Method for intravenous drug infusion
First Claim
1. A method of infusion of an anaesthetic agent into a patient comprising the steps of:
- (i) calculating a multiplicity of infusion rate profiles for a selected agent by monitoring drug efflux from the body of a group of patients for a corresponding multiplicity of target concentrations of the selected agent, said multiplicity of infusion rate profiles including at least a set of profiles which cause the induction of light, average and deep anaesthesia in the patient;
(ii) determining the body size of the patient, such as their Lean Body Mass;
(iii) selecting a target concentration of the agent to in turn cause selection from the multiplicity of infusion rate profiles an infusion rate profile substantially corresponding to the infusion rate profile for the selected target concentration;
(iv) scaling the selected infusion rate profile by the determined body size or Lean Body Mass of the patient; and
(v) administering the agent to the patient in accordance with the scaled profile by means of an infusion device which is controlled to deliver said agent at said scaled infusion rate profile.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for the infusion of a drug into a patient involving: (i) calculating a multiplicity of infusion rate profiles for a selected drug by monitoring drug efflux from the body of a group of patients for a corresponding multiplicity of target concentrations of the selected drug; (ii) determining the body size of the patient, such as their Lean Body Mass; (iii) selecting a target concentration of the drug to, in turn, cause selection from the multiplicity of infusion rate profiles of an infusion rate profile substantially corresponding to the infusion rate profile for the selected target concentration; (iv) scaling the selected infusion rate profile by the determined body size or Lean Body Mass of the patient; and (v) administering the drug to the patient in accordance with the scaled profile by means of an infusion device which is controlled to deliver said drug at said scaled infusion rate profile. By using the aforesaid method and system, drugs which are non-linear in their effect on a patient are able to be delivered to the patient in a much more accurate manner thereby avoiding overdosing or underdosing of the drug and the undesirable consequences thereof.
7 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of infusion of an anaesthetic agent into a patient comprising the steps of:
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(i) calculating a multiplicity of infusion rate profiles for a selected agent by monitoring drug efflux from the body of a group of patients for a corresponding multiplicity of target concentrations of the selected agent, said multiplicity of infusion rate profiles including at least a set of profiles which cause the induction of light, average and deep anaesthesia in the patient; (ii) determining the body size of the patient, such as their Lean Body Mass; (iii) selecting a target concentration of the agent to in turn cause selection from the multiplicity of infusion rate profiles an infusion rate profile substantially corresponding to the infusion rate profile for the selected target concentration; (iv) scaling the selected infusion rate profile by the determined body size or Lean Body Mass of the patient; and (v) administering the agent to the patient in accordance with the scaled profile by means of an infusion device which is controlled to deliver said agent at said scaled infusion rate profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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- 8. An infusion system for regulating the delivery of an anaesthetic agent to a patient, including control means for controlling the operation of an infusion pump, said control means including pre-programmed means for varying the infusion rate with respect to elapsed time, said pre-programmed means being programmed with a multiplicity of infusion rate profiles which have been determined by a drug efflux method, and which correspond to a multiplicity of target concentrations of the agent, said multiplicity of infusion rate profiles including at least a set of profiles which cause the induction of light, average and deep anaesthesia in the patient, scaling means for setting the body size or Lean Body Mass of the patient, means for selecting a target concentration to cause selection of the corresponding infusion rate profile so that the pre-programmed means varies the infusion rate in accordance with the corresponding drug infusion rate profile, said scaling means causing modification of the selected pre-programmed infusion rate profile by a fixed proportion over each time period of operation of said infusion pump.
Specification