiveness of the drug from the measured pain level.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control system calculates the effectiveness of the drug by continuously monitoring the pain level after administering the drug and by analyzing the previous drug demand requests and the current drug level in blood.

15. An improved patient controlled analgesia (PCA) device comprising:

a patient controlled input device associated with a patient configured to communicate a patient request about drug demand;

a patient monitoring device for measuring pain level of the patient continuously;

a processor for checking effectiveness of the drug and processing the patient request with reference to the measured pain level and effectiveness of the drug;

a drug delivery device associated with the processor configured to administer the drug under the control of the processor such that the drug is administered to the patient before the patient is uncomfortable.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the patient monitoring device includes:

monitoring the pain level and converting the pain level into a numerical parameter.

17. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the patient request device is configured to communicate the drug requirement to the patient.

18. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the drug dosage based on the measured pain level and the previous drug demands.

19. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to control the drug dosage based on personal threshold.

20. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the device further comprises a PCA interface.