System and method for controlling the delivery of medication to a patient

• US 7,171,277 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 303 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Engleson, Joseph J., Chamberlain, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D.
• Application Number:
  US11/025,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 700/2, 700/9, 700 17- 20, 604/19, 604/31, 604/65, 604/207, 604/890.1, 705 2- 3, 235/375, 235/380, 600/300, 379/93, 340/3.1, 702188-189, 709220-224
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• 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 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A care management system in which the management of the administration of care for patients is automated. Hospital information systems are monitored and the information from those systems is used in verifying the administrations of care to patients. The care management system monitors ongoing administrations for progress and automatically updates records and provides alarms when necessary. The care management system is modular in nature but is fully integrated among its modules. Particular lists of data, such as the termination times of all ongoing infusions, provide hospital staff current information for increased accuracy and efficiency in planning. Features include the automatic provision of infusion parameters to pumps for accurate and efficient configuration of the pump, and providing an alarm when an unscheduled suspension of an infusion exceeds a predetermined length of time. A passive recognition system for identifying patients and care givers is provided.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the delivery of medication to a patient by a clinical device, comprising:

a first processor in operable communication with the clinical device;

input means operatively connected to the first processor for input of information related to the delivery of medication to the first processor, the information including clinical device configuration parameters;

a memory in which is stored a database of records, each record containing a range of predetermined acceptable values of parameters related to the delivery of medication to a patient, including ranges of predetermined acceptable values of clinical device configuration parameters;

a second processor in operable communication with the memory;

means for communicating information related to the delivery of medication to the patient between the first and second processors;

wherein at least one clinical device configuration parameter related to the delivery of medication input into the first processor is compared to the records stored in the memory by either the first or second processor and the second processor downloads clinical device operating parameters to the first processor to program and operate the clinical device in accordance with the downloaded operating parameters if the comparison of the inputted at least one clinical device configuration parameters and the stored records satisfies a predetermined condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the records of predetermined acceptable values stored in the memory includes ranges of predetermined acceptable values of patient condition information.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a means for generating patient condition information, and wherein the second processor compares the generated patient condition information to the records of predetermined acceptable values of patient condition information stored in the memory and indicates a discrepancy condition if the generated patient condition information is outside of the range of predetermined acceptable values.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the means for generating patient condition information is a vital sign monitor.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the means for generating patient condition information is a laboratory test.

6. A method for controlling the delivery of medication to a patient by a clinical device, comprising:

inputting information including clinical device configuration parameters related to the delivery of medication to a first processor;

storing a database of records in a memory in communication with a second processor, each record containing a range of predetermined acceptable values of parameters related to the delivery of medication to a patient, including ranges of predetermined acceptable values of clinical device configuration parameters;

comparing at least one inputted clinical device parameter with the records including the predetermined acceptable ranges of clinical device configuration parameters; and

downloading clinical device operating parameters from the second processor to the first processor to program and operate a clinical device in accordance with the downloaded operating parameters if the comparison of the at least one inputted clinical device configuration parameter and the stored records satisfies a predetermined condition.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing a range of values representing an acceptable range of values for selected patient condition parameters;

monitoring the patient and generating a value representative of a condition of the patient;

detecting whether the generated value is within a range of predetermined acceptable values for the selected patient condition parameters; and

alerting a care giver if the value representative of the condition of the patient is not within the range of predetermined acceptable values.