Injected drug identification and fail-safe system

• US 7,991,627 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ward, Russel Craig, Sandy, Neal Joseph, Makin, Ronald Peter, Hutchinson, George Martin, Sutherland, William Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilligan; Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHNG, JOY P
• Application Number:
  US11/443,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• 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: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method of pre-delivery drug identification. The system and method is implemented where drugs are being administered, such as in a hospital or clinic, and identifies the drug being administered to the patient before the drug reaches the patient. The system and method may utilize a sensor used for other physiologic monitoring to identify the drug. After identification, the system and method is configured to cross-reference the identified drug with the patient'"'"'s prescription and allergy information, and to prevent delivery to the patient, if necessary. The system and method also utilizes data collected from the patient with a physiological monitor or a ventilator sensor to further determine whether the drug is appropriate for the patient. The method and system may also include an override system for medical personnel. The method described may be carried out by a software application.

Claims

1. A method of pre-delivery drug identification, the method comprising:

receiving a drug sample from a drug source into a drug identification unit;

identifying the drug sample with the drug identification unit;

collecting a set of patient physiological data with a monitoring device;

cross-referencing, with a computer, the identified drug sample with the set of patient physiological data such that the set of patient physiological data confirms whether the identified drug sample is safe for the patient;

cross-referencing, with the computer, the identified drug sample with a set of databases, such that the set of databases confirm whether the identified drug sample is safe for the patient;

preventing the identified drug sample from being administered to a patient with a delivery prevention unit disposed in fluid connection intermediate the drug identification unit and the patient in response to the set of patient physiological data not confirming that the identified drug sample is safe for the patient; and

preventing the identified drug sample from being administered to the patient with the delivery prevention unit in response to the set of databases not confirming the identified drug sample.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drug sample corresponds to a prescription for the patient.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying step further includes identifying components, a concentration and a dosage of the drug sample.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising activating an alarm when the identified drug is prevented from being administered wherein the alarm is any of the following:

an audible alarm;

a visual alarm; and

a remote alarm.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising overriding the preventing step when the alarm is activated, thus administering the identified drug to the patient.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising confirming the identifying step with an RFID tag and an RFID reader.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drug identification unit is an IR detection system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is any of the following:

a physiological monitor; and

a ventilator sensor.

9. A system for pre-delivery drug identification, the system comprising:

a drug identification unit configured to receive a drug sample from a drug source comprising a supply of a drug, wherein the drug identification unit analyzes the drug sample to produce a drug sample identification;

a monitoring device collecting a set of patient physiological data from a patient;

a set of databases comprising drug information indicative of a drug to be delivered to the patient;

a computer processor coupled to the drug identification unit, the monitoring device, and the set of databases, the computer processor receives the drug sample identification and cross-references the drug sample identification with the set of patient physiological data to determine if administration of the drug is physiologically safe, the computer processor further cross-references the drug sample identification with the drug information of the set of databases to determine if the drug is the drug to be delivered to the patient;

a delivery prevention unit communicatively coupled to the computer processor and fluidly coupled between the drug identification unit and the patient to receive the drug from the drug identification unit, the computer processor operates the delivery prevention unit to selectively administer the drug to the patient when the computer processor determines the drug is physiologically safe and is the drug to be delivered to the patient.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the drug sample corresponds to a prescription for the patient.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the drug identification unit is configured to identify components, a concentration and a dosage of the drug sample.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising an alarm that is activated when the identified drug is prevented from being administered wherein the alarm is any of the following:

an audible alarm;

a visual alarm; and

a remote alarm.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein a physician may override the delivery prevention unit when the alarm is activated, thus administering the identified drug to the patient.

14. The system according to claim 9, further comprising an RFID tag and an RFID reader configured to confirm the identification of the drug sample.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the drug identification unit is an IR detection system.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring device is any of the following:

a physiological monitor; and

a ventilator sensor.

17. A system for pre-delivery drug identification, the system comprising:

a drug source that provides a drug at a drug dosage;

a drug identification unit, the drug identification unit receives a drug sample from the drug source, and the drug identification unit identifies the drug sample and identifies a dosage of the drug sample;

a monitoring device collecting a set of patient physiological data from a patient;

a set of databases coupled to the drug identification unit, the set of databases comprising at least a prescribed drug identification and a prescribed drug dosage;

a delivery prevention unit fluidly connected between the drug identification unit and a patient;

a storage media for storing a computer application; and

a processing unit coupled to the drug identification unit, the monitoring device and the delivery prevention unit, the processing unit receives the drug sample identification and the dosage of the drug sample from the drug identification unit;

wherein when the computer application is executed, the drug sample identification is cross-referenced with the set of patient physiological data, and the delivery prevention unit is instructed to prevent the drug sample from being administered to the patient when the set of patient physiological data does not confirm the drug sample is safe for the patient;

further wherein the processing units cross-references the drug sample identification with the set of databases and operates the delivery prevention unit to prevent the drug sample from being administered to the patient when the drug sample identification does not match the prescribed drug identification; and

further wherein the processing unit cross-references the drug dosage identification with the set of databases and operates the delivery prevention unit to prevent the drug sample from being administered to the patient when the dosage of the drug sample does not match the prescribed drug dosage.