Apparatus for the biofeedback control of body functions

• US 5,002,055 A
• Filed: 09/30/1988
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MIC Medical Instruments Corporation
• Original Assignee: MIC Medical Instruments Corporation
• Inventors: Dries, Rolf-Rainer C., Merki, Hans S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/252,198
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 128/635, 128/DIG. 12, 128/DIG. 13, 128/672, 128/670, 128/736, 604/31, 604/65-67, 364/413.03, 364/413.04, 364/413.09, 364/413.11
• US Class Current: 600/345
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• 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: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion

Abstract

An apparatus for the biofeedback control of body functions is proposed having at least one sensor for detecting biological body functions, a data memory for storing comparison values, a control unit or microprocessor (9, 16) and a therapy member, the control means (9, 16) activating the therapy system as a function of the measured values detected by the sensor and the comparison values. The therapy systems has a pump for the intravenous, intra-arterial, oral or intraluminal administration and a drug reservoir connected to the pump. The control unit and/or therapy means is provided with a memory, which stores the therapy objectives for the body functions with associated drug doses as a function of the detected measured values and comparison values. The pump is activated in such a way that it delivers the drug to the desired administration point from the reservoir in accordance with the predetermined doses, the sensor continuously detecting the effects of the drugs and in accordance with the action, a change is made to the activation of the pump.

Claims

1. An apparatus for biofeedback control of body functions of a patient, which comprises:

first means for sensing and detecting biological body values relating to the patient;

a memory device for storing reference values;

means for providing intravenous, intra-arterial, oral or intraluminal administration of a preselected mediciment to the patient;

a reservoir coupled to the means for providing administration of a preselected mediciment, said reservoir arranged to contain a supply of the preselected mediciment;

means for controllably activating said means for providing administration of a preselected mediciment as a function of the biological body values detected by the first means and the reference values stored in the memory device;

second means for sensing and detecting the biological body values;

means for comparing the biological body values detected by each of the first and second means for sensing and detecting; and

an output device coupled to the means for comparing and operating to output an alarm signal when said means for comparing indicates a predetermined divergence between the biological values detected by the first and second means for sensing and detecting.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for providing administration of a preselected mediciment includes a pump coupled to said reservoir.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pump comprises a peristaltic pump.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pump operates in one of a continuous, intermittent and bolus-like manner.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for providing administration of a presselected mediciment includes a plurality of pumps, each pump being coupled to an associated reservoir wherein a preselected mediciment received in one reservoir has one of a synergistic or antagonistic action relative to a preselected mediciment received in another reservoir.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second means for sensing and detecting includes at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of a pH-sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and the like.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for detecting a filling level of said reservoir.

8. An apparatus for biofeedback control of body functions of a patient, which comprises:

means for sensing and detecting biological body values relating to the patient;

a memory device for storing reference values;

means for providing intravenous, intra-arterial, oral or intraluminal administration of a preselected mediciment to the patient;

a reservoir coupled to the means for providing administration of a preselected mediciment, said reservoir arranged to contain a supply of the preselected mediciment;

means for controllably activating said means for providing administration of a preselected mediciment as a function of the biological body values detected by the means for sensing and detecting and the reference values stored in the memory device;

said reservoir including an identification marking to identify a mediciment contained in said reservoir; and

said means of controllably activating said means for providing administration including a sensor for automatically scanning said identification marking to identify the mediciment contained in said reservoir and operating to verify that the mediciment contained in said reservoir comprises the preselected mediciment.