Drug management systems

• US 7,990,251 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Herbert Ford Jr
• Original Assignee: Herbert Ford Jr
• Inventors: Ford, Herbert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie
• Application Number:
  US11/750,270
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/286.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A system to electronically assist health care professionals quickly and efficiently calculate dosages and infusion rates for emergency drugs. The system comprises a portable hand-held calculator incorporating user input keys dedicated to commonly prescribed drugs, quick entry of default drug values, and toggles between at least two operational modes, specifically between adult and pediatric modes. In addition, the system alarms on the entry of “out-of-range” drug values, titrates, immediately ascertains compatibilities between drugs, and allows the updating of stored drug parameters by means of physical or wireless data ports.

Claims

1. A computer system related to electronically assisting at least one medical professional to accurately generate at least one drug parameter output, relating to the administration of at least one emergency medical drug, a resultant of at least one medical calculation utilizing at least one medical drug administration-related input by the at least one medical professional, said system comprising:

a) hand-holdable housing means for housing said computer system;

b) computer storage means for storing at least one drug database comprising a plurality of known medical drug parameters;

c) first computer interface means for assisting user input of the at least one medical drug-administration-related input;

d) second computer interface means for displaying the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output;

e) computer processor means for generating the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output; and

f) power supply means for supplying electrical power to assist operation of said computer system;

g) wherein said first computer interface means comprises actuator-button means for user-selecting a single one of such emergency medical drugs by a single user button actuation; and

h) wherein said first computer interface means further comprises actuator-button mode means for selecting among at least two actuator-button modes wherein each such actuator-button mode provides actuator-button access for user-selecting among a unique set of known emergency medical drug parameters.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a) alarm means for generating at least one alarm signal discernable by the at least one medical professional;

b) wherein said computer storage means comprises computer database means for providing predetermined acceptable user input ranges for the at least one medical drug-administration-related input;

c) wherein said computer processor means comprises activator means for activating said alarm means; and

d) wherein said activator means activates said alarm means when the at least one medical drug-administration-related input deviates from the predetermined acceptable user input ranges for the at least one medical drug-administration-related input.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising drug compatibility means for determining compatibility of at least one first such at least one emergency medical drug with at least one second such at least one emergency medical drug.

4. A computer system related to electronically assisting at least one medical professional to accurately generate at least one drug parameter output, relating to the administration of at least one emergency medical drug, a resultant of at least one medical calculation utilizing at least one medical drug-administration-related input by the at least one medical professional, said system comprising:

a) at least one hand-holdable housing adapted to house said computer system;

b) at least one computer storage adapted to store at least one drug database comprising a plurality of known medical drug parameters;

c) at least one first computer interface adapted to assist user input of the at least one medical drug-administration-related input;

d) at least one second computer interface adapted to display the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output; and

e) at least one computer processor adapted to generate the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output; and

f) at least one power supply adapted to supply electrical power to assist operation of said computer system;

g) wherein said at least one first computer interface comprises at least one actuator-button adapted to user-select a single one of such emergency medical drugs by a single user button actuation; and

h) wherein said at least one first computer interface further comprises at least one actuator-button mode selector adapted to select among at least two actuator-button modes wherein each such actuator-button mode provides actuator-button access for user-selecting among a unique set of known medical drug parameters.

5. The computer system according to claim 4 further comprising:

a) at least one alarm adapted to generate at least one alarm signal discernable by the at least one medical professional;

b) wherein said at least one computer storage comprises at least one computer database adapted to provide predetermined acceptable user input ranges for the at least one medical drug-administration-related input;

c) wherein said at least one computer processor comprises at least one activator signal adapted to activate said at least one alarm; and

d) wherein said at least one activator signal is adapted to activate said at least one alarm when the at least one medical drug-administration-related input deviates from the predetermined acceptable user input ranges for the at least one medical drug-administration-related input.

6. The computer system according to claim 4 further comprising at least one drug compatibility determiner for computer-determining compatibility of at least one first such at least one emergency medical drug with at least one second such at least one emergency medical drug.

7. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein:

a) said at least one hand-holdable housing comprises at least one hinge; and

b) said at least one hinge is situate between said at least one first computer interface and said at least one second computer interface.

8. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one actuator-button comprises at least one first indicia indicating at least one such emergency medical drug.

9. The computer system according to claim 8 wherein:

a) each said at least two actuator-button modes comprise at least one set of said first indicia; and

b) such mode changes comprise variation in such first indicia of said at least one actuator-button.

10. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one computer storage comprises at least one drug-entry storage adapted to store the at least one medical drug-administration-related input and the at least one drug parameter output.

11. The computer system according to claim 10 wherein said at least one computer processor comprises at least one editor adapted to assist at least one user edit to at least one of the least one medical drug-administration-related inputs stored within said at least one drug-entry storage.

12. The computer system according to claim 4 further comprising at least one external data transfer port adapted to assist at least one transfer of data between at least one external data source and said at least one computer storage.

13. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one second computer interface comprises at least one display illuminator adapted to generate illumination assisting visual user interface.

14. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one actuator-button comprises at least one button illuminator adapted to generate illumination assisting user button interface.

15. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein:

a) at least one of said at least two actuator-button modes comprises at least one adult mode; and

b) at least one of said at least two actuator-button modes comprises at least one pediatric mode.

16. The computer system according to claim 4 further comprising at least one automatic power reducer adapted to automatically reduce the draw of the electrical power from said at least one power supply after at least one predetermined period without such user input at said at least one first computer interface.

17. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein such emergency medical drugs of said at least one actuator-button comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting essentially of:

a) Amiodarone,

b) Dilitiazem,

c) Diprivan,

d) Dobutamine,

e) Dopamine Hydrochloride,

f) Ephinephrine,

g) Heparin,

h) Insulin,

i) Lidocaine,

j) Procanamide,

k) Sodium Nitropusside,

l) Nitroglycerine,

m) Norepinephrine,

n) Neosynephrine,

o) Retaplase, and

p) Isoproterenol.

18. A computer system related to electronically assisting at least one medical professional to accurately generate at least one drug parameter output, relating to the intravenous administration of at least one medical drug, a resultant of at least one medical calculation utilizing at least one medical drug-administration-related input by the at least one medical professional, said system comprising:

a) hand-holdable housing means for housing said computer system;

b) computer storage means for storing at least one drug database comprising a plurality of known medical drug parameters;

c) first computer interface means for assisting user input of the at least one medical drug-administration-related input;

d) second computer interface means for displaying the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output;

e) computer processor means for generating the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output; and

f) power supply means for supplying electrical power to assist operation of said computer system;

g) wherein said first computer interface means comprises actuator-button means for user-selecting a single one of such medical drugs by a single user button actuation; and

h) wherein said first computer interface means further comprises actuator-button mode means for selecting among at least two actuator-button modes wherein each such actuator-button mode provides actuator-button access for user-selecting among a unique set of known medical drug parameters.

19. The computer system according to claim 18 wherein said second computer interface means comprises default-display means for displaying at least one situational-default set of the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output.

20. The computer system according to claim 19 wherein said first computer interface means comprises at least one dedicated “

default-type”

key to input at least one request to display such at least one situational-default set of the at least one medical drug-administration-related drug-parameter output.