Control device for a monitor supervising a patient

• US 3,871,361 A
• Filed: 03/11/1974
• Issued: 03/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter Travenol Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dean Kamen
• Inventors: Kamen, Dean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/449,622
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2R,2.5R,2.5A,2.6A,214R,214E,218A,213,DIG.13
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

Involved is a system in which bodily conditions of the patient, such as his blood pressure, heartbeat, or the like, are electronically monitored. The monitor is required to result in the administration, preferably by intravenous injection, of a drug to the patient to correct any change in the supervised patient'"'"''"'"'s condition indicating an emergency situation. The within invention is a control for the monitor providing two important safeguards. The first safeguard is that there will be an adequate refractory period, i.e., time for the drug to take effect, between administered doses to the patient. The second safeguard is that the medication dosage will not be administered to the patient until there is some assurance that the bodily function change which occurs in the patient is of an emergency nature, rather than merely an insignificant change which corrects itself without medication.

Claims

1. In a system including a monitor operatively arranged to supervise the blood pressure and like conditions of a patient and in response to changes in said supervised conditions to operate a medication-administering device for said patient, a control device for said monitor comprising means for generating a selected voltage signal in response to a signl input thereto from said monitor, a first timer electrically connected to continuously receive said selected voltage signal as an input thereto for a time interval necessary to charge a capacitor to the value of said selected voltage, means operated by said first timer when said capacitor thereof achieves said voltage charge to start the operation of said medication-administering device, and a second timer operated simultaneously with said medicationadministering device for a selected time interval and effective to prevent any successive operation of said first timer until completion of said selected time interval, whereby an initial medication dosage is delivered to said patient by said medication-administering device only after the lapse of said time interval of said first timer so as to minimize any false indication of an emergency situation and a succeeding dosage is delivered only after the lapse of said time interval of said second timer which is selected in relation to the refractory period for the medication involved.

2. An improved control device for a patient-supervising monitor as defined in claim 1 including means for selectively varying the time intervals of operatioN of said first and second timers independently of each other.

3. An improved control device for a patient-supervising monitor as defined in claim 2 wherein said second timer operates a circuit in shorting relation to said capacitor of said first timer to prevent any successive operation of said first timer until completion of the interval of timing operation of said second timer.

4. An improved control device for a patient-supervising monitor as defined in claim 3 wherein said simultaneous operation of said second timer and of said medication-administering device is initiated by an electronic pulse transmitted from said first timer to said second timer, said transmitted pulse being used by said second timer to initiate its own operation and also that of said medication-administering device.

5. An improved control device for a patient-supervising monitor as defined in claim 4 wherein said transmitted pulse to said second timer is also used by said component to commence said operation of said shorting circuit for the capacitor of said first timer.

6. In a system including a monitor operatively arranged to supervise the blood pressure and like conditions of a patient and in response to changes in said supervised conditions to operate a medication-administering device for said patient, a control device for said monitor comprising means for generating a selected voltage signal in response to a signal input thereto from said monitor, a first timer electrically connected to continuously receive said selected voltage signal as an input thereto for a selected time interval preparatory to emitting a control signal, means operated by said control signal of said first timer to start the operation of said medication-administering device, and a second timer operated simultaneously with said medication-administering device for a selected time interval and effective to prevent any successive operation of said first timer until completion of said selected time interval, whereby an intitial medication dosage is delivered to said patient by said medication-administering device only after the lapse of said time interval of said first timer so as to minimize any false indication of an emergency situation and a succeeding dosage is delivered only after the lapse of said time interval of said second timer which is selected in relation to the refractory period for the medication involved.

7. An improved control device for a patient-supervising monitor as defined in claim 6 wherein said first timer includes a capacitor and is electrically connected to continuously receive said selected voltage signal as an input thereto for a time interval necessary to charge said capacitor to the value of said selected voltage before emitting said control signal.

8. An improved control device for a patient-supervising monitor as defined in claim 7 wherein said second timer operates a circuit in shorting relation to said capacitor of said first timer to prevent any successive operation of said first timer until completion of the interval of timing operation of said second timer.