Medication management system

• US 20060089854A1
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Holland, Geoffrey N., Keely, Patrick B., Pelletier, Jeff, Dovydaitis, Vincent III
• Application Number:
  US10/783,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089854A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A medication management system (MMS) includes a medication management unit (MMU) associated with a medical device. The MMU downloads a medication order to the medical device only if information from a first input matches information from a second input. The medical device receives delivery information only from the MMU. The medication order is performed only after delivery data validation. The MMU also determines drug-drug incompatibility. The MMU can modulate (start, stop, and dynamically adjust) medication order performance. The medical device wirelessly receives a patient ID to automatically associate with the patient. During delivery, the medical device caches an updated drug library to replace an existing one. The medical device displays a patient picture for validation. The MMU evaluates the performance of medical devices and caregivers based medical device feedback. The MMU adjusts the output of medical device information conveyed to a caregiver.

Claims

1. A medication management system, for use with an electronic network having one or more access nodes, the medication management system comprising:

a medication management unit adapted for electronic communication with the electronic network, the medication management unit having a processing unit and a storage medium coupled to the processing unit;

a medical device adapted for electronic communication with the electronic network and the medication management unit through use of one of the access nodes, the medical device having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein at least one of the medical device memory and the medication management unit storage medium contains programming code to determine the physical location of a medical device based on which one of the access nodes was last used by the medical device and to report the last used access node to the medication management unit;

a user access device adapted for electronic communication with the medication management unit, the user access device displays the physical location of a medical device base on the report from the medication management unit; and

wherein the medical device has program code to activate an audio location alarm in response to an alarm request from the user access-device relayed through the medication management unit to allow a user to pinpoint the physical location of the medical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user access device requests a report of the physical location of a medical device from the medication management unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the medication management unit contains the programming code and provides the report of the last used access node when the medication management unit receives a request for a report of the physical location from the user access device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the medical device contains the programming code and reports the last used access node to the medication management unit when the medical device receives a request for a report of the last used access node from the medication management unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical device contains the programming code and periodically determines the last used access node.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the medical device contains the programming code and periodically reports the last used access node to the medication management unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication management unit contains the programming code and periodically determines the physical location of the medical device based on the last access node used by the medical device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication management unit contains the programming code and periodically reports the physical location of the medical device to the user access device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user access device is remotely located from the medication management unit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user access device comprises a computer located in a biomedical technician area.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user access device comprises a PDA.

12. A method for tracking a medical device connectable with an electronic network having one or more access nodes, comprising:

determining the last access node used by a medical device and reporting the last used access node to a medication management unit;

determining the physical location of a medical device based on the last access node used by the medical device as reported at the medication management unit; and

displaying the physical location of a medical device at a user access device, based on a report from the medication management unit; and

activating an audio location alarm in response to an alarm request from the user access device relayed through the medication management unit to allow a user to pinpoint the physical location of the medical device.